J-M, West Greene split basketball doubleheader
JEFFERSON — The Jefferson-Morgan and West Greene basketball teams split a Section 3-A doubleheader Tuesday night, as the Lady Rockets picked up a 64-46 victory and the West Greene boys prevailed, 72-39.
The Lady Rockets (19-1, 13-0) extended their winning streak to 16 games and officially won the Section 3-A title outright.
In a contest where there were 51 fouls called and five players fouled out, J-M showed its resolve and senior experience in the final eight minutes with a 12-10 scoring edge to secure the win.
“This group always keeps their composure and we are not afraid of the moment,” J-M coach Chris Niemiec said. “We have a lot of experience in our top eight and we get a lot of balance scoring from that group. Our experience won us the game and we were able to break their press.”
Ally Bogden led J-M with 15 points, while Erin Confortini and Jamie Lawrence came off the bench with 12 and 10, respectively. Nikki Venick added nine, while Kayla Yorko had seven.
McKenna Lampe led the Lady Pioneers (15-5, 9-4) with 20 points, while Madison Lampe tallied 12 and Marissa Rode chipped in with seven.
“At times we showed our youthfulness,” West Greene coach Jordan Watson said. “Jefferson doesn’t get rattled and they were always able to answer our rallies. They don’t panic and they deserve to win the section title. We are young, and that’s where we hope to be one day.”
Trailing 6-0 to start the game, the Lady Rockets rebounded with 12 unanswered points and took a 15-9 lead at the end of one quarter.
In the second quarter, the home team gained separation from a 24-16 lead with an 11-4 run to end the first half with a 35-20 lead.
The Lady Rockets increased their lead to 50-27 midway through the third period with back-to-back inside hoops by Bogden, but the Lady Pioneers tallied the final nine points of the quarter to make things tight in the final eight minutes.
“We had to control the tempo and play at our pace,” Niemiec said. “They are a scrappy team and there were a lot of fouls tonight. We battled through it and hit our free throws in the final couple of minutes. Any one of our top seven players can get in double figures, and that’s so vital for us.”
In the boys contest, the Pioneers (11-8, 7-4) got a balanced attack from its starting five, as all were in double figures.
Kolton Rush led all scorers with 19 points, while Craig Weaver and Nathan Brudnock collected 11 each. Zach McHenry and Eric Stoll added 10 points apiece for West Greene.
“We couldn’t slip and let this one get away,” West Greene coach Jim Romanus said. “I told the kids that all the work we did all year could go down the drain if we lose this one. Jefferson has some shooters and we had to defend them. I was really happy with our offensive approach and we were a better passing team tonight. We need that balance scoring from here on out.”
The Rockets (4-16, 3-8) were led by 12 points from DL Garrett and 10 from Gage Clark.
West Greene started the game on a 13-2 run and went up 20-9 at the end of the opening eight minutes. The Pioneers held a 16-9 scoring edge in the second quarter for a 36-18 halftime lead.
J-M wasn’t able to mount any comeback in the second half, as the visitors held a 36-21 scoring advantage in the final 16 minutes.
“We were inconsistent,” J-M coach Dennis Garrett said. “That’s the story of our season. We just don’t have that basketball knowledge. It’s something that you really can’t coach, and the kids just have to experience it. We only lose one senior, and we have to build that chemistry.”
All four squads will be back in action on Friday in their Section 3-A finales, as J-M travels to Mapletown and West Greene hosts Avella.