Wayne defeats Patriots

FORT WAYNE — Situations can change in a hurry.
On Saturday, the Patriots’ chance at victory slipped away in less than a minute.
The host Wayne Generals tallied three points on each of its first three possessions of the fourth quarter, breaking open a close game on the way to a 54-45 victory over Jay County.
JCHS coach Craig Teagle, whose team trailed by just three late in the third quarter before giving up an 11-0 run, said his team’s quick trigger helped Wayne to open up its lead.
“Part of the problem was when we were down (five), we took two or three quick shots,” he said. “That’s a turnover in our book. … Our lack of patience … hurt us, because that’s when they took that double-digit lead.”
Jay County (10-6) trailed by just three after a Scott Schwieterman basket, but Xavielle Brown hit the final hoop of the third period for the Generals and then the home team exploded to start the final quarter.
James Wyss sparked Wayne (8-10) as he hit a 3-pointer on the opening possession of the fourth quarter. He added an old-fashioned three-point play on the next trip down the floor, and then Justin Mitchell came up with a steal and three-point play with 7:01 on the clock to push the advantage to 44-30.
Wayne coach Aaron Rehrer said it was key that someone other than Brown, who had 17 of the Generals’ 35 points, to make an impact.
“Our bench came off and really contributed,” he said. “James Wyss had a three and then an and-one right there that was a six-point swing.
“(Brown) is averaging about 22 and 11 a game, and teams are starting to double team him when he catches it … We’ve got to have other people step up and hit shots. And we’re not a great 3-point shooting team, so any time we can knock down a three that definitely helps us.”
Meanwhile, Jay County went scoreless for the first three minutes of the final period, falling behind 52-35 before making a run in the final two minutes.
Brown was the only player to finish in double figures for the Generals as his 23 points left him just two short of 1,000 for his career. He missed all of his six 3-point attempts, but was 9-of-13 from inside the arc and 5-of-6 at the foul line while sharing the team high of six rebounds.
Mitchell, a freshman, added nine points and six boards.
“He’s the definition of a competitor,” said Rehrer of Brown. “We never have to worry about him coming to a game and not playing hard. He’s going to give it all he has. … For me being a first-year head coach, he’s a phenomenal kid to have as a senior.”
Brown’s 23 points are the most scored by any player against the Patriots this year, and Wayne’s total of 54 is the fourth-most they have allowed.
The loss, following a 61-53 victory Thursday at Delta, marks the first time this season JCHS has given up more than 50 points in consecutive games.
“We talked big about building a wall around the paint, not letting them get to the paint, and they had 26 shots in the paint. That’s terrible defense,” said Teagle, whose team leads Class 4A in defensive average at 40.8 points per game allowed. “We’ve got to be a lot better than that.
“And Brown is a player. I’m not taking anything away from him. … My hat’s off to Wayne. They’re a disciplined team. They have athleticism and they play smart. I was impressed with them.”
After a first half in which Jay County struggled to get shots to fall in the paint, Scott Schwieterman bounced back to score 11 of his 13 in the second half. He shared the team-high of 13 points with Brock McFarland, and also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds.
“We missed a lot of easy runs around the rim,” said Teagle. “That may be their athleticism, I don’t know. A lot of times we’re leaning back instead of trying to power it through.
“I think some of (Schwieterman’s success in the second half) was because he went hard into them. Instead of turning and fading a little bit, he turned, powered it and went hard to the basket. And that’s what he has to do.”

Junior varsity
Jay County took control in the opening period on the way to a 32-20 win over the Generals.
Kyle Selvey finished with 10 points for the Patriots (10-6), who were up by seven after the first quarter and gave up just a single point in the fourth. Jacob Schlosser added eight points.
Anthony Wright-Lake had eight points to lead Wayne. Rashad Mims added six points.[[In-content Ad]]