Second-half surge downs Jets

MONROE — Despite having a lead at halftime, the Patriots hadn’t played too well.
They shot 39 percent from the field, had trouble pulling away from the Jets and their two top scorers combined for just five points.
But the Jay County High School boys basketball team bounced back from a poor first half — and from consecutive losses — to pick up a road win against the Adams Central Jets on Thursday, 53-35.
“We were hungry for another win,” said JCHS junior Jay Houck. The Patriots snapped a two-game losing skid to Winchester and Muncie Central. “Two tough losses, ones that we felt we shouldn’t have lost.”
Jay County (5-3, 2-0 Allen County Athletic Conference) had a 21-20 advantage at intermission, with Houck (three points) and Adam Dirksen (two) not very effective on offense.
Midway through the third quarter with the game tied at 23, Dirksen hit a 3-pointer form the left corner on an assist from Jason Schlosser that kicked off a string of seven straight points for the Patriots. Schlosser was credited with a bucket when Adams Central’s Jonah Tijerina tipped a rebound into his team’s basket, and Houck converted a layup on a helper from Dirksen to give Jay County a 30-23 lead with 3:10 left in the period.
“That is really what the game came down to,” said Adams Central coach Aaron McClure, whose team fell to 5-3 (2-1 ACAC). “We went in a six possession stretch where … we missed some opportunities.”
McClure noted that his team was more inclined to shoot from the outside — 19 of the Jets’ 37 shots were from long range — because Houck and Dirksen were too much to handle in the post. They combined for six blocks in the first half, with Dirksen denying multiple attempts from the Jets’ big man, Luke Voirol.
“We have some guys that can shoot the ball,” McClure said. “Normally we are going to try to get it inside a little bit more but certainly their length bothered us tonight.”
And when the Patriots used that 7-0 run to create separation — they added the last four points of the third quarter for a 37-27 lead — the Jets ran out of steam.
“You know when you’re down 10 (to the Patriots) they are going to be very fundamentally sound,” McClure said. “They are going to be tough to come back on.”
Dirksen, who scored eight of his game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter, kicked off the final frame with a layup, and added three more buckets in the paint.
“First half I didn’t do very (well),” he said. “Second half my teammates gave me great passes and I had good looks.”
In fact, the Patriots recorded assists on 11 of their 20 field goals, which coach Chris Krieg was pleased with but said he would still like to see even higher.
“I would rather see about 15,” said Krieg. Kyler Carvel led the Patriots with four assists, while Schlosser and Houck each tallied three. “We’re doing alright.”
Houck was second on the team with 10 points, giving him and Dirksen double figures in nine straight games dating back to the sectional championship loss to Homestead in March. With a 3-pointer from the right wing late in the third quarter, Houck passed his father Jack on the school’s all time scoring list.
Jack Houck totaled 509 points from 1980 to ’82, and his son now has 513 points, which is 29th all time.
“I guess it’s pretty cool,” Jay said of passing his father. “I’ve heard stories about him being a decent ball player. It’s an accomplishment I’m happy for.
“They put me in freshman year and I just played, not really thinking about the scoring or any records. Now that I’m getting told about this stuff it’s kind of cool.”

Junior varsity
Jay County scored double figures in each of the first two quarters and limited Adams Central to just seven total points in the opening half during a 35-42 victory.
The Patriots (5-3, 2-0 ACAC) jumped out to an 11-3 lead after the first quarter, and extended the advantage to 23-7 at halftime.
Ryan Schlechty finished with 10 points as the only Patriot to reach double figures. Garrett Rodgers tallied seven points, and Michael Schlechty added six.

Freshman
The Patriots held the Jets to four or fewer points in each quarter for a 31-11 victory for a clean sweep of the Jets.
Jay County (7-2, 2-0 ACAC) led 8-4 after the first quarter and 17-6 at half. The Patriots pushed the score to 25-9 heading into the fourth quarter.
Gabe Faulkner and Gavin Randall both had six points to lead Jay County. Parker Grimes and Wyatt Geesaman had four points apiece.