February 2, 2020 at 5:12 a.m.
Bruins run away
Jay can't keep up with No. 5 scoring team in Indiana
Bruins run away
The Patriots tallied the first four points.
They had a two-point lead at the end of the opening quarter.
After falling behind by double figures at halftime, they went on a 12-1 run to close the deficit to four.
But, over the course of 32 minutes, they simply couldn’t keep up with one of the highest-scoring teams in the state.
Jay County High School gave up 70 or more points for the third time this season as the Blackford Bruins handed it a 79-53 defeat behind 35 points from star junior Luke Brown.
“I’m pleased with our effort. We just got beat by a better player,” said JCHS coach Chris Krieg. “You take him out of the mix, it’s a whole different ball game. But when you have a high mid-major recruit, they can do a lot of things.”
The Patriots (4-12) trailed by 15 at halftime before the 12-1 run, highlighted by two Brayden Sprunger 3-pointers, pulled them within 37-33.
That, evidently, was when Brown decided it was time to take over.
The state’s leading scorer first drove to the basket for two points, then hit a triple 30 seconds later. After a Dalton Willmann basket, Brown connected from long distance again. A Cameron Elam hoop extended the Bruins’ advantage to 49-33, and Jay County never closed to within single digits again.
“Of course, any time you’ve got Luke Brown on the floor, he’s going to score,” said Blackford coach Jerry Hoover, whose team improved to 12-4 with its fourth straight win. “It’s just a matter of time before he’s going to get some.”
Jay County senior Brayden Sprunger out-shot Brown from long distance, going 7-of-11 for his team-best 21 points. The seven triples were two off the school record of nine set by Trent Bailey on Feb. 20, 2004, at Union City.
But in addition to his 6-of-12 3-point effort, Brown also added six two-point field goals and finished 5-for-5 at the foul line for the Bruins, who entered the evening fifth in the state in scoring at 78.7 points per game. The 35 points lifted Brown’s scoring average to an even 33 per game. He also dished out six assists, bringing his season total to 130 in 16 games, to help teammates Maxwell Wors and Brandon Stroble join him in double figures with 11 points apiece.
“His basketball IQ is probably one of the highest I’ve seen,” said Krieg. “He might be one of the best kids that we have ever seen play on this floor against us. … He is just a special kid.”
After two scoreless minutes to start the game, Gavin Lambert got the Patriots on the board. Gavin Muhlenkamp hit a pull-up shot on the next trip down the floor for a 4-0 lead before Wors ended the Bruins’ 0-for-4 start with a 3-pointer at the 5:10 mark. The Patriots pushed out to a 13-6 advantage thanks to three of Sprunger’s 3-pointers and were still up 13-11 at the quarter break.
Blackford used a 13-0 run in the second quarter to take control. The Bruins joined New Castle (37) and Merrillville (91) in breaking the 70-point mark against JCHS this year.
“The first quarter, we came out, we executed offensively,” said Krieg. “We moved the ball. We screened. We got people open … We did everything that we have to do to be successful. …
“The second quarter was huge for us because we stopped running offense. We would do one pass, jack up a three. We would do one pass and try to force a drive … Instead of playing in the flow of the game, we were trying to create. … That put us behind the 8 ball.”
Junior varsity
Jay County rallied from an 11-point deficit to pull even, only to fall 47-46 to the Bruins.
The Patriots fought all the way back to tie the game on Josh Dowlen’s 3-pointer from the right wing with 13 seconds left. But Landon Grimes, a transfer from JCHS, split a pair of free throws with four seconds on the clock and Jay County’s shot from beyond half court at the buzzer was blocked.
Dowlen paced the Patriots with 11 points in the loss. Gavin Myers and Crosby Heniser added nine apiece.
Grimes’ game-winning free throw gave him a game-high 20 points. Dane Baker followed with 15.
Freshman
The Patriots outscored Blackford in every quarter to cruise to a 46-25 victory.
Jay County had a two-point lead after the opening period before outscoring the Bruins 16-6 in the second. It added an 8-2 advantage in the third to put the game out of reach.
Brady Davis and Blake Bogenschutz scored 14 and 12 points, respectively, to lead the Patriots. Owen Ransom and Caleb Darnell added six apiece.
Carson Smith’s 13 points led the way for the Bruins.
They had a two-point lead at the end of the opening quarter.
After falling behind by double figures at halftime, they went on a 12-1 run to close the deficit to four.
But, over the course of 32 minutes, they simply couldn’t keep up with one of the highest-scoring teams in the state.
Jay County High School gave up 70 or more points for the third time this season as the Blackford Bruins handed it a 79-53 defeat behind 35 points from star junior Luke Brown.
“I’m pleased with our effort. We just got beat by a better player,” said JCHS coach Chris Krieg. “You take him out of the mix, it’s a whole different ball game. But when you have a high mid-major recruit, they can do a lot of things.”
The Patriots (4-12) trailed by 15 at halftime before the 12-1 run, highlighted by two Brayden Sprunger 3-pointers, pulled them within 37-33.
That, evidently, was when Brown decided it was time to take over.
The state’s leading scorer first drove to the basket for two points, then hit a triple 30 seconds later. After a Dalton Willmann basket, Brown connected from long distance again. A Cameron Elam hoop extended the Bruins’ advantage to 49-33, and Jay County never closed to within single digits again.
“Of course, any time you’ve got Luke Brown on the floor, he’s going to score,” said Blackford coach Jerry Hoover, whose team improved to 12-4 with its fourth straight win. “It’s just a matter of time before he’s going to get some.”
Jay County senior Brayden Sprunger out-shot Brown from long distance, going 7-of-11 for his team-best 21 points. The seven triples were two off the school record of nine set by Trent Bailey on Feb. 20, 2004, at Union City.
But in addition to his 6-of-12 3-point effort, Brown also added six two-point field goals and finished 5-for-5 at the foul line for the Bruins, who entered the evening fifth in the state in scoring at 78.7 points per game. The 35 points lifted Brown’s scoring average to an even 33 per game. He also dished out six assists, bringing his season total to 130 in 16 games, to help teammates Maxwell Wors and Brandon Stroble join him in double figures with 11 points apiece.
“His basketball IQ is probably one of the highest I’ve seen,” said Krieg. “He might be one of the best kids that we have ever seen play on this floor against us. … He is just a special kid.”
After two scoreless minutes to start the game, Gavin Lambert got the Patriots on the board. Gavin Muhlenkamp hit a pull-up shot on the next trip down the floor for a 4-0 lead before Wors ended the Bruins’ 0-for-4 start with a 3-pointer at the 5:10 mark. The Patriots pushed out to a 13-6 advantage thanks to three of Sprunger’s 3-pointers and were still up 13-11 at the quarter break.
Blackford used a 13-0 run in the second quarter to take control. The Bruins joined New Castle (37) and Merrillville (91) in breaking the 70-point mark against JCHS this year.
“The first quarter, we came out, we executed offensively,” said Krieg. “We moved the ball. We screened. We got people open … We did everything that we have to do to be successful. …
“The second quarter was huge for us because we stopped running offense. We would do one pass, jack up a three. We would do one pass and try to force a drive … Instead of playing in the flow of the game, we were trying to create. … That put us behind the 8 ball.”
Junior varsity
Jay County rallied from an 11-point deficit to pull even, only to fall 47-46 to the Bruins.
The Patriots fought all the way back to tie the game on Josh Dowlen’s 3-pointer from the right wing with 13 seconds left. But Landon Grimes, a transfer from JCHS, split a pair of free throws with four seconds on the clock and Jay County’s shot from beyond half court at the buzzer was blocked.
Dowlen paced the Patriots with 11 points in the loss. Gavin Myers and Crosby Heniser added nine apiece.
Grimes’ game-winning free throw gave him a game-high 20 points. Dane Baker followed with 15.
Freshman
The Patriots outscored Blackford in every quarter to cruise to a 46-25 victory.
Jay County had a two-point lead after the opening period before outscoring the Bruins 16-6 in the second. It added an 8-2 advantage in the third to put the game out of reach.
Brady Davis and Blake Bogenschutz scored 14 and 12 points, respectively, to lead the Patriots. Owen Ransom and Caleb Darnell added six apiece.
Carson Smith’s 13 points led the way for the Bruins.
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