JC dominates Panthers

Points in the paint.
If there’s one thing that helped the Patriots to a blowout victory Saturday, it was points in the paint.
Adam Dirksen and Jay Houck combined to score 33 points in the Jay County High School boys basketball team’s 59-27 victory against the visiting Lakewood Park Christian Panthers.
“Everybody made the extra pass and I was right there,” said Dirksen who had a game- and career-high 20 points. He also had six rebounds and five blocks.
Jay County coach Craig Teagle said he was pleased with how the two worked together near the hoop.
“I think they play off each other so well,” said Teagle, whose team hits the road for its first conference game Friday at Woodlan. “Both are good at passing or dumping it down to one another.
“If you can score around the rim, then let’s score there every time. There is no reason to jack 3s just to shoot 3s.”
And Jay County (2-0) was perfect down low in the opening half. The Patriots were 12-of-15 from the field in the first 16 minutes, with their only three misses coming from long range.
“I know how (the Patriots) play just in terms of their fantastic motion offense,” LPCS coach Chad Hibbard said. “I was concerned about us being able to be where we needed to be weak side, trying to cut the court in half.
“That’s what we want to do and we didn’t do that at all.”
Jay County was 11-for-13 from the charity stripe, while Dirksen and Houck were untouchable below the rim.
Dirksen made all six of his bunnies in the first half and Houck was 3-for-3, as the Patriots raced out to a 35-7 lead heading into intermission. They also combined for seven blocks in the first half, creating havoc for the Panthers on the offensive end.
“I thought our length made a difference both offensively and defensively,” Teagle said. “It’s definitely nice to have a couple big guys.”
Lakewood Park’s Austin Mann hit the first of his two 3-pointers less than a minute into the second quarter, cutting his team’s deficit to 16-7. It would be more than eight minutes until the Panthers would score again.
Dirksen scored six straight points on a pair of free throws and on two of Houck’s five assists. He then helped on a bucket by Zach Pryor, as they executed a give-and-go from the left block. Pryor, who scored 10 points to join Houck and Dirksen in double figures, drew a foul on the play and made the subsequent freebie to give Jay County a 25-7 lead.
Houck added five more points in the frame, and Pryor netted three as the Patriots closed the half on a 19-0 run.
“I thought Zach Pryor was outstanding tonight,” Teagle said. “He got out on the break, got into the lane and had some pretty good pull-up shots.”
The Patriots opened the second half on a rebound and a put back by Houck, and then Zach Yoder ended the scoring drought for the Panthers more than 90 seconds into the third quarter to make the score 37-9 in favor of the home team.
After shooting just 13 percent (3-of-22) in the opening half, Lakewood Park was finally able to string together some offense, but couldn’t overcome the first-half hole. The Panthers trailed by as many as 36 in the final minute of the third quarter.
Mann scored five of his team-high eight points after intermission, and Drake Donaldson tallied all of his seven points in the fourth quarter.
“I was glad we didn’t quit,” Hibbard said. “I know that we gave effort. Even when it looks like we’re not, that’s how good Jay County is.”

Junior varsity
Jay County outscored Lakewood Park in every quarter but the fourth en route to a 56-45 victory.
The Patriots (1-1) had a seven-point lead at the end of the opening quarter and extended it to double figures at halftime. Lakewood Park trailed by 13 heading into the fourth but could not take the lead.
Cole Stigleman scored a game-high 16 points for the Patriots, who had three players in double figures.
Joey Springer chipped in with 12 points, and Justin Crouch added 11.
Bryan Stancliffe scored eight points, and Spencer Calvert and Dakota Grove each had four.
Colton Edgar led the Panthers with 13 points.