Patriots roll in opener

The Tigers started only one upperclassman.



The Patriots began the game with five seniors.



Experience, and height, had the advantage.



Four players reached double figures, a senior notched a career-high and a freshman started her career with a double-double as the Jay County High School girls basketball team ran over the Alexandria-Monroe Tigers 69-27 on Friday in the season opener.



“We came out, we wanted to try to get some easy baskets thinking we could do that with our press,” said JCHS coach Kirk Comer, whose team forced 11 first-half turnovers as it led wire-to-wire. “Being able to get some easy baskets early gives you confidence, which we were trying to do. Obviously when you play with confidence you play a lot better and that was what we were trying to do.



“It helps when you hit some shots.”



Alexandria-Monroe coach Greg Warren agreed the youth of his squad — he started a junior, three sophomores and a freshman — struggled with the quickness and size of Jay County (1-0).



“I thought my girls played hard,” said Warren, whose team is now 2-2. “I thought we showed good effort, but we’re young. We’re small and we’re still looking to find ourselves right now.”



Hannah Phillips, one of six Patriot seniors, led all players with 16 points, nine of which came in the third quarter. She sandwiched a pair of steals and turned them into fast-break buckets around a Shelby Caldwell (10 points) layup to begin the third quarter, pushing the Patriot lead to 42-17.



“Played with confidence and made some big plays,” Comer said of Phillips. “In order for us to reach our maxium potential she’s got to be a scorer for us.



“She’s one of our best shooters.”



Hanna Dillon was second on the team with 11 points, and freshman Madison Dirksen began her high school career with a 10-point, 11-rebound effort. Dirksen, the tallest player on the court at 5 feet, 11 inches, was a force grabbing rebounds at both ends of the court, and blocked a shot in the third quarter as well.



“What a way to start your high school career,” Comer said. “I thought she got better as the game went on. She got more confidence and I think that’s what you’re going to see from her throughout the year.”



Senior Kendra Muhlenkamp and sophomore Aubrie Schwieterman both contributed six points, while Hallie Fields scored four in her varsity debut.



Jenna Reece Van Blair, a sophomore, entered Friday’s game averaging more than 14 points per game for the Tigers, but the Patriots limited her offensive looks as she finished with just seven points on 3-of-10 shooting.



Jay County shot better than 54 percent (29-of-53) from the field, while Alexandria-Monroe was just 25.7 percent (10-for-40).



“We’re not looking at the basket to score,” Warren said. “It’s a little frustrating right now.”



But Comer was pleased with how his team came out to play.



“I thought overall we played really well,” he said. “I thought our guards played exceptional, made some good decisions. When you play like that, you’ve got four girls in double figures and Shelby’s not your leading scorer, that’s a good sign.”