After going two and out in its own tournament last year, the Skyline College men’s basketball team didn’t fare much better the rest of the way, finishing with a 7-18 record.

Faced with a similar situation on Saturday, the Trojans didn’t let history repeat. Their 75-67 win over Gavilan in a consolation semifinal of the Skyline Classic took on added significance because the Trojans (7-5) were coming off an excruciating one-point overtime loss to Napa a day earlier in the opening round, a game in which they had several chances to win only to come up short. The deflating defeat marked the Trojans’ third loss in four games.

To say Saturday’s victory was a relief would be a major understatement. When asked if it would have been embarrassing to go two and out in its own tournament for the second year in a row, Trojans coach Justin Piergrossi paused to carefully measure his words before replying, “Yeah, it would’ve been. You try not to think about that stuff.” But thanks to a complete team effort and some big shots down the stretch from Bryan Ngo, Skyline grinded out a must-win game. Ngo, averaging a team-best 20 points per game, finished with 22, including eight in a crucial two-minute stretch in the latter stages. Any basketball team that expects to be successful needs a player who can create his or her own shot, and Ngo provided just that when his team needed it the most. The 5-foot-10 guard out of Santa Clara High hit three straight driving layups — the first on a pretty scoop shot and the last on a tough leaner — capping a personal 6-0 run that gave the Trojans a 69-64 lead with 1:24 remaining. Skyline cruised the rest of the way. Last year Ngo had a tendency to force the issue at times as well as being prone to turnovers. This season he has improved in both those areas, and the results prove it.

“Bryan didn’t try to force it today,” Piergrossi said. “He’s definitely become more consistent in making better decisions, and we really needed it today. Bryan can make some creative plays that don’t look like they’re there, and that’s a nice part of his game.”

The Trojans had to battle hard for this one. Early on it looked like they were hung over from Friday’s demoralizing defeat. Gavilan jumped out to a 21-14 lead against a ragged Skyline squad with 11:10 left in the first half. The Trojans didn’t take their first lead until Ngo stole a ball near midcourt and coasted in for a layup to make it 25-23 with 8:08 left until halftime. The lead would change hands several more times until Skyline took the lead for good with a big push at the start of the second half, going on a 17-7 run to gain separation.

Pierre Battle capped the blitz with a steal and layup, giving the Trojans a 54-46 lead with 13:30 to go. They maintained a slim lead the rest of the way, with the advantage never dipping below four points. Nine players scored for the Trojans, who received 12 points from Mario Flaherty, 11 from Darren Morrison, nine from Battle and eight from Shawn Echols.

Skyline committed 19 turnovers but shot an efficient 50 percent (24-for-48) from the floor, including 5-for-11 from 3-point range. Piergrossi hopes Saturday’s win will be a harbinger. The Trojans got out of the gates fast but have since leveled off. But with some talented pieces in place, they’re poised to gain a second wind and finish high in the ultra-tough Coast Conference.

“We came out pretty strong, and maybe teams are catching up to us,” Piergrossi said. “It’s up to us to keep pushing the tempo and getting out in space, because that’s where I think we’re at our best in the open floor. I told the guys we had to find a way to win. They’ve been playing hard but haven’t been able to close the deal. I thought defensively we played as good as we have in a couple of weeks, and that overall it was our best team effort. We were able to execute and respond when we really needed it. We’re not good enough to start conference now, but this was a step in the right direction.”