Surviving a slugfest

The Patriots put up a season-low point total, had just four players score a basket and lost the turnover battle by eight.

All that didn’t stop the Jay County High School boys basketball team from scratching out a 36-30 victory over the visiting Delta Eagles on Friday.

“It wasn’t the prettiest thing, but it’s good to figure out a way to win those,” said Jay County coach Tyler Rigby. “It’s good to have those early in the year so you can learn a few things about who you are.”

Jay County’s defense was pivotal to escaping with the win, as Delta’s 30 points also represented a season-low and no Eagle scored in double figures. The Patriots (4-2) were especially proficient at shutting down the visitors’ long-range attack, as the Eagles (1-4) shot just 2-for-18 from 3-point range.

“They shoot it so well as a group,” Rigby said. “All the talk was, ‘Be there on the catch.’ You can’t have any rhythm catch-and-shoots. I thought we did a really good job.”

The Patriots’ height and physicality on the interior also pestered Delta, which only managed five layups throughout the course of the game.

“On our schedule, we’ve never played anybody that big,” said Delta guard Madden Ramsey, who led the Eagles with eight points. “I mean, they got a 6-9, 6-7 guy. Everybody else is above 6-foot. So we tried to adapt, but down the stretches, it got to a certain point and we’ve never really played that type of height before.”

In addition to its stifling defense, Jay County also benefited from clutch scoring efforts despite the modest point total.

After heading to halftime with zero points on 0-for-2 from the field, Patriot forward Gradin Swoveland jolted to life. He scored all 14 of his points in the second half, including two timely 3-pointers midway through the fourth. The pair of daggers came within 30 seconds of each other and turned Jay County’s tenuous two-point advantage into a six-point lead.

“I always try to be confident regardless of how I play,” Swoveland said. “I mean, last home game here I shot what, 0-for-4, 0-for-5 from three, but you just got to have a short-term memory.”

Swoveland’s ability to turn the page on his quiet opening half and deliver in the clutch wasn’t lost on his coach.

“I have the most confidence in him,” Rigby said. “He’s so solid and just under control. Has a confidence about him, and it seems like he always knows what he’s going to do. Even if he doesn’t, seems like he always has a plan, and it’s good to have a guy in situations like that … He just has something about him. We just know that those shots are going to go in, and he’s going to take the right ones at the right time.”

But as Swoveland and teammate Jayden Comer (12 points) thrived, the rest of the Patriots’ offense was largely stagnant. No other Jay County player attempted more than three shots or scored more than five points.

“I think we have skilled enough guys that can get it done offensively, but we’re not great right now,” Rigby said. “I think we’ll get better as the year goes, and we’ll work on it a little bit more as that year goes. But I think we can score enough points not being great as long as our defense is where it needs to be.”

Jay County’s defensive momentum has continued to swell, with the win over Delta marking the fourth straight game in which the Patriots have conceded fewer than 50 points. The combination of impervious defense and Friday’s erratic offensive production will serve as a learning experience for Jay County.

“We showed a little bit of toughness, which we haven’t, maybe, up to this point with the physicality,” Rigby said. “We still turned it over a few times, let the pressure get to us a little bit, but the decision-making and the physicality of it, I thought we handled it much better. So it’s a good opportunity to learn and get better.”