March 3, 2021 at 5:35 p.m.
Second sinks Jay in sectional
Patriots outscored 16-6 in second quarter of 42-26 loss
Second sinks Jay in sectional
NEW CASTLE — Despite six turnovers in the first quarter, the Patriots had a 4-2 lead after eight minutes.
The Eagles had trouble making shots, going just 1-for-9 from the field during that span.
Shots started to fall for the Eagles in the second, and the Patriots weren’t able to keep up.
Jay County High School’s boys basketball team got outscored 16-6 in the second quarter and were unable to recover in a 42-26 loss to the Delta Eagles in the Class 3A Sectional 24 quarterfinal Tuesday at New Castle Fieldhouse.
“When we had the opportunity we didn’t make the play,” said JCHS coach Jerry Bomholt, whose team had its lowest point total of the season after losing to Delta by just four earlier in the year. “It’s been that way for most of the year. Our margin of error is small, as small as any team I’ve ever coached.
“For whatever reason, the shooting part of our program is not developed to the point that we have guys that can shoot the ball and make it. We have to get back to that. We have to have guys that can shoot the ball consistently, make 40% of their threes, 50% of their twos and make free throws at a 70 to 75% rate. Until we get there we’re always going to struggle.”
Delta coach Mark Detweiler, whose team advances to the sectional semifinal against host New Castle on Friday, blamed the slow start to his Eagle team on nerves.
“You see that in the tournament a lot,” said Detweiler, whose team allowed its fewest points of the season. “We knew they were going to be very deliberate and patient. You combine that, when you get the ball in your end, you get a couple high-percentage looks (and) you don’t finish them and then you get a little tight.”
After missing a 3-pointer to start the second quarter, the Eagles (17-4) scored on the next seven possessions of the period.
Blake Jones got a steal and a fast break ahead of two Brady Hunt free throws that gave the Eagles the lead — one it didn’t give up — 6-4. Dusty Pearson made one of two free throws to bring Jay County (7-11) within one, 6-5, before the Eagles put in eight straight points.
Neil Marshall nailed a corner three on a Jones assist to make it 11-5, and the next trip down the Jones-to-Marshall connection led to another 3-pointer.
“I thought a big key was Neil hitting a couple shots there in the second quarter,” Detweiler said. “I think it kind of settled us down.”
Brady Hunt, a Ball State football signee, got going as well, scoring eight of his game-high 18 points in the second quarter. He hit three catch-and-shoot, turnaround jumpers from the right elbow, all on Jones assists.
“He’s a big-time player,” Bomholt said of the 6-foot, 5-inch forward who was listed at 205 pounds during football season. “We don’t have anybody that can match him. That’s where we’re heading, hopefully. In another year we’re going to have somebody, or more than one, step up and be able to play at that level. Right now we don’t have that.”
Marshall finished with 15 points to complement Hunt, who pulled down all but five of his team’s 19 rebounds, while Jay County had 18 boards.
Jay County, which after going 7-16 last year has now had back-to-back losing records for the first time since 2001, trailed by as many as 16 midway through the third quarter as the Eagles scored eight straight points to start the second half.
The Patriots caught a little bit of momentum after that. They got as close as nine, 31-22, with 5:10 to play in the game but Hunt drove the left baseline for two points, pushing the margin back to double figures, then added a dagger with a 3-pointer two DHS possessions later.
Ethan Dirksen led the Patriots with eight points, and Bennett Weitzel was second with six points. Four others had three points each.
Jay County has plenty to look forward to next season, as it does not have a senior on this year’s roster. But Bomholt sees that as both a blessing and a curse as he may not have room in the program with the incoming freshmen.
“Good part is hopefully you’ll get everybody dedicated,” he said. “Bad part of that is with everybody back, some kids are going to get cut.
“If they don’t work I can’t keep them.”
The Eagles had trouble making shots, going just 1-for-9 from the field during that span.
Shots started to fall for the Eagles in the second, and the Patriots weren’t able to keep up.
Jay County High School’s boys basketball team got outscored 16-6 in the second quarter and were unable to recover in a 42-26 loss to the Delta Eagles in the Class 3A Sectional 24 quarterfinal Tuesday at New Castle Fieldhouse.
“When we had the opportunity we didn’t make the play,” said JCHS coach Jerry Bomholt, whose team had its lowest point total of the season after losing to Delta by just four earlier in the year. “It’s been that way for most of the year. Our margin of error is small, as small as any team I’ve ever coached.
“For whatever reason, the shooting part of our program is not developed to the point that we have guys that can shoot the ball and make it. We have to get back to that. We have to have guys that can shoot the ball consistently, make 40% of their threes, 50% of their twos and make free throws at a 70 to 75% rate. Until we get there we’re always going to struggle.”
Delta coach Mark Detweiler, whose team advances to the sectional semifinal against host New Castle on Friday, blamed the slow start to his Eagle team on nerves.
“You see that in the tournament a lot,” said Detweiler, whose team allowed its fewest points of the season. “We knew they were going to be very deliberate and patient. You combine that, when you get the ball in your end, you get a couple high-percentage looks (and) you don’t finish them and then you get a little tight.”
After missing a 3-pointer to start the second quarter, the Eagles (17-4) scored on the next seven possessions of the period.
Blake Jones got a steal and a fast break ahead of two Brady Hunt free throws that gave the Eagles the lead — one it didn’t give up — 6-4. Dusty Pearson made one of two free throws to bring Jay County (7-11) within one, 6-5, before the Eagles put in eight straight points.
Neil Marshall nailed a corner three on a Jones assist to make it 11-5, and the next trip down the Jones-to-Marshall connection led to another 3-pointer.
“I thought a big key was Neil hitting a couple shots there in the second quarter,” Detweiler said. “I think it kind of settled us down.”
Brady Hunt, a Ball State football signee, got going as well, scoring eight of his game-high 18 points in the second quarter. He hit three catch-and-shoot, turnaround jumpers from the right elbow, all on Jones assists.
“He’s a big-time player,” Bomholt said of the 6-foot, 5-inch forward who was listed at 205 pounds during football season. “We don’t have anybody that can match him. That’s where we’re heading, hopefully. In another year we’re going to have somebody, or more than one, step up and be able to play at that level. Right now we don’t have that.”
Marshall finished with 15 points to complement Hunt, who pulled down all but five of his team’s 19 rebounds, while Jay County had 18 boards.
Jay County, which after going 7-16 last year has now had back-to-back losing records for the first time since 2001, trailed by as many as 16 midway through the third quarter as the Eagles scored eight straight points to start the second half.
The Patriots caught a little bit of momentum after that. They got as close as nine, 31-22, with 5:10 to play in the game but Hunt drove the left baseline for two points, pushing the margin back to double figures, then added a dagger with a 3-pointer two DHS possessions later.
Ethan Dirksen led the Patriots with eight points, and Bennett Weitzel was second with six points. Four others had three points each.
Jay County has plenty to look forward to next season, as it does not have a senior on this year’s roster. But Bomholt sees that as both a blessing and a curse as he may not have room in the program with the incoming freshmen.
“Good part is hopefully you’ll get everybody dedicated,” he said. “Bad part of that is with everybody back, some kids are going to get cut.
“If they don’t work I can’t keep them.”
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