Peninsula grad McLaughlin passes 1,000 point mark with UCSB basketball

Nearly four years after graduating from Peninsula High School, JaQuori McLaughlin has found major success at the college level.

Playing for the University of California Santa Barbara, McLaughlin recently passed the 1,000 career point mark and has helped the Gauchos a 19-10 record thus far.

“I actually didn’t know when I did it. I think my dad texted me,” he said. “I thought it was pretty cool to be a 1,000 point scorer. Just all the work I put in and always being in the gym, I thought it was pretty cool.”

For McLaughlin, it was a collaborative effort for him reaching that milestone. His accomplishment stems from having a support system of coaches and teammates who work with him from preseason summer workouts through games at the end of the season.

“I just feel like it is a really cool accomplishment to have,” he said. “Being in college and being able to score 1,000 points, just got to give props to my teammates and my coaches for believing in me and being there with me.”

McLaughlin, currently a redshirt junior, is averaging 13.5 points per game, 3.9 assists per game, and is shooting 44.6% from the floor. From the three-point line, he’s shooting 40.8 percent.

But beyond the solid stats, McLaughlin has the mentality to get his teammates involved in the scoring, something that has been important to him since he’s been playing basketball.

“I would say [dishing the ball] is probably my favorite part of playing is just trying to get my teammates involved and making the right play,” he said. “Not always looking to shoot but staying aggressive to the point where if I attack and someone comes up and my teammate is open, then I’m definitely giving him the ball.”

McLaughlin’s team-first attitude was ingrained in him by his father, Jason. Together, they watched a lot of point guards and how they approached conducting the floor during games.

That in turn led to McLaughlin’s selfless play. But when he needs to, McLaughlin can still score from all four levels.

“I don’t have a preferred method. I think can score from all four levels, including free throws, so 3-pointers mid-range, getting to the basket; I think I try to do it all,” he said. “Depending on what the defense is trying to do, I just take what they can give me at that time.”

So far, it’s been a strong season for McLaughlin and the Gauchos. Currently, they are sitting in fourth place in the Big West standings.

With their conference tournament looming, the Gauchos have a shot at making a run to take a top seed and make a bid for their spot in the NCAA Tournament.

“For us, we had a couple of challenging stretches earlier in the year. And then we dropped a couple losses in conference that we thought we should’ve had,” he said. “Right now, we are staying together as a team. Our leading scorer just got hurt and he’s out for the season, so we have that next-man-up mentality.”

McLaughlin and his teammates are of the mindset to just take days one at a time. They will get their practice in when they can to prepare for their next upcoming game.

His teammates are also a group that help each other on and off the court. Of course, a lot of time is spent working out in the gym. But it’s a group that McLaughlin has come to love.

“I think we have a lot of pieces that can do some damage and I think we are doing a good job of staying together,” he said. “And then we are going to keep on progressing as we keep going forward.”

Ultimately, basketball is a great passion for McLaughlin. Being on the court with his teammates and competing are some of his favorite things about the game.

It’s been a part of his life ever since he was a little kid and he goes out every night giving it his all. Winning can go a long way, but it all goes back to competing.

“I just love going out there and giving it my all every game,” McLaughlin said. “Being able to compete with my (teammates) and just show my love for the game.”

The Gauchos will round out their season in their upcoming final two games. The first is a game against Cal State Fullerton at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 5 at home; and their final game of the year is against Cal Poly at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 7 at home.

This story was originally published March 3, 2020 at 6:00 AM.