July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Patriots fall to No. 9 Marion (03/07/20009)
JCHS boys basketball
Patriots fall to No. 9 Marion (03/07/20009)
By By RAY COONEY-
HUNTINGTON - It's tough to have to start the tournament, and end the season, with a moral victory. But sometimes that's just how the chips fall.
Playing methodical, fundamental basketball, the Jay County High School boys basketball team hung around with the Class 4A No. 9 Marion Giants as long as it could. The Patriots were within single digits three minutes into the second half of their sectional semifinal game Friday night before giving up an 11-0 run to the 2008 state runners-up, who pulled away for a 47-32 win.
"We had three real goals that we wanted to accomplish," said JCHS coach Craig Teagle. "We wanted to have eight or less turnovers. We had six. So that was good.
"We wanted to give up eight or less offensive rebounds. I think we gave up five or six.
"We wanted to keep (Scott Wood) and (JaRob McCollum) in front of us and make them hit shots ... I think we gave up JaRob a drive to the basket once and fouled him, but we did a pretty good job.
"We knew our margin of error was very, very small. ... We did for the most part the things we needed to do to be successful, but they're just an outstanding basketball team."
Adam Garringer's third and final 3-pointer of the game had the Patriots within 30-22 early in the second half, but that was as close as they got.
Mikel Brigham started the decisive Marion run, and DavRon Williams got the second hoop as he came flying down the middle, grabbed a rebound in mid-air and dunked it. McCallum's fourth 3-pointer of the game followed, and Wood finished the run with a steal and break-away dunk to push the Giants to a 41-22 lead.
Marion (19-3) advances to take on Huntington North (8-13) in Saturday's sectional championship game at 7:30 p.m. The host Vikings, who lost 68-51 to the Giants during the regular season, won the first of the two sectional semifinal games Friday night 56-47 over Homestead (13-9).
"I thought our guys did a great job of adjusting from the basketball game on Tuesday where it was an up and down track meet, and tonight they were very sound and disciplined," said Marion coach Joe Luce, whose team defeated Fort Wayne North Side 94-86 in the opening round of the tournament. "We didn't do anything other than really guard them. There were about four possessions where we tried to double them at the end of quarters, but we were just real sound.
"That's what we have to be like if we're going to be able to continue to be successful. ... We have to be as fundamentally sound as we can be."
Jay County stayed close early as 3-pointers by Billy Wellman and Garringer had them down just 8-7 with less than two minutes to go in the opening quarter. However, Marion scored the final two baskets of the first period and then got a 3-pointer and three-point play from McCallum to open the second.
The Patriots trailed by 10 at the half, got to within eight twice early in the third quarter and then fell behind by as many as 19.
McCallum racked up 12 of his game-high 19 points from long distance, but the Giants otherwise did their damage in the paint
Williams, who stands 6-feet-5 inches, finished 6-of-7 from the field for 12 points, and Mikel Brigham, also 6-foot-5, added eight points. Wood, the No. 4 scorer in the state at 26 points per game, finished with just four.
Wood and Williams each grabbed five rebounds.
"I thought we did a good job of getting the ball inside," said Luce. "Obviously McCollum continues to play really well. I thought Scott Wood adjusted and ... did a good job of taking a secondary role tonight offensively."
The 3-point shooting effort kept JCHS for a while as the Patriots made 5-of-10 in the opening half. The problem was, they were 0-for-8 from 2-point range in the first half and hit just one 2-point bucket in the third quarter.
"We had some decent shots and just didn't knock them down," said Teagle. "Now, you can credit their length too. I mean, we don't play against 6-6, 6-5 guys all the time. They did a good job of contesting shots.
"We would do a great job; we'd shot-fake them, get one guy in the air ... and then next guy would come and block the shot. ... We're just undersized."
Garringer's 12 points and three assists were team highs for Jay County. Wellman added nine points, all in the first half and all on 3-pointers, and a team-best four rebounds. Kyle Simmons also had three assists.
The loss ended the Patriots' season at 14-7 and also stopped a couple of streaks. They had played in six consecutive sectional championship games and had won at least 15 games in each of the last six years.
Still, JCHS put together its eighth straight winning campaign, and the senior class had a 70-24 varsity record in their four years.
"That's outstanding," said Teague. "That tells you what type of effort ... and all the time and commitment. Because this is not easy. ... All the hours and time they put in, I'm so appreciative of it."
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Playing methodical, fundamental basketball, the Jay County High School boys basketball team hung around with the Class 4A No. 9 Marion Giants as long as it could. The Patriots were within single digits three minutes into the second half of their sectional semifinal game Friday night before giving up an 11-0 run to the 2008 state runners-up, who pulled away for a 47-32 win.
"We had three real goals that we wanted to accomplish," said JCHS coach Craig Teagle. "We wanted to have eight or less turnovers. We had six. So that was good.
"We wanted to give up eight or less offensive rebounds. I think we gave up five or six.
"We wanted to keep (Scott Wood) and (JaRob McCollum) in front of us and make them hit shots ... I think we gave up JaRob a drive to the basket once and fouled him, but we did a pretty good job.
"We knew our margin of error was very, very small. ... We did for the most part the things we needed to do to be successful, but they're just an outstanding basketball team."
Adam Garringer's third and final 3-pointer of the game had the Patriots within 30-22 early in the second half, but that was as close as they got.
Mikel Brigham started the decisive Marion run, and DavRon Williams got the second hoop as he came flying down the middle, grabbed a rebound in mid-air and dunked it. McCallum's fourth 3-pointer of the game followed, and Wood finished the run with a steal and break-away dunk to push the Giants to a 41-22 lead.
Marion (19-3) advances to take on Huntington North (8-13) in Saturday's sectional championship game at 7:30 p.m. The host Vikings, who lost 68-51 to the Giants during the regular season, won the first of the two sectional semifinal games Friday night 56-47 over Homestead (13-9).
"I thought our guys did a great job of adjusting from the basketball game on Tuesday where it was an up and down track meet, and tonight they were very sound and disciplined," said Marion coach Joe Luce, whose team defeated Fort Wayne North Side 94-86 in the opening round of the tournament. "We didn't do anything other than really guard them. There were about four possessions where we tried to double them at the end of quarters, but we were just real sound.
"That's what we have to be like if we're going to be able to continue to be successful. ... We have to be as fundamentally sound as we can be."
Jay County stayed close early as 3-pointers by Billy Wellman and Garringer had them down just 8-7 with less than two minutes to go in the opening quarter. However, Marion scored the final two baskets of the first period and then got a 3-pointer and three-point play from McCallum to open the second.
The Patriots trailed by 10 at the half, got to within eight twice early in the third quarter and then fell behind by as many as 19.
McCallum racked up 12 of his game-high 19 points from long distance, but the Giants otherwise did their damage in the paint
Williams, who stands 6-feet-5 inches, finished 6-of-7 from the field for 12 points, and Mikel Brigham, also 6-foot-5, added eight points. Wood, the No. 4 scorer in the state at 26 points per game, finished with just four.
Wood and Williams each grabbed five rebounds.
"I thought we did a good job of getting the ball inside," said Luce. "Obviously McCollum continues to play really well. I thought Scott Wood adjusted and ... did a good job of taking a secondary role tonight offensively."
The 3-point shooting effort kept JCHS for a while as the Patriots made 5-of-10 in the opening half. The problem was, they were 0-for-8 from 2-point range in the first half and hit just one 2-point bucket in the third quarter.
"We had some decent shots and just didn't knock them down," said Teagle. "Now, you can credit their length too. I mean, we don't play against 6-6, 6-5 guys all the time. They did a good job of contesting shots.
"We would do a great job; we'd shot-fake them, get one guy in the air ... and then next guy would come and block the shot. ... We're just undersized."
Garringer's 12 points and three assists were team highs for Jay County. Wellman added nine points, all in the first half and all on 3-pointers, and a team-best four rebounds. Kyle Simmons also had three assists.
The loss ended the Patriots' season at 14-7 and also stopped a couple of streaks. They had played in six consecutive sectional championship games and had won at least 15 games in each of the last six years.
Still, JCHS put together its eighth straight winning campaign, and the senior class had a 70-24 varsity record in their four years.
"That's outstanding," said Teague. "That tells you what type of effort ... and all the time and commitment. Because this is not easy. ... All the hours and time they put in, I'm so appreciative of it."
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