December 14, 2018 at 4:18 a.m.
Jay thumps Heritage for first place
JCHS girls basketball
Jay thumps Heritage for first place
Copyright 2018, The Commercial Review
All Rights Reserved
Heritage entered Thursday’s contest with Jay County riding high.
It had won five in a row, hadn’t allowed more than 33 points during that span and was tied for first in the conference standings.
On the other hand, Jay County had won back-to-back contests after losses in the previous three, was averaging more than 50 points per game for the season, was starting to find its footing defensively and was also first in the conference.
The host Patriots rolled to yet another victory.
Despite a sluggish start on both sides of the ball, the Jay County High School girls basketball team dominated the latter part of the first period on its way to a 57-28 victory over the Heritage Patriots to take sole possession of first place in the Allen County Athletic Conference.
“We felt like going in that if we played our game, we’ve played a schedule to prepare us for tonight,” said JCHS coach Kirk Comer, whose team improved to 5-6 (3-0 ACAC), has won three in a row this season and 11 straight regular-season conference games. “We wanted to put pressure on them. I felt like we did a good job defensively only giving up 28 points, 12 in the second half.”
Jay County’s 57 points was the fourth straight game scoring 57 or more points and the sixth time doing so this season. It was also the most points Heritage (10-3, 2-1 ACAC) had given up all year. That came on a night during which Jay County was 17-of-36 (47.2 percent) in front of the 3-point line and 24-of-50 (48 percent) for the game.
“We didn’t finish a lot of shots, but in saying that, to still come away with a win like that, I’m really pleased,” said Comer, whose team travels north to Berne Saturday to take on South Adams (5-5, 1-2 ACAC). The Starfires knocked off Jay County in the ACAC tournament final a year ago, ending the Patriots’ three-year reign as tournament champions.
Heritage jumped out to a 5-2 advantage nearing the midway point of the opening quarter before Jay County scored six straight to take the lead.
An Abby Sheehan triple — her second in the frame — evened the score with 3:10 to play, but that’s when the host Patriots started to take off.
Shelby Caldwell split a pair of free throws to give Jay County a one-point lead. She scored the next two trips down the court too, including a triple from the top of the key, to make it 14-8. Following a Heritage bucket, Hallie Fields and Caldwell combined to score the final seven points of the period as Heritage turned the ball over on its last four possessions.
“We wanted to try to do that early, get off to a good start,” Comer said. “But we did go on a little bit of a run there … give us a little separation.”
Jay County led 21-10 after one quarter, pushed the advantage to 28-16 at half before going out front by 20 with one quarter to play.
“Our intensity picked up in the second half and we were able to expand the lead,” Comer said.
Caldwell led all players with 16 points, and her six rebounds matched freshman teammate Madison Dirksen for the team high. Dirksen contributed 12 points, half of which came in the second quarter. Caldwell’s two assists were to Dirksen, as the senior drove the right baseline twice while Dirksen slipped from the far block into the paint for the over-the-top pass.
Fields, a junior, contributed eight points.
“I thought both of them did a really good job,” Comer said of Dirksen and Fields. “Our scoring was balanced again tonight which just makes us tougher to guard.”
Junior varsity
Pacie Denney swished a 3-pointer from the left wing to give Jay County a one-point lead in the fourth quarter that it never relinquished on the way to a 36-33 victory.
It was the fifth straight win for the host Patriots (6-5).
Heritage came back from a 9-2 deficit after the first quarter to take a 26-24 lead in the fourth quarter before Denney’s triple put the home team out front for good.
Aubrie Schwieterman scored 10 of her game-high 17 points in the second half, and Denney joined her in double figures with 11 points. Grace Saxman finished with six points and Heaven Hambrock had a pair.
All Rights Reserved
Heritage entered Thursday’s contest with Jay County riding high.
It had won five in a row, hadn’t allowed more than 33 points during that span and was tied for first in the conference standings.
On the other hand, Jay County had won back-to-back contests after losses in the previous three, was averaging more than 50 points per game for the season, was starting to find its footing defensively and was also first in the conference.
The host Patriots rolled to yet another victory.
Despite a sluggish start on both sides of the ball, the Jay County High School girls basketball team dominated the latter part of the first period on its way to a 57-28 victory over the Heritage Patriots to take sole possession of first place in the Allen County Athletic Conference.
“We felt like going in that if we played our game, we’ve played a schedule to prepare us for tonight,” said JCHS coach Kirk Comer, whose team improved to 5-6 (3-0 ACAC), has won three in a row this season and 11 straight regular-season conference games. “We wanted to put pressure on them. I felt like we did a good job defensively only giving up 28 points, 12 in the second half.”
Jay County’s 57 points was the fourth straight game scoring 57 or more points and the sixth time doing so this season. It was also the most points Heritage (10-3, 2-1 ACAC) had given up all year. That came on a night during which Jay County was 17-of-36 (47.2 percent) in front of the 3-point line and 24-of-50 (48 percent) for the game.
“We didn’t finish a lot of shots, but in saying that, to still come away with a win like that, I’m really pleased,” said Comer, whose team travels north to Berne Saturday to take on South Adams (5-5, 1-2 ACAC). The Starfires knocked off Jay County in the ACAC tournament final a year ago, ending the Patriots’ three-year reign as tournament champions.
Heritage jumped out to a 5-2 advantage nearing the midway point of the opening quarter before Jay County scored six straight to take the lead.
An Abby Sheehan triple — her second in the frame — evened the score with 3:10 to play, but that’s when the host Patriots started to take off.
Shelby Caldwell split a pair of free throws to give Jay County a one-point lead. She scored the next two trips down the court too, including a triple from the top of the key, to make it 14-8. Following a Heritage bucket, Hallie Fields and Caldwell combined to score the final seven points of the period as Heritage turned the ball over on its last four possessions.
“We wanted to try to do that early, get off to a good start,” Comer said. “But we did go on a little bit of a run there … give us a little separation.”
Jay County led 21-10 after one quarter, pushed the advantage to 28-16 at half before going out front by 20 with one quarter to play.
“Our intensity picked up in the second half and we were able to expand the lead,” Comer said.
Caldwell led all players with 16 points, and her six rebounds matched freshman teammate Madison Dirksen for the team high. Dirksen contributed 12 points, half of which came in the second quarter. Caldwell’s two assists were to Dirksen, as the senior drove the right baseline twice while Dirksen slipped from the far block into the paint for the over-the-top pass.
Fields, a junior, contributed eight points.
“I thought both of them did a really good job,” Comer said of Dirksen and Fields. “Our scoring was balanced again tonight which just makes us tougher to guard.”
Junior varsity
Pacie Denney swished a 3-pointer from the left wing to give Jay County a one-point lead in the fourth quarter that it never relinquished on the way to a 36-33 victory.
It was the fifth straight win for the host Patriots (6-5).
Heritage came back from a 9-2 deficit after the first quarter to take a 26-24 lead in the fourth quarter before Denney’s triple put the home team out front for good.
Aubrie Schwieterman scored 10 of her game-high 17 points in the second half, and Denney joined her in double figures with 11 points. Grace Saxman finished with six points and Heaven Hambrock had a pair.
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