Full flurry in first

NEW CASTLE — The Patriots’ defense shined in their last outing, but the offense couldn’t execute, leading to a loss.

Just over a week later, when the Patriots hit the hardwood again, the offense came on full force and the defense followed along enough to secure the victory.

The Jay County High School boys basketball team dropped 22 points in the first quarter, as it took down the New Castle Trojans 58-41 on Monday.

“I thought that was one of our more complete games of the year,” said JCHS coach Tyler Rigby. “We’ve played well in spurts, but just never really put it all together. We didn’t put it all together tonight, but there were long stretches where we executed what we were trying to do.

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Jay County boys basketball at New Castle (12/15/2025)

“Then we made some in-game adjustments and they executed that really well, which up to this point they haven’t really been able to do.”

The Patriot offense had a turnaround from the struggles during the Fort Recovery game on Dec. 6, when they scored a season-low 40 points. In the first quarter alone, Jay County (3-2) ripped off 22 points and scored on the first six possessions to run up a 15-0 lead.

The Patriots scored on 9 of the 13 (69.2%) possessions in the first quarter, committing one turnover and New Castle securing three defensive rebounds.

Jayden Comer led the offensive spurt with 12 of his game-high 21 points on 4-of-6 shooting from deep and Cole Forthofer went 3-for-3 at the rim. Gabe Overton also had one bucket on a drive off a handoff from Forthofer, while adding four of his game-high six assists.

“We used each other really well,” Rigby said. “In our scrimmage, the very first time we were together as a group, the very first possession that we had, it was beautiful. It was something as a coach, you want to put on replay and you want to watch.

“A lot of those possessions were like that. Not a lot of dribbling. Guys were using each other. Guys understand their roles and were setting screens for guys that can put it in the hoop and then they’re playing off of that. We did that early on and it’s easy basketball. … We looked really good and if we can do that for longer periods of time, we’ll be fine.”

The offense slowed a little after the opening period, but the defense held strong.

Throughout the game, Overton checked New Castle’s leading scorer, Mason Miller, who was averaging 17.3 points per game. While Miller ended up with 15 points – six came in the second quarter while Overton was on the bench, another three came off an offensive rebound and kick out from Luke Mendoza, while the other six points came at the expense of Overton on a walk-up triple and a baseline-out-of-bounds play – the JCHS guard frustrated him throughout the night with constant ball pressure and cutting off drives early.

“The defensive game plan was to not let him get hot,” Overton said. “He obviously got hot there for a little bit. I don’t want to call myself a good defender, but as a good defender, sometimes you can read their dribble moves. His crossover was a little readable, so I got that a couple times. I was just trying to not let him shoot.”

The Trojans (2-4) managed to stay within striking distance due to the long ball. NCHS drilled 10-of-31 (32.3%) three-pointers in the game, accounting for 73.2% of the team’s points. New Castle had four triples in the first period, three in the second, only one in the third and two in the fourth quarter.

“It’s the ultimate equalizer, right?" Rigby said. “You throw it in the hoop from distance, you can come back from anything.

“The in-game adjustments I was talking about, we stopped hedging the ball screen, so we didn’t have to rotate as much. We could be there on the catch and they did a really good job of that. … I told them, that’s the only way (New Castle) is getting back in this. That’s what they want to do and we have to take that away and force them to beat us a way that they don’t particularly want to.”

The Trojans finished 4-of-12 (33.3%) from inside the arc as the Jay County defense didn’t give up many open looks. Of the 2-pointers NCHS scored, two came in transition, one was a pull-up jump shot by Braylen Bennett on a ball screen and one was Miller’s 3-point play on the out-of-bounds play.

The Patriots’ transition defense was also a point of strength. Despite coughing the ball up 14 times, only two led to baskets on the other end of the floor. The highlight of transition defense came in the fourth quarter after an errant pass by Kade Sommers ended up in the hands of Ryne Sturgil. Overton caught up to the Trojan guard and swatted the ball away, allowing Comer to secure the rebound and maintain a 14-point Patriot lead.

“My whole life, my dad has said, ‘Never let them get an open layup,’” Overton said. “So anytime they get a steal, I try to get my butt back and try not to let them get it even if that takes fouling them. That time, I got a hand on it and blocked it.”