Slaughtered seven (11/11/2008)

FORT WAYNE - An error in the scorebook by coach Kirk Comer forced a change in the starting lineup, putting sophomore Danielle Link on the floor for the opening tip instead of senior Mackenzie Loy.

But not much went wrong for his Patriots after that.

With solid play in every phase of the game Monday night, the Jay County High School girls basketball team dominated the Class 4A No. 7 Fort Wayne South Side Archers 52-33.

"I told the girls in the locker room that nothing happened tonight that I didn't expect to happen," said Comer, who got 19 points from junior Pazia Speed. "I didn't expect to dominate ... but we came out and played with confidence. We were the most aggressive team tonight. We didn't play on our heels, we played on our toes."

It was a drastic turn-around from the last game Jay County (1-0) played - a 30-point loss to the Archers in the sectional semifinal round in February.

To open the 2008-09 season, the Patriots were in control, never trailing after taking a 6-5 lead in the first quarter. They were up by 12 at the half, and kept a double-digit lead for the final seven minutes after Gina Muhlenkamp buried a 3-pointer to start the fourth quarter.

Jay County was most impressive on the defensive end, where it kept the Archers out of the lane. South Side (0-1) managed just 33 percent shooting and struggled to a 4-of-17 effort from long distance.

"We knew going in what they were going to do," said South Side coach Andy Rang of the variety of defenses the Patriots like to throw at teams. "They do a lot of zone ... try to pack it in, and we just did not shoot the ball very well."

Comer said another focus for his defense was South Side senior Sydney Weinert. She was shut out on just two field-goal attempts.

Weinert, who was forced to the bench as she picked up her second foul with two minutes left in the first quarter and her third with 5:28 to go in the first half, was also 0-for-5 at the foul line to highlight the struggles of a 4-of-17 (24 percent) night for her squad.

"We just wanted to switch up our defense," said Comer, whose team also forced 26 turnovers. "We thought putting Speed on (Weinert), we thought she had the quickness and the athletic ability to contain her. ... We were trying not to let them make a run. Two consecutive baskets was a run. We tried not to let that happen."

It did, but only once in the game.

The Archers' only run of consecutive baskets came as they went on a 7-0 run in the third quarter to pull within 34-28. But Jay County scored the next 11 in a row, taking advantage of seven consecutive missed free throws by South Side.

The Patriots didn't have a great shooting night, finishing at 36 percent from the field, but made up for it at the foul line. Speed nailed all five of her attempts and senior Kaelee Keller (12 points) was 5-for-6 to lead JCHS to an 86-percent effort.

Speed scored her game-high total on 6-of-12 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers. She also grabbed five rebounds.

"I think she's playing with a lot of confidence," said Comer. "One of the things that I've asked out of Pazia is ... to take what's given to her. Everything that she got last night was within the flow of the offense. ... In both the scrimmage and the game last night she shot extremely well."

Wellman had nine points, seven rebounds and two assists, and Keller added four rebounds and four assists. Loy grabbed all of her six rebounds in the first half.

Sophomore Brittany Johnson was the only Archer in double figures as she finished with 10 points. She also had five rebounds.

Freshman Jamesha Ridley had four points and two assists, Jarvisha Jackson and Jomani Thomas each added four points and Weinert had five rebounds.

"It was just simple things," said Rang, whose team averaged at least 65 points per game in each of the last three seasons. "Our assistant coaches said we missed 18 lay-ups. We just didn't shoot the ball well and we turned the ball over too many times. That's a bad combination."[[In-content Ad]]