Big fourth propels Jackson over Saxony

The Jackson Indians girls basketball team defeated the Saxony Lutheran Crusaders 59-47 on Monday at Jackson High School. Camryn Alsdorf and Holland Guilliams led the way for the Indians, with 26 and 13 points, respectively. The Crusaders were led by Evie Caruso who finished with 22 and Rebecca Johnson with 11.

Jackson head coach Angela Fulton said Alsdorf and Guilliams were important tonight, but the relationship between them and the rest of the team was just as crucial to getting the win.

“It was important but honestly the team looks for them, the team trusts them, but they also trust the team. I thought it was a good team win,” Fulton said.

The Indians began the game on an 8-0 run before Saxony eventually figured out some offense. The Crusaders ended the quarter with 8 but could not stop Jackson on the other end, finding themselves down 17-8 after 1.

Saxony figured out both ends of the court in the second, outscoring the Indians 14-4 and taking a 22-21 lead into the half. Jackson could not get a shot to fall and got into some foul trouble throughout the quarter, leading to them losing the lead and coming from behind in the second half. Fulton said she was proud of how her team responded.

“I think Saxony got to the line a lot and I think we gave them easy buckets. I think we bounced back by coming out and playing our style. They kind of slowed down the tempo on us, we’re fast-paced and like to get up and down. So they slowed it up on us a little bit,” Fulton said. “Going into half I told them we had to play our style which is to speed it up. Once we sped up the game I felt like we were in more control.”

The teams went back and forth throughout the first six minutes of the third before Guilliams took over the final two. Guilliams put up seven straight points and gave the Indians a 43-39 lead entering the final frame.

Jackson opened the fourth on an 11-2 run and eventually extended the lead to 15 behind a big quarter from Alsdorf. Alsdorf scored 11 of her 26 in the quarter as the Indians used the big quarter to cruise to their 13th win.

Jackson travels to take on the Bearcats of Dexter on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. while Saxony hosts North County on Thursday at 6 p.m.