Jay smacks the Knights (01/14/08)

With a visit from state-ranked Winchester up next, the Patriots gave themselves a confidence-builder Saturday.

Using domination in almost every phase of the game, the Jay County High School boys basketball team clobbered the visiting Northeastern Knights 64-37.

The win came after an exhausting double-overtime victory at Connersville Friday and is the prelude to the Patriots battle with Class 2A No. 5 Winchester, which bashed Hagerstown 124-32 Friday night.

"We were pretty sluggish I thought in the first quarter, and again Aaron Daniels gives us a spark - loose balls, deflections, getting on the floor," said Teagle of the senior. "I thought Luke Goetz [17 points] showed great leadership too ... When we needed a big play, he got a knock-away or a deflection or got to the basket and hit a lay-up. And he communicated on the floor and really helped us out."

Daniels, who came off the bench for a team-high seven rebounds, highlighted an outstanding defensive effort. Late in the opening half he poked the ball away and fell to the hardwood as he tried to come up with the steal.

As he slid along the left sideline he kept the ball alive, dribbling with his right hand. And then, with a Northeastern player diving on top of him, he flipped the ball ahead to Eric Homan.

The sophomore, who scored eight points off the bench, laid the ball in easily for the final hoop of the first half and a 25-19 lead.

Homan's bucket came in the midst of a 17-0 Patriot run, which pushed them from a three-point deficit to a 33-19 lead.

Jay County (6-4) held the Knights scoreless for nearly 10 minutes, then followed with runs of 8-0 and 7-0 for a 48-24 lead early in the fourth quarter.

"All the credit goes to the kids," said Teagle, whose team held Northeastern to just five third-quarter points and 28 percent shooting in the second and third quarters. "They're the ones out there executing the defensive game plan ... They did a great job."

The defensive success came despite losing post players Clint Muhlenkamp and Dexter Shreve, the only two on the roster taller than 6-foot, to foul trouble in the opening six minutes.

On the other end of the floor, JCHS worked for easy shots and finished at 24 of-43 (56 percent) overall and 24-of-37 (65 percent) on two-pointers. The home team was also excellent from the foul line, hitting 16-of-19 (84 percent).

Goetz hit seven free throws and shot 5-of-8 from the field for his game-high total. Adam Garringer scored 10 points, Homan hit 2-of-3 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line for an efficient eight points and Simmons also scored eight points.

In addition to the defensive spark, Daniels grabbed a game-high seven rebounds. Jay County dominated the glass - the Knights (6-5) failed to get a rebound for the first 13 minutes of the second half - with Homan added five boards and Goetz, Heath Rigby, Garringer and Muhlenkamp each with four for a 36-13 advantage.

Shawn Stinson scored all of his 10 points in the first half to lead Northeastern. Jordan Ross and Lyden Foust each added six points, and Kevin Toschlog had four rebounds and two assists. Toschlog and Wise, the top two scorers for the Knights, managed just three points on 1-of-10 shooting.

Junior varsity

Jay County won every quarter, and never allowed the Knights more than five points in a period in a 33-15 victory.

The Patriots took a six-point lead after the opening quarter, and were up 19-10 at the half. They outscored Northeastern 10-2 in the third period to pull away.

Taylor Farmer paced the victory with 13 points. Nathan Brown and Jacob Westlake each added five points.

Derek Blunk finished with six points for the Knights, and Dustin Reffitt scored five.[[In-content Ad]]