Jay County falls to No. 10 Kokomo

MARION — Almost.
The Patriots very nearly played the game they needed to upset the regional favorite. But there were a few too many turnovers, errant shots from the free-throw line and missed defensive assignments for them to get over the top.
Jay County was within three points in the final minute Saturday, only to fall short of an upset victory in a 44-37 loss to the No. 10 Kokomo Wildcats in Class 4A regional semifinal action at Marion.
“The turnovers didn’t bother me as much. We wanted 12 or less, and we did that,” said JCHS coach Craig Teagle. “My biggest concern was the execution of the scouting report. We gave up two threes in the first half to (Parker Salinas) off of ball-screen flares. We worked on that. …
“And then the free throws, we didn’t shoot them well. … And they shoot free throws horrendously for the year, and they were 14-of-18. ...
“All those things are just magnified. When you play at this level, you’re playing the best teams in the state. When you make a mistake, you typically have to pay for that mistake.”
Even with the mistakes, the Patriots were within striking distance throughout the game and pulled to within three at 40-37 on a Kegan Comer 3-pointer with 43 seconds to go.
However, they would get no closer.
D.J. Balentine hit a couple of free throws on the other end, and on the ensuing possession a 3-point try by Comer missed the mark. Tayler Persons grabbed the rebound for Kokomo (21-2) and sent a long outlet pass to LaBradford Sebree, who laid the ball in for the seven-point final margin.
Brock McFarland missed a shot on Jay County’s final possession, and the Wildkats grabbed the rebound and ran out the clock.
“Jay County is very well-coached,” said Kokomo coach Brian McCauley. They’re hard-nosed, physical, disciplined. They’re a tough out because of the style of basketball they play.”
The defensive lapses that bothered Teagle the most came at the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second.
In both cases, Balentine controlled the ball at the top of the key while Salinas set a screen. Balentine dribbled around the screen before kicking back to his senior teammate for an open 3-point attempt.
Salinas hit both tries, helping Kokomo extend to its biggest lead at 17-8.
Teagle said the game plan called for the defenders to switch on the screen by Salinas, a 51-percent shooter from 3-point range this season, rather than going over the top and allowing him an open look from long distance.
“He really gave us an offensive cushion in the first half,” said McCauley of Salinas, who added another 3-pointer in the third quarter on the way to an 11-point game. “He did a good job when we went to our screen and roll. For Jay County, (Schweiterman) and (Back), they stay back in the lane, so that opens up kind of a two-on-one situation, and Parker is good at popping out for the three.”
Balentine led Kokomo to the victory with 13 points and three rebounds. He was 6-of-7 from the foul line for the Wildkats, who were just a 63-percent free-throw shooting team for the season before hitting 78 percent Saturday.
Sebree provided a spark in the second half and finished with seven points and five rebounds.
“He got several offensive rebounds just pursuing the basketball and being aggressive,” said McCauley, noting that Sebree had just a single rebound and no points in the first half.
“One of the early possessions of the second half he got an offensive rebound and got to the free-throw line … I thought he was big.”
Comer hit three 3-pointers and led the Patriots with 11 points. McFarland added eight points, Back scored seven and Schwieterman finished with six.
Schwieterman also grabbed 10 rebounds to lead JCHS to a 26-16 advantage on the glass, and Back added seven boards.
“I thought Tyler played well,” said Teagle. “He did some nice things. I love his move in the second half where he just grabs it, spins, dribbles it, gets his body on the guy and scores it. That’s how Tyler Back can play all the time.”
The defeat ended a seven-game winning streak for the Patriots (17-7), who had lost just once since Jan. 22. They defeated Huntington North, Homestead and Fort Wayne South Side last week to win their first Class 4A sectional title in eight years competing in Indiana’s big-school division.
“We didn’t play very well for a weekend or three games,” said Teagle of his team’s mid-season struggles. “But from that point on … I thought we started playing much better basketball. … We played with confidence, understood our roles. Probably the biggest key was that double-header win (over Bellmont and Norwell). That gave our guys a true vision of how tough they could be physically and mentally.”
The game also ended the careers of JCHS seniors Garrett Krieg (five points, four assists) and Drew Houck (one rebound).
“I love ’em,” said Teagle. “They’re outstanding young men. … They always lead with nothing but class. … They are just awesome kids. They led the program the way I want it led, with class and integrity. We’re going to miss them.”[[In-content Ad]]