Jets senior Jaelynn Bobst and junior Zoe Tuttle each had 12 points as the Jets won for the first time since beating Riverside 55-52 on Nov. 18, 2022.
“I think this is the first time that we’ve actually gotten to laugh and smile and enjoy playing,” said Jets coach Phil Fulton. “It was great to come out and play hard like we did. We were doing the right things.”
The Jets (1-8) pulled away in the second quarter, outsourcing the Lions 21-3 to grab a 35-11 halftime lead.
“I’m proud of us because we’ve been down and I’m just happy that we finally got a win to keep us motivated,” said senior Tyler Pollock.
Sophomore Maya Lawrence had 11 points for Emmanuel Christian (1-5). The Lions are fielding a girls team for the first time since the 2014-15 season. The roster consists of nine players, including seven freshmen.
“We keep reminding ourselves that we’re building for the future,” said Lions coach Karalee Lawrence.
The Jets are hoping they can start a new streak after Thursday’s victory.
“Practice (on Friday) is going to be a fun one,” Fulton said. “It was the first (win) in 30 games so hopefully we start a different streak going in the positive way.”
Cats roar
Springfield used a pressure defense to stifle Kenton Ridge, beating the Cougars 61-27 in the third game of the day.
“We just want to put pressure on the teams that we’re playing on both sides of the ball,” said Wildcats coach Terry Toliver. “Sometimes it can hurt us because there are chippy fouls that can be called, but we have to learn how to play through that.”
Sophomore Day’Veonna Boynton had a game-high 19 points and 14 rebounds and sophomores Milly Portis and Jada Crockran each had 12 as Springfield improved to 5-4 overall.
Crockran added six rebounds and six assists in the victory.
“(Crockran) is starting to play in more of a point guard role where we have to have her on the floor all the time,” Toliver said. “Being a veteran coach, I had to learn that I have to let her play through her mistakes because if I get on her, she gets rattled. She answered the call today and played well.”
Sophomore Cara Cammon had 12 points for Kenton Ridge (1-9).
Right direction
In the first game of the day, Southeastern junior Brooke Nelson scored 12 of her game-high 16 points in the first half as the Trojans beat Shawnee 56-27. Nelson, who leads the OHC in scoring at 21.8 points per game, was able to get several easy buckets off of steals.
“She’s a really good player and she has a really bright future,” said Trojans coach Matt Harner. “She can fill it up and she’s a really good passer. She’s a big part of our success.”
Trojans junior Ryland Workman added 10 points as Southeastern improved to 9-1 overall. The Trojans, 7-1 in the OHC South, are seeking their first league title since the 2007-2008 season.
“We’re headed in the right direction,” Harner said.
Freshman Lily Wilson had 12 points and junior Chloe Reese added 10 for the Braves (1-11).
‘True grit’
In the closest game of the day, Catholic Central overcame a 14-point first quarter deficit to beat Northwestern 43-36.
Irish senior Jordyn Smoot had eight of her game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter. Central sophomore Danaysha DeArmond sparked the comeback, scoring 11 of her 14 points in the second and third quarters.
On Wednesday, Catholic Central fell to Triad 33-21.
“It’s a big win coming off of a big loss yesterday,” said Irish coach Randy Smoot. “It was an emotional loss in a conference game. To be able to turn around and play really hard, being down early and being able to come back, it shows the true grit of this team.”
Senior Natalee Risner scored 14 points and junior Kelsey Spencer added 10 as the Warriors fell to 1-8 overall.
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