Eagles slip in 3rd-place contest
DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Jefferson sophomore guard Grant Meyer flies into the lane while trying to finish a layup during the Eagles’ 65-43 loss to Stanberry Saturday in the third-place game of the Stanberry Invitational Tournament.
In the third-place game of the Stanberry Invitational Tournament, the host Bulldogs bullied their way through the Jefferson boys’ basketball team to claim the hardware Saturday.
Behind its efficient offense with a multitude of weapons, Stanberry snared a 65-43 victory for the third-place trophy.
Stanberry immediately showed its advantage in athleticism and bulk, scoring all seven of its first-quarter field goals in the paint to take an 18-9 lead after one period of play. The only points that didn’t come from inside the lane were a quartet of free throws, two of which came after momentum-clinching and-ones.
In the opening frame, the Bulldogs used a pair of 5-0 runs to stretch their lead to 9-4 and then to 14-6.
“We definitely are at a disadvantage size-wise,” head coach Tim Jermain said. “The first time we played them, we were able to limit their paint touches, but we really struggled with that tonight. … Stanberry came out really aggressive and we had a hard time keeping them away from the basket.”
To open the second quarter, Stanberry sophomore Cole Craig nailed a three-pointer from the right wing to end the streak of points in the paint, showing the bevy of ways the Bulldogs could put points on the board.
With 5:18 left until halftime, Eagle junior forward Bryce Deen scored a much-needed and-one, narrowing the gap to 24-13, but missed the extra free throw.
Moments later, the Bulldogs used a 6-0 run to push their advantage to 30-13 before reeling off a 5-0 run to end the quarter, taking a 35-15 lead into the locker room at intermission.
“I think one of the things we have to do is do a better job of moving the ball against them,” Jermain said. “They’re athletic enough that we try to do it off one or two passes and they were able to keep us in front of them.”
With smaller runs in the beginning of the third quarter, Stanberry continued building on its convincing lead. But on the Eagles’ side, sophomore guard Michael Burch kept punching. He ended a pair of Bulldog runs with a corner three-pointer and a short floater to try and keep Jefferson alive.
By the end of the third period, Stanberry had constructed a 49-24 advantage heading into the final quarter of play.
Jefferson stayed scrappy in the fourth quarter, using a 4-0 run started by a post basket from sophomore post Caden Farnan to bring the gap to 54-32. However, the late efforts came up well short, leaving the Eagles with a loss in the third-place contest.
“Against Mound City, we shot 21 percent, but you really don’t ever see any quit in these guys,” Jermain said. “I thought they kept battling even though Stanberry was playing really well and we were really struggling. We didn’t really see frustration lead to a lack of effort.”
Stanberry junior forward Daniel Hailey led all scorers with 23 points, followed by junior teammate Alex McQuinn with 11. Sophomore guard Grant Meyer paced the Eagles with 13.
“Defensively, we have to do a better job,” Jermain said. “Their guards didn’t hurt us so much on penetration last time, but they sure did tonight. We have to do a better job keeping their guards out of the paint.”
Jefferson (8-6) returns to action with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff Tuesday against North Andrew at home.
DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Jefferson junior forward Bryce Deen fights through several Stanberry defenders Saturday night in a 65-43 loss for the Eagles in the Stanberry Invitational Tournament third-place contest.
