Patriot perfection (01/21/2009)

Connersville clawed back from a 10-point deficit, repeatedly narrowing the gap to just one possession. The Patriots, however, were unwilling to yield.

Each time the Spartans got close the Jay County High School boys basketball team came up with a key play, and another outstanding night from the free-throw line finished off its 59-49 victory Tuesday.

"Jay County is a good ball club," said Connersville coach Rodney Klein. "They don't miss free throws and they don't turn the ball over. If you get behind them late, then you have to try to foul them and you hope they miss, and they didn't."

The Patriots (8-0, 1-0 Olympic Athletic Conference) saw their lead dwindle to three points or fewer three times in the final five minutes.

Eric Homan turned back the first with a put-back basket with about four minutes to play.

Jay County failed to score after the Spartans pulled within 48-46 with 2:40 to play, but Connersville (6-3, 0-1 OAC) failed to capitalize. It instead turned the ball over, leading to another Homan hoop.

And after the visitors pulled to within two once more at 50-48, the Patriots responded by hitting six consecutive free throws to put the game away.

Two of those came from Homan, who carried JCHS late. He scored eight straight points during a stretch of the fourth quarter, and tallied 10 of his 12 in the final eight minutes.

"What I appreciate about Eric is we talked a lot this week about how much (Zach Hufferd) and (Eric Winkler) try to block shots inside," said JCHS coach Craig Teagle. "We said, 'When you get it for a power move, shot fake hard, get them up in the air and finish. ... He did exactly what we asked him. He's so coachable."

JCHS hit 15-of-16 (94 percent) from the foul line, following up one its 16-of-18 effort Saturday at Northeastern.

The Patriots, who also turned the ball over just five times, are off to the best start in school history. The 2006-07 squad opened 6-0 before losing by two at Centerville. Jay County plays at Winchester Friday before visiting Centerville Saturday.

Homan, who also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, was one of four Patriots in double figures. Adam Garringer led the team with 17 points, Billy Wellman scored 13 and Kyle Simmons added 11.

Garringer and Simmons each had three assists, and Lance Franklin grabbed four rebounds.

Franklin hit just one basket in the game, but it was a key score in the third quarter. The Patriots were struggling offensively, and their nine-point halftime lead had slipped to three. The senior responded by taking the ball on the right block and powering his way to the hoop to put his team back up by five with one quarter to play.

"We needed it big time," said Teagle. "He is so strong. He got his body on that guy before he could make contact. So he initiated the contact, made a great offensive move and scored."

Teagle also said Franklin and one of his senior teammates were key to the Patriots' defensive turn-around in the second quarter.

Jay County gave up 19 points, including five 3-pointers, in the opening period, but locked down in the second.

It held the Spartans to 2-of-11 shooting and outscored them 15-5.

"In the second quarter, it was much more like Patriot defense," said Teagle, whose team has not allowed more than 50 points in any game this year. "We did a much better job contesting shots.

"But the real key to that quarter was Jacob Westlake and Lance Franklin's energy level. ... We needed a spark, and we got that from those two guys defensively."

After starting the game on fire from long distance, Connersville hit just three 3-pointers over the course of the final three quarters. It finished 8-of-22 (36 percent) from long distance and shot 39 percent overall.

"We do shoot the ball very well," said Klein. "As a team we shoot almost 40 percent from the 3-point line. We felt like if went inside and got it back out we'd get some good looks. And we did. And then they took those away and in the second quarter we forgot to go inside. We got a little bit behind there.

"But we battled. In the second half I thought we played as well as we've played for a while."

Hufferd led Connersville with 16 points and six rebounds, and Zachary Miller, who hit four 3-pointers, added 15 points. Winkler finished with nine points and five rebounds, and Danny Fischesser had nine points and five assists.

Junior varsity

Jay County trailed by nine points through the first three quarters, but dominated the fourth to improve to 7-1 with a 37-28 win over the Spartans.

Drew Houck and Garrett Krieg each scored six of their 11 points in the final period, in which the Patriots outscored Connersville 18-3. Josh Beaty added nine points.

Trae Neukam totaled nine points to pace the Spartans. Landon Speers added eight points.

[[In-content Ad]]