Patriots denied their 5-0 start

NEW CASTLE — The Patriots were looking to go undefeated through five games for the first time in almost a decade.

The Trojans stopped those chances.

Jay County High School’s boys basketball trailed at the end of every quarter in a 49-37 loss to the New Castle Trojans on Saturday at New Castle Fieldhouse.

The Patriots (4-1), who had hopes of going 5-0 for the first time since 2012, fell behind the Trojans (5-1) by a 12-8 margin at the end of the first quarter. Jay County outscored New Castle 8-6 in the second to trail 19-16 at half, but the Trojans started to pull away in the second half. They led 32-24 at the end of the third and were up 36-28 near the midway point of the fourth quarter.

Ethan Dirksen led Jay County's offense with 21 points, giving him 20 or more points in back-to-back games and the third time this season. Gavin Muhlenkamp followed with 12 points, his third straight game scoring a dozen.

New Castle’s Colin Taylor led the Trojans with 18 points.

Jay County’s junior varsity team also lost, 52-44. Wesley Bihn led the Patriots with 10 points, while Jackson Edwards contributed nine points. Cam Smitley added seven points.