No. 9 Jay dominates (12/03/2008)

BLUFFTON - After a hard-fought victory over a ranked team Friday, the Patriots made sure Tuesday's game was over in a hurry.

Coming off of a 48-40 win over Norwell, it's third over a ranked team this year, the Class 4A No. 9 Jay County High School girls basketball team rolled out to a 19-2 first-quarter lead Tuesday. It hit as many field goals in the opening eight minutes as the host Bluffton Tigers would in the entire game on the way to a 63-18 victory.

With a 23-point lead after Kaelee Keller and Lindsey Wellman hit back-to-back 3-pointers to open the second quarter, JCHS (7-0) used the game to work on things it would like to improve. At halftime coach Kirk Comer urged his team to get into passing lanes and come up with more deflections, and early in the fourth the starting five worked on controlling the ball to take time off the clock.

"We've just got to continue to get better," said Comer, whose team ran off about three minutes on its first two fourth-quarter possessions. "These girls need to be challenged every single day to get better.

"I think we played with pretty good intensity in the first half.

"Our jump defense, when we ran it a few times, was good."

Jay County opened the game with a 9-0 run, getting five points from Lindsey Wellman and four from Pazia Speed in the first three minutes. The following 16-0 run, capped by the Keller and Wellman 3-pointers, was the longest of the game, and they also added consecutive scoring streaks of 13, eight and seven points.

Wellman and Keller each scored 13 points to lead the Patriots. Keller, who shot 6-of-8 from the field, also had five assists.

Speed finished with eight points, six rebounds and five assists. Cara Garringer also scored eight points, and Mackenzie Loy had six rebounds.

Ten different Patriots hit for at least one point as 12 saw action in the game.

"I think they all at times can fill roles," said Comer of the bench. "Mackenzie Loy did a good job on the boards again. That's what we need out of her."

Bluffton (0-6), which turned the ball over 13 times in the opening quarter on the way to 32 for the game, shot just 8-of-29 (28 percent).

Caylynne Johnson had four points and six rebounds. Shelby Lesh and Megan Moser also had four points apiece.

The big win for Jay County added to the team's already gaudy statistics.

The Patriots, who joined the Indiana Coaches of Girls Sports Association top 10 for the first time this week, are in the top 10 in the state in both average margin of victory and defensive average.

They are winning by an average of 33.7 points per game - only the win over Norwell has been in single digits - which is fifth overall and third in Class 4A. Their 30.9 points allowed per game is seventh overall and second in Class 4A behind No. 2 South Bend Washington (29).

Jay County is also third overall in the state in the Sagarin Ratings and 15th in the Indiana Basketball Coaches Association poll.

"The rankings to me are what others think about you," said Comer of his team's move into the top 10. "It's flattering that other peple think we're a top 10 team in 4A. But the only thing that matters is results."

Junior varsity

Jay County shut out the Tigers in the first quarter and had an 18-point lead at the half as it rolled to a 42-16 victory.

Kassi Hemmelgarn scored eight of her 11 points for the Patriots in the second half. Danielle Wellman and Maria Murphy each added six points.

Michaela Prater had five points for Bluffton. Leah Tullis added four.[[In-content Ad]]