Triple threat

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Rylie Parker hit a half dozen threes.

Her teammates combined for nine more.

The Class 4A No. 2 Homestead Spartans made 15 baskets from beyond the 3-point line, many of which were uncontested, in handing the Jay County High School girls basketball team a 91-41 home loss on Tuesday.

“I didn’t think our defense was very good at all,” said JCHS coach Kirk Comer, whose team dipped to 2-4, has dropped four of its last five games and travels to take on sectional rival New Castle on Thursday. “We let the dribble penetration get to the paint too much and open up wide open threes.

“We weren’t able to stop the penetration. They were shooting pull-ups and hitting those. We’re having to help on that and they hit threes. Against a team like that you can’t come off the shooters and leave them open because if you do, you’re going to pay the price. We paid a big price.

Parker, daughter of Homestead coach Rod Parker, came off the bench and went 6-of-9 from long range. She had two triples in the first and fourth quarters and one in each of the other two. She paced the Spartans (6-0), a former Patriot sectional rival, to the tune of 22 points.

“The thing Rylie ives us off the bench is that spark,” said Rod Parker, whose team had a season-high scoring output. “She can come in and score. She is a very good defender for us and kind of a hard-nosed kid that mixes it up.

“That’s what you often times need when you’re looking for some combination off the bench.”

Sylare Starks was second on the Spartans with 16 points, while Kara Gealy and Sydney Graber each had 11 points. Freshman Ayanna Patterson joined them in double figures with 10 points.

Homestead finished 32-of-65 from the field, and made half of its 30 shots from 3-point range.

Jay County senior Shelby Caldwell did her best to keep the Patriots within striking distance. After trailing 19-8 entering the second quarter, Caldwell stepped out and hit consecutive 3-pointers on Kendra Muhlenkamp assists to bring Jay County as close as five points.

Graber and Caldwell traded triples on each of the next two possessions before the Spartans started to pull away by outscoring the Patriots 25-8 the remainder of the half.

At intermission, Caldwell had 20 of the Patriots; 25 points — they trailed 47-25 — and Jay County had difficulty getting her the ball in the post in the final two quarters. The senior ended with 27 points and shared the team lead of six rebounds with Muhlenkamp.

“I thought she played really well,” Comer said of Caldwell, who has scored 24 or more points in back-to-back games. “I thought she showed she can play at that level. We just had trouble getting her the ball. I think she could have scored a lot more if we could have gotten the ball to her inside more.”



Junior varsity

Margaret Keinsley and Megan Helmkamp scored 15 points apiece in leading Homestead past Jay County, 53-23.

Jay County (1-5) fell behind 18-4 after the first quarter and went into halftime trailing 35-7. The Patriots trimmed the deficit by outscoring the Spartans 10-6 in the third quarter, but the first-half deficit was insurmountable.

Macey Weitzel led Jay County with eight points, and Pacie Denney was second with six points.

Andrea Jutte finished with four points as Aubrie Schwieterman and Grace Saxman scored two points each.