Falcons top JCHS

WINCHESTER — It takes any visiting team’s best effort to come away with a win at the Winchester Fieldhouse. The Patriots did not have theirs Friday night.
Jay County turned the ball over on each of thier first four possessions and fell behind 9-0. It trailed by double digits for most of the final three quarters, falling 50-40 to the host Winchester Golden Falcons.
“It was all trying to make plays on their own, and that’s not Jay County offense,” said JCHS coach Craig Teagle of the turnovers as his team finished with 21. “You’ve got to play together. If we make five passes or more in a possession we probably get a good look at some point. And we weren’t making five or more passes. We were forcing things …
“I’m hugely disappointed. I thought we grew as a team and were going to be more mentally tough than that.”
The issues for the Patriots (7-4) started early as Winchester (11-2), which has lost on its home floor just three times in the last five seasons, scored its opening points when 6-foot-8-inch center Brandt Miller passed out to Connor Detweiler for a 3-pointer. The next three possessions were all Miller as he nailed three straight shots for the 9-0 lead.
Jay County went without a field goal in the opening period, starting 0-for-6 with six turnovers before Drew Houck finally hit a 3-pointer 1:19 into the second quarter. But Miller remained the story of the first half, hitting a slew of turn-around jumpers on the baseline as he totaled 13 points and assisted on three 3-pointers.
“He’s really come a long way,” said Winchester coach Rick Owens of the junior, who finished with 20 points and six rebounds. “He’s got a great touch for a guy that size. He’s worked hard to improve himself and he’s a very good basketball player.
“If he continues to have the success that he’s had, and I think he will, somebody else is going to have shots. I thought he did a good job of (finding them).”
The Patriots were able to push Miller away from the basket, but Teagle said there was another part of the game plan they didn’t accomplish.
“We talked a lot this week about not letting him turn to his right shoulder. He’s (not as effective) going to his other shoulder,” he said. “Some of it was our size disadvantage, but we needed to do a better job of covering up that shoulder. Just don’t let him go that way.”
Winchester, which led by 14 at the half, pushed its advantage to 16 several times in the third quarter.
The Patriots managed to get back within eight in the final minute, but the Golden Falcons still won by double digits despite missing 11 fourth-quarter free throws.
Teagle said he was happy with the way his team fought late, but that it was not nearly enough.
“You can’t play harder than the other team for four minutes,” he said. “You have to play harder than the other team for 32. … We were so lackadaisical with the basketball sometimes.
“We had to have good offense with poise, patience and confidence, and we didn’t do that. They were the more experienced, smarter basketball team tonight.”
Detweiler hit a pair of 3-pointers for the Golden Falcons, following Miller with eight points. Cody Woodbury also had eight points, six of which came at the foul line.
In his first game back since suffering a concussion Dec. 21 against Muncie Central, Garret Krieg led the Patriots with 12 points. Cade Price, Kegan Comer and Drew Houck each had five for JCHS, which shot 19 percent in the first half (3-of-16) and 34 percent for the game.
“I thought we did a really good job of guarding and playing defense in the first half,” said Owens. “I thought we took (Brock) McFarland away. We really tried to concentrate on him and contain him. He’s a great driver, and a great finisher. We tried to contain him and keep him in front of us.”

Junior varsity
Jay County opened up its lead in the third quarter en route to a 34-27 victory over the Golden Falcons.
Kyle Selvey and Zane Shreve each had eight points for the Patriots, who improved to 6-5. Jacob Schlosser added seven points.
Seth Stanley finished with 11 points to lead Winchester. Gatlin Kramer added nine points.[[In-content Ad]]