MTN Arena – 15 March 2026
If you only watched the fourth quarter, you would swear the JT Jaguars won this game.
Unfortunately for them, basketball is played over forty minutes.
The Jaguars fell 74–72 to Sommet BC on Sunday night, but the final period told a very different story from the first three quarters. Entering the fourth trailing 58–42, JT looked headed for a quiet defeat. Instead, they erupted for a 30–16 quarter that nearly turned the entire contest on its head.
So what changed?
- Pace.
Once the Jaguars began pushing the ball, the game opened up. Fast-break opportunities piled up, leading to 33 transition points. The Jaguars suddenly looked like the more aggressive side, forcing mistakes and converting turnovers into offense.
George Cristian Odeke was at the center of that shift. He finished with 23 points, five rebounds, and five assists, controlling stretches of the fourth quarter with confident drives and smart decision-making. Alongside him, Chuol Dut Abraham Akuei delivered a dominant inside presence, recording 21 points and 10 rebounds while creating second-chance opportunities.
And those second chances mattered. The Jaguars won the rebounding battle 52–45 and turned offensive boards into 17 second-chance points. Add 17 points off turnovers and 34 points from the bench, and you start to see how JT clawed back into a game that once looked out of reach.
But the numbers also tell you where the game slipped away.
JT shot just 32 percent from the field. For three quarters, that inefficiency allowed Sommet to build their cushion. The Jaguars compensated by attacking the rim and getting to the line, converting 16 of their 22 free throws, but the early scoring drought proved costly.
Then came the final minute.
The Jaguars trailed 69–73 and chose to foul in an effort to regain possession. After several attempts, the strategy paid off when Christian stole the ball and passed to Chol, who quickly found Chuma for a clutch three-pointer that cut the deficit to just one point.
With the game still on the line, Sommet’s Peter Cheng (23 points, 10 rebounds) was fouled and split his free throws to restore a two-point lead at 74–72. The Jaguars still had one final opportunity with 3.8 seconds remaining. Coach Sudi called a timeout to advance the ball to the front court, The team could have settled for two points to tie the game, but they opted for a three from Chuma that did not end up entering the basket.
And that was the difference.
The frustrating part for JT fans is obvious: the fourth quarter showed exactly what this team is capable of. The defensive intensity that limited Sommet to just 16 points, the pace in transition, and the energy on the boards — that formula nearly stole the game.
The question now becomes one worth asking:
What happens if the Jaguars start the next game the way they finished this one?