|
|
|
The weather outside was sub zero, but inside the Blue Springs South High School gymnasium it was sizzling.
Playing their first game following a two-week holiday break layoff, coach Jimmy Cain’s Jaguars scored 25 fourth-quarter points to claim an impressive 58-50 come-from-behind win over visiting Park Hill Monday night.
“You bet this was a big win, especially when we just came back from break,” Cain said after his youthful team improved to 6-2. “We trailed pretty much most of the game, but the guys never panicked. Even when we had that little run following the technical (foul), the guys were focused and we got right back into our offense and found a way to beat a quality team.”
Park Hill took a slim 24-22 lead into halftime and led 32-29 with 3:25 left in the fourth quarter when Anthony Walter hit two free throws and a short jumper following a technical foul call against the Jaguars’ D.J. Booker.
“We couldn’t let that call affect how we played the rest of the game,” said South point guard Darrion Geiger, who scored eight of his team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter. “Coach did a great job of getting us calmed down and back into our offense.
“I know I scored some points tonight, but my main role is to get everyone involved in the offense, and a lot of guys scored some big baskets tonight.”
Following an 11-point third quarter, the Jaguars lit up the new scoreboard inside their cozy gymnasium as Brandon Murillo’s 3-point basket at 3:27 gave South a 46-44 lead it never relinquished.
“You could feel the team get pumped up after I hit that basket,” said Murillo, who finished with 12 points. “But everyone played a role in the fourth quarter. Darrion did a great job distributing the basketball, Khadrun Black came off the bench and scored some big points and Shawn Meyer was big on both ends of the court.
“We knew coming into this game we had to play as a team, and we did that. And the end result was a great win.”
The team effort overcame a Herculean effort by Park Hill’s Justin Leathers, who scored all 11 of his team’s points in the first quarter.
“No. 55 (Leathers) put on a show in the first quarter,” Geiger said, “but Coach just told us to do a better job of keeping him off the boards. He really didn’t hurt us that much after the first quarter. We didn’t get intimidated after watching him, because we knew if we just played as a team we’d be all right.”
The weather outside was sub zero, but inside the Blue Springs South High School gymnasium it was sizzling.
Playing their first game following a two-week holiday break layoff, coach Jimmy Cain’s Jaguars scored 25 fourth-quarter points to claim an impressive 58-50 come-from-behind win over visiting Park Hill Monday night.
“You bet this was a big win, especially when we just came back from break,” Cain said after his youthful team improved to 6-2. “We trailed pretty much most of the game, but the guys never panicked. Even when we had that little run following the technical (foul), the guys were focused and we got right back into our offense and found a way to beat a quality team.”
Park Hill took a slim 24-22 lead into halftime and led 32-29 with 3:25 left in the fourth quarter when Anthony Walter hit two free throws and a short jumper following a technical foul call against the Jaguars’ D.J. Booker.
“We couldn’t let that call affect how we played the rest of the game,” said South point guard Darrion Geiger, who scored eight of his team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter. “Coach did a great job of getting us calmed down and back into our offense.
“I know I scored some points tonight, but my main role is to get everyone involved in the offense, and a lot of guys scored some big baskets tonight.”
Following an 11-point third quarter, the Jaguars lit up the new scoreboard inside their cozy gymnasium as Brandon Murillo’s 3-point basket at 3:27 gave South a 46-44 lead it never relinquished.
“You could feel the team get pumped up after I hit that basket,” said Murillo, who finished with 12 points. “But everyone played a role in the fourth quarter. Darrion did a great job distributing the basketball, Khadrun Black came off the bench and scored some big points and Shawn Meyer was big on both ends of the court.
“We knew coming into this game we had to play as a team, and we did that. And the end result was a great win.”
The team effort overcame a Herculean effort by Park Hill’s Justin Leathers, who scored all 11 of his team’s points in the first quarter.
“No. 55 (Leathers) put on a show in the first quarter,” Geiger said, “but Coach just told us to do a better job of keeping him off the boards. He really didn’t hurt us that much after the first quarter. We didn’t get intimidated after watching him, because we knew if we just played as a team we’d be all right.”
Geiger hit four late free throws and the Jaguars were 14 of 17 from the line for the game.
“I like to be at the line with the game on the line,” Geiger said. “I work hard on my free throws, because I’m going to have the ball in my hands late in the game, and I know I’m going to get fouled a lot.”
Cain said he was surprised at how well each team played following the lengthy break.
“They didn’t have school today, and neither did we, yet both teams came out and played pretty well,” Cain said. “Neither team got in the bonus in the first half and when we finally went to the line, we did a great job with our free throws.
“It’s fun to be back – especially when you watch the team play like it did tonight.”
Meyer matched Murillo’s 12 points and Black contributed eight, including six in the fourth period.
Blue Springs South won the junior varsity game 62-47.
