SARATOGA -- CJ Willenborg continued his play as one of the best scorers in the state and the Vikings flipped an 11-point halftime deficit into a double-digit victory in what head coach Danny Yoshikawa called the "best game of the year."

The Vikings (17-6, 6-2 Coast-South) now have a fighters' chance at taking the conference crown after breaking what was a 13-game winning streak for a red-hot San Jose City College Jaguars (18-6, 7-1 Coast-South) team, winning 64-54.

"Best game of the year," said Yoshikawa. "Not even close. Better than San Francisco. It's just the win of the year. Because we had to display and play with a level of toughness we've never shown before. Mental and physical. So that's why. I told the guys at halftime, they were a little shell-shocked. I felt like we played bad, took some bad shots. We just got to get a little bit tougher, play a little bit harder, and then move the ball more, work together more, and get the ball inside. We'll be okay. You know, that was it. My family asked me, 'what was that speech like at halftime?' It was, 'we're okay. We're actually okay. I know it doesn't feel like it, but we are actually really close. And so just keep doing what we're doing, but let's get the ball inside. Let's guard this guy a little bit better.'"

The defense for West Valley was solid early on, and as the offense continued to have a lid on the top of the basket, the defense kept the Vikings in the game. Only one Jaguar, guard Muhammad Singleton, was really able to keep the scoring up in the first half.

UTEP-bounce back Taj Royster, who averages almost 15 points and ten rebounds per game, was held with just a single rebound in the first half as West Valley's William Amoah and Caleb Asante traded assignments on the 6-foot-8 Royster defensively.

"We're trying to guard each and every one of them for what they do," said Yoshikawa, "and I definitely think our guys executed the game plan really well. We want to keep the ball in front of us. We're trying to guard each and every one of them for what they do, and I definitely think our guys executed the game plan really well. We want to keep the ball in front of us."

The Vikings trailed by 11 at the half, a deficit that could have been much larger without the contributions of Willenborg. He scored nine first half points and canned a late 3 that pushed some momentum West Valley's way.

With the tables already starting to turn in the second half, Willenborg went into takeover mode, hitting a pair of triples: one to push to a one-point deficit and one to give the Vikings the lead.

"He's in a good rhythm," said Willenborg. "When that dude's in a good rhythm, he's hard to guard. What I like about him is his assists have gone up dramatically. And he is key to our offense. When he moves the ball, we are one of the best teams in the state. That's how I feel. When he moves the ball. And then when he's in his groove and he's in his rhythm, he's an incredibly talented player. And he can score with the best of them."

Willenborg, who has been one of the best scorers in the state since a rough start, has averaged 16.7 points per game in his last ten games. That number, extrapolated through a full season, would be second in the conference.

But he wasn't the only sophomore who shined. Ryan Roth, coming off a career-high 21 points against Foothill, scored five points and hit a massive 3 near the end of the first half. Bryce Buchanan anchored the Vikings' second unit from the high post. Asante, who was West Valley's leading scorer before an injury, was aggressive in the paint and as a facilitator.

"Going into this game, I wanted to play Bryce," said Yoshikawa. "I want to play Ryan. I want to play Caleb because I know that it means a little bit more to them. You know, it really does. And they've seen it before. They're not going to lose the ball like our freshmen are. They're going to be a little bit tougher."

The best of the sophomores may have been Amoah. He didn't finish with his usual gaudy offensive numbers, scoring 10 points and grabbing eight boards, but he was a wall on the interior defensively and stole three passes while blocking three shots.

"[Amoah's] best game by far," said Yoshikawa. "He's got an incredible motor and when he plays with that motor, then his athleticism becomes an incredible asset. He was, I don't know what his final stats were yet, but that was the best I've seen him play, and that's the guy that I thought he would be. And I haven't seen that guy. And that's who I thought he would be."

The defense fueled West Valley's second half comeback. At one point in the first half, they trailed 31-17. From then on, the score was almost completely flipped: the Vikings outscored the Jaguars, 37-23.

While the Vikings have four conference games to clear up the space between them and the Jaguars, next up is a non-conference Monday matchup against East Los Angeles College, with tip scheduled for 3:00 PM.