JC, Miss headed for rematch (03/03/05)

Mississinewa coach Chanse Young has a whole list of things his team is going to have to do to have a chance against Jay County Friday night. And there’s a good reason why.

He saw junior Tyler Rigby torch Elwood for 26 points in the Patriots’ sectional opener Tuesday night.

He can recall Mark Kelly’s game-winning shot with five seconds left which sent his Indians to a 48-46 defeat Jan. 25.

And he most certainly remembers Trent Bailey, and not only for the senior’s game-high 12 points in the regular-season meeting. Bailey also lit up Mississinewa in last year’s sectional championship game, scoring 21 of his team’s 23 second-quarter points and finishing with 33.

“I think we’re ... going to have to take advantage of opportunities that we have offensively and defensively,” Young said after his team edged host Blackford in its first-round sectional game Tuesday. “We’re going to have to put an emphasis on rebounding. Kelly is just such a spark for them when he’s able to get offensive rebounds and put-backs.

“And I think we all know what kind of player Trent Bailey is. And then obviously the Rigby kid tonight had a good night. They have a lot of weapons and we’re going to have to be ready for that.”

Bailey, averaging 13.9 points per game, hasn’t reached double figures in either of Jay County’s last two games. That could just mean trouble for the Indians, as he was also struggling at this point last season before dropping seven 3-pointers on them.

The Indians (17-4) and the Patriots (14-7) meet one night earlier this year, playing in the first of two Class 3A sectional semifinal games at Blackford Friday at 6 p.m. Delta (13-7) and Tipton (8-12) will play in the second game, with the winners to meet in Saturday night’s title contest at 7:30 p.m.

Jay County coach Craig Teagle said the key to topping Mississinewa a third straight time and getting a chance for another sectional title is that Bailey, Rigby, Kelly and company continue to hit shots.

“No matter what my biggest thing once you go into sectional is you’ve got to hit shots,” he said before Wednesday’s practice after watching his team hit for 63 percent in the second half of its 65-54 sectional-opening win over Elwood Tuesday. “If you don’t it’s over with. No matter how well you play defensively you’ve got to put the ball in the hole.”

Bailey is followed by Mark Kelly at 12.6 points per game, and Corey Comer with 7.5. Rigby more than doubled his career high Tuesday night, and John Retter and Randy Evans have also scored in double figures recently.

Mississinewa counters with three players who average double figures, led by an outstanding duo of post players. Adam Skeens is shorter but more powerful, averaging 13.6 points per game while Adam Mughmaw sizes up similarly to Kelly and scores 12.0 a contest. Guard James Reed adds 11.5 points per game. No other player scores more than five points per game, although Cameron Branock racked up a game-high 16 in the win over Blackford.

The Indians also get more than 16 rebounds per game from Skeens and Mughmaw combined, and were one of the few teams this year to beat Jay County on the glass.

“I think the main thing with them is we’ve got to find a way to stop their inside game,” said Teagle. “We’re going to have to get it covered up and not let the ball go in. Because once it does get in Mughmaw can just jump over you and Skeens is just so powerful he can shoot through two or three people.”

Mughmaw scored the first nine Mississinewa points against the Patriots this season and finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Skeens added 13 points and six boards.

Young said the most important thing for his team will be to have more balance than in the first game.

“We’re going to have to have really a sound game by both our perimeter guys and our post guys,” said Young. “Defensively Jay County is very active and tough. We’re going to have to really make sure that we take care of the basketball because they like to put a lot of pressure on. When we played them the first time ... we just didn’t knock down shots. We’re just going to have to have a solid game by everyone.”[[In-content Ad]]