Eagles stay focused in victory over Tigers
DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Jefferson senior guard Ben Jermain tries to beat a Worth County defender on Monday as the Eagles put together a 62-48 victory at home.
With defensive stands at key times and enough short runs to construct a lead, the Jefferson boys’ basketball team outlasted Worth County on Monday night in Conception Junction.
What began as a defensive struggle transformed into a battle between two teams marred by individual foul trouble. With multiple starters heading into the fourth quarter with three or more fouls for both sides, the Eagles were able to cobble together a 62-48 win over the Tigers.
“I thought we did a good job of maintaining our focus,” head coach Tim Jermain said. “We’ve played a really brutal schedule to this point. I think that showed tonight to handle the (foul) situation, and I thought we did a good job of staying focused.”
The Eagles built most of their lead right off the bat thanks to a 15-5 first-quarter output. Part of the opening frame included a 6-0 run for Jefferson to take a 10-2 lead, but the biggest key for Jermain’s team was its stellar defense.
By holding the Tigers to just five points in the opening frame, the Eagles opened the door for a patient offense to put a vise grip on most of the game’s tempo.
“They missed some shots, but I thought we did a good job of contesting shots,” Jermain said. “Offensively, we were patient. They like to play fast. I thought we did a good job dictating tempo there in the first quarter.”
Worth County turned its offense up a notch in the second quarter, more than tripling its output from the first quarter. The Tigers stringed together seven points early in the period, part of which came on a right-corner three-pointer from sophomore Cade Allee.
However, Jefferson still grew its lead by two points to a 34-22 advantage at the break as senior forward Bryce Deen ended the Tigers’ spurt with a runner at the 5:34 mark.
After Worth County was able to put together its offense in the second quarter, grabbing some momentum near the end of the half, the Eagles came up with a clutch run to open the second half.
Starting with a finish in the post from Walker, the Eagles pieced together a 6-0 streak for a 40-22 advantage.
“We talk all the time about the first couple minutes of the second half,” Jermain said. “It’s really important to come out. I thought we did a good job of that. If we make a couple layups there in the third quarter, we really have a chance to extend it. … I thought we did a good job of, again, maintaining our focus.”
But as Jefferson was slowly pulling away, both teams’ players were racking up the fouls. Walker and senior guard Ben Jermain each picked up their third fouls at the 5:40 and 3:50 marks, respectively, and Tigers sophomore forward Drake Kinsella earned his fourth with 3:26 to go in the third period. The Eagles carried a 48-34 advantage into the final eight minutes of play.
With 4:52 to go, Ben Jermain — Jefferson’s primary ball-handler — earned his fifth and final foul, relegating himself to the bench for the remainder of the contest. Despite the Eagles losing their senior point guard, juniors Michael Burch and Grant Meyer filled in to help close out the victory without much stress.
“Ben has the ball in his hands a lot,” Tim Jermain said. “Without Ben, I thought those guys did a really good job of stepping up.”
Deen led the Eagles with 24 points, while Ben Jermain — despite missing the final five minutes — came up with 15. Senior guard Brevyn Ross led the Tigers with 10 points.
Heading into winter break, Jefferson sits at 6-3 and will return from vacation with a 7:30 p.m. game on Jan. 5 at Stanberry.
DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Eagles junior guard Grant Meyer comes up with a steal at midcourt and beats Worth County down the floor for a fast break layup in Monday’s 62-48 Jefferson win.
DALTON VITT/DAILY FORUM
Senior forward Bryce Deen squares his shoulders and eyes a three-pointer from the corner during Jefferson’s 62-48 win on Monday over Worth County.
