Hobbled Tigers score win over rival Indians

The sight of Central starters Mitch Craft and Ryan Delph limping around in street clothes Tuesday night in the gymnasium of the Tigers' biggest rival was not a good one for Tiger loyalists.

But instead of reaching for excuses Tuesday night at Jackson High School, the Tigers seized opportunity and defeated the Indians 68-53 before a full house.

"We were a little vulnerable, but we knew we had to play hard, and we came out and followed the game plan," said Central point guard Will Johnson, whose 10 points put him among four Tigers in double-figure scoring.

Personnel-wise, it wasn't one of the best weeks of the season for Central (16-6, 3-3 SEMO conference). The Tigers lost Craft, a power forward, with a broken ankle the previous Tuesday and saw Delph, their second-leading scorer and top all-around player, sprain an ankle Saturday in a win over Riverview Gardens. Delph is expected to play Friday night at Sikeston.

"We came over here without two of our big warriors," Central coach Derek McCord said. "That was unfortunate because they really wanted to play. But we came in here tonight, and boy did we have people step up."

The missing players were a topic for discussion heading into the game.

"We talked about how everyone had to give at least 20 percent more," senior forward Jake Knepp said. "As far as I'm concerned, the whole team gave 110 percent more."

Knepp matched his career-high with 16 points. Senior guard Jay Ruark, starting in place of Delph, finished with a career-high 11 points.

"We knew we could win without him," Ruark said. "We hadn't had a chance to show that yet. But we came in here tonight and stuck with what we knew we could do and what we had to do. We just played our hearts out."

Added Ruark, "This ranks above any other win I've had in high school. Senior year, I wanted this game so bad. I was sorry to see Ryan get hurt, but it meant I got to step up and start. It meant more to me than anything."

Sophomore Scott Chestnutt came throught with a game-high 24 points, scoring at least five points in each quarter. He also picked up several assists on kick outs to the perimeter.

Jackson (10-14), which lost its fourth straight game, received 17 points from Tyler Boyd and 16 from Tyler McNeely.

Central trailed 18-16 in the second quarter but moved ahead for good on a Knepp 3-pointer with 4:08 left in the half. It was the start of a 14-2 Tiger burst over the remainder of the half. Ruark gave Central a 30-20 lead and a head of momentum when he nailed a 15-footer at the buzzer. The Tigers sprinted into the locker room with their biggest lead of the half.

The lead grew to 14 points in the third quarter when Johnson connected on a 3-pointer from the corner for a 40-26 lead, but Jackson was not finished. Sparked by the play of Boyd and McNeely, who combined for 18 of the Indians' 21 points in the period, Jackson went on a 10-0 run late in the third quarter. A McNeely free throw cut the deficit to 44-41 with less than a minute left in the quarter, and the Indians then forced a turnover and faced the prospect of possibly tying the game with a 3-pointer as they worked for a final shot. But the hole enlarged as Johnson intercepted a pass, sprinted down the court and hit a running one-handed shot just inside the 3-point arc at the buzzer for a 46-41 Tiger lead.

"When you make plays like that it kind of deflates a team, and makes it hard to come back," Jackson coach Mike Kiehne said. "They stepped up and made them."

Central scored the first four points of the fourth quarter on a Knepp basket and a pair of free throws by Ruark for a 50-41 advantage. Jackson closed to 50-44 on 3-pointer but never got closer. The Tigers went on a 14-3 spurt and held a commanding 64-47 lead with less than two minutes remaining.

jbreer@semissourian.com

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