Pleasant Valley’s AJ Gambol, center, is swarmed by her teammates in celebration after she hit the game-winning jumper at the buzzer in the Vikings’ 64-62 win over Oakland Tech in the CIF Division II round two matchup on Saturday, March 2, 2024, at Varley Gym in Chico, California. (Ben Mota, All Axis Sports/Contributed)
An improbable buzzer-beater ended one of the Bay Area’s great high school basketball runs.
With the score tied and 0.5 seconds on the clock in a NorCal Division II semifinal on Saturday night between Oakland Tech and host Pleasant Valley-Chico, a player for the home team, AJ Gambol, caught a three-quarters court rainbow inbounds pass from Ava Dunn on the baseline.
Gambol then turned and shot while falling out of bounds and being tightly defended. She then watched her awkward-angled shot swish through the net to give Pleasant Valley a 64-62 victory that sent the Vikings into a regional final on Tuesday.
When the volume hits another level. High school March Madness.
AJ Gambol of Pleasant Valley
pic.twitter.com/IP0CAmZOe8
— MaxPreps (@MaxPreps) March 3, 2024
It was Tech’s first playoff loss since 2018.
The Oakland school captured state titles in 2019, 2022 and 2023 and won NorCal in 2020 just before the pandemic shutdown. There were no state title games in 2020 and 2021.
“It feels surreal to not be playing right now,” Hurt told the Bay Area News Group on Monday morning. “But all good things have to come to an end.”
Gambol’s shot was the final piece of Tech’s crunch-time collapse, which saw the East Bay powerhouse lead by eight with two minutes left and by four with 24 seconds remaining.
The score was tied when Pleasant Valley inbounded the ball with 1.7 seconds to go. The Vikings missed a full-court heave, but the referees determined that clock did not start on time.
So instead of overtime, the Chico school got the ball with 0.5 seconds left.
Gambol made Tech pay.
Hurt questioned whether or not the clock started on time before Gambol’s game-winner.
“How can you hit a turnaround jump shot with half a second left,” Hurt wondered. “It can’t be done.”
Tech was bumped down to the No. 10 seed in Division II after forfeiting six non-league games for playing an ineligible player. The Bulldogs won road games at California and Vanden before falling to Pleasant Valley.
Tech finished 13-17.
Even though the Bulldogs will lose wing Taliyah Logwood to graduation, they returns forwards Terri’A Russell and Jhai Johnson.
Tech is expected to get back to its championship ways next season.
“I’m happy that we’ve built a culture where we are a playoff team with multiple championships,” Hurt said. “We are synonymous with winning.”
Originally published at Joseph Dycus