Hot-start by Knights dooms Jay County

Levi Leidig hit a 3-pointer.

Then Will Geiger went to work.

Garrison Brege facilitated their scoring.

That trio powered Norwell in a first quarter in which it built a 13-point lead on the way to topping the host Jay County High School boys basketball team 61-46 on their senior night.

The Knights (12-7) scored the first eight points of the game, with Leidig hitting his triple off of a Brege assist and Geiger handling the next five points, including a three-point play.

JCHS got on the board 2:35 into the game when Ryan Schlechty converted a Wyatt Geesaman assist. But by the end of the first quarter both Geiger and Leidig had nine points, with the latter’s coming on a perfect 3-for-3 effort from long distance.

After hitting seven of its first eight field goal attempts in the game, Norwell added a 13-2 run to begin the second quarter. The visitors were up 33-10.

“The final three quarters we played with them,” said JCHS coach Chris Krieg, whose team fell to 13-7. “We just had the horrendous start and that put us on our heels, and we had to play catch up.”

Norwell shot 11-of-19 from the field in the first half, hitting six 3-pointers in the process.

The Patriots managed to close the gap in the final 3:33 of the second quarter, getting hoops from Ryan Schlechty, Geesaman and and Parker Grimes before a pair of free throws by Noah Arbuckle. The 8-0 run pulled them within 15 at halftime.

JCHS (13-7), which had won three in a row, edged its deficit down to 12 midway through the third quarter. But Norwell had its lead back out to 49-31 by the end of the period and stayed in control throughout the fourth.

Geiger, a junior, dominated play inside, racking up 26 points on 10-of-17 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds. 

“Obviously Geiger is just a man around the basket,” said Krieg. “He is so strong, so physical.”

Eli Riley scored 15 points, and Geiger finished with 13. Brege recorded five of his game-high seven assists in the first half.

The Patriots got a team-high 16 points from Grimes, who hit a pair of 3-pointers in the final period. Michael Schlechty was next with eight points.

Geesaman had eight rebounds and three assists, and Ryan Schlechty also had three assists.

Junior varsity

Jay County pulled away in the final two minutes for a 55-43 victory over the Knights. 

The game was tied at the end of the first quarter and halftime before the Patriots opened a 35-27 lead heading into the final period. Norwell pulled to within five points with two minutes to go, but JCHS pulled away from there for the final margin.

Ethan Dirksen and Gavin Lambert led the Patriots’ effort with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Brinnin Wasson added nine points.

Tanner Felger’s 13 points were tops for the Knights.

Freshmen

The Patriots failed to score a point in the first quarter en route to a 28-12 defeat.

Jay County trailed the Knights by 10 at halftime and managed just three third-quarter points in the loss.

Adrek Pogue was the leading scorer for the home team with five points. Crosby Heniser had three.

Augie Mann scored nine points to pace Norwell.