In a game where the 14th seeded Tri-City Christian squad relied on disciplined play to stay competitive, the standout performance of J.D. Wyatt propelled the 3rd seeded Parrots to victory. Despite the win, Poly head coach Joe Wyatt was unimpressed with his team’s execution. He had devised a clear strategy—full-court press leading to transition buckets, intense man-to-man defense that forced Tri-City to fight for every basket. This approach had fueled 15 straight victories and proved effective again early on, as senior Jao Libuano sparked a 5-0 Poly run with back-to-back steals in the first quarter.

Junior role players Kevin Lara and Izzak Varela delivered steady performances throughout the game, proving crucial as senior Quian Khawaja struggled early and battled foul trouble. Lara knocked down a three-pointer, while Varela contributed with a key steal and gritty rebounding. J.D. Wyatt ended the first quarter announcing he was the best player on the floor with highlight plays on consecutive possessions. First, Wyatt took a rebound coast-to-coast for an electrifying dunk and followed that with a steal and a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to put the Parrots up 18-7 after one.

The second quarter told a different story as Poly’s offense stalled. Tri-City’s defense keyed in on Wyatt, while Libuano struggled to find his shot. Sensing the need for a spark, Khawaja stepped up—firing a full-court pass to Lara for an assist and driving hard to the basket time and time again, earning five free-throws in the frame, though he converted only two. Despite the offensive lull, Poly’s defense remained relentless, denying Tri-City easy baskets and closing the half with a 26-19 lead.

J.D. Wyatt came out firing in the second half, scoring nine points in the first five minutes to push Poly’s lead to 18. Varela continued dominating the boards, capitalizing on assists from Khawaja and Wyatt for easy buckets. Wyatt electrified the crowd with a breakaway steal and dunk, capping a dominant third quarter that left Poly in control with a commanding 48-32 advantage.

The fourth quarter took a tense turn as Khawaja was sidelined first by foul trouble and later by a leg injury. Coach Wyatt had relied exclusively on his starters in the first half, but fatigue began to take its toll. Libuano was forced to the bench after a hard foul, and Poly’s composure started to slip. Costly turnovers allowed Tri-City to creep back into the game, cutting the lead to nine when Wyatt fouled a Tri-City three-point shooter with 1:48 remaining.

The crowd murmured with Poly’s struggle to close this one out. Missed free throws only added to the tension as Tri-City closed the gap to six points with 39 seconds left. This was playoff basketball—anything can happen. Fortunately for Poly, Khawaja and Wyatt managed to sink enough free throws in the closing moments to secure a 60-54 victory.

Wyatt led the way for Poly with 28 points and six rebounds, while Khawaja contributed 16 points. Though his leg injury didn’t seem serious, Khawaja’s status for Thursday’s game remains uncertain. Varela added a much-needed 10 points and seven rebounds

Despite the win, Coach Wyatt was blunt in his postgame assessment: “I thought we played horrible. There was no flow, no discipline. We didn’t listen at times. So, we got to get back to basics.” With just one day to regroup, the Parrots will need to tighten up before facing 11th-seeded Bernstein this Thursday at 7 PM.