Jackson boys basketball team beats Vianney to return to state quarterfinals

HILLSBORO, Mo. -- Jackson senior guard Braden Wendel had no idea what was going on late in the third quarter of his team's Class 5 state sectional game against Vianney at Jefferson College.

He was in the Indians' locker room taking medicine to deal with pain for an injury when he heard the crowd erupt. Jackson was trailing when he left, but he returned to the bench to see it was to a tie ballgame heading to the fourth quarter.

The cheers from the Jackson crowd were for a couple of corner 3-pointers by senior guard Connor Shepard to knot it at 42 heading to the final eight minutes.

It was a triple from Wendel that gave the Indians the lead for good midway through the final period and they went on to defeat the Golden Griffins 59-57 to advance to the state quarterfinals for a third consecutive year..

"I couldn't tell which side was screaming, but I come back out and it's a tie game," Wendel said. "Connor hit two big 3s. That brought us back into the game, and that was a huge momentum shift."

Jackson held a 30-26 lead at halftime, but Vianney used an 8-2 run to start the second half to regain the lead at 34-32 before Jackson coach Darrin Scott took a timeout with 4 minutes, 23 seconds left in the third.

The Golden Griffins pushed their lead to eight with 1:50 remaining in the quarter before Shepard knocked down his first 3 of the half.

Jackson head coach Darrin Scott hugs his wife, Jana Scott, after the Indians' Class 5 sectional win over Vianney, Wednesday, March 11, 2015, in Hillsboro. Jackson won 59-57. (Laura Simon)

"Third quarter I thought Vianney played great the first four or five minutes, and then I was glad we had some guys step up and make some big shots and we were able to get some stops and get back in the game," Jackson coach Darrin Scott said. "Down the stretch we just made the plays we needed to to win and hit our free throws."

Junior guard Garrett Walker sank a pair of free throws to cut it to 3 before Shepard tied it up with a minute remaining in the quarter with his second 3-pointer.

"The whole game they'd been playing off of me and kind of asking me to drive," Shepard said. "We run this play where I go to the corner and usually I screen across, but they were staying way off, so I just stayed in the corner and I was just open. I made that first one and just the next play I came down, feeling the same shot right in that same place and just let if fly."

Vianney regained the lead with a three-point play 11 seconds into the fourth quarter, but Wendel answered with his third 3-pointer of the game. He then came up with a steal and dunk before senior forward Blake Reynolds was fouled and sank a pair of free throws to give Jackson a 49-45 lead with 5:35 left.

A three-point play by Vianney freshman forward Carteare Gordon and a fast break basket for junior guard Zach Colletta put the Golden Griffins up 50-49 30 seconds later.

Wendel knocked down a his fourth 3-pointer in as many attempts with 4:20 left to put the Indians back up two for a lead they'd never relinquish.

Jackson's Braden Wendel celebrates the Indians Class 5 sectional win over the Vianney Golden Griffins, Wednesday, March 11, 2015, in Hillsboro. Jackson won 59-57. (Laura Simon)

"After that dunk that I missed in the very beginning I kept on hearing it from their student section, and I really just wanted to shut them up more than anything else," Wendel said with a grin. "I kind of got a little bit competitive at that point. I wasn't making plays early and I thought, 'This isn't going to be my last game where I'm not doing anything. I have to go out and make a couple.'"

Vianney trailed by three with 3:01 remaining when the Indians threw it away. The Golden Griffins got the ball in the hands of Gordon, their leading scorer who finished with a game-high 21 points. He ran right over Reynolds going to the basket and was whistled for a charge with 2:32 to go.

"He's a big boy and he's physical, and we knew he was going to be that way coming in and we knew we were going to have to counteract his physicality by taking charges and getting in front of him, double-teaming him, doing whatever we have to do to keep him off the offensive boards and for the most part we did a pretty good job," Reynolds said.

Gordon scored on the Golden Griffins' next possession to pull within a point and a timeout was called with 1:25 remaining.

The Indians turned the ball over out of the break, but Wendel stole it right back and got it to Shepard, who was fouled.

Shepard made the first free throw in a one-and-one to extend the lead to two.

Jackson fans cheer in the fourth quarter of the Indians Class 5 sectional game against the Vianney Golden Griffins, Wednesday, March 11, 2015, in Hillsboro. Jackson won 59-57. (Laura Simon)

Reynolds came up with a rebound on a Vianney miss on the other end and Terry Venable was fouled and sank both free throws in a one and one with 16.3 seconds left to make it 59-55. Gordon dunked in the final second for the final score.

"It was just believing in ourselves. And we didn't play individually," Wendel said, noting it's the first time that Jackson has defeated Vianney in basketball. "That was such a huge team game. People stepped up and did things that I haven't seen all year, like Terry there at the end shooting free throws."

The Indians will face Saint Louis University High in a state quarterfinal at 6 p.m. Saturday at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo.

Jackson has fallen one game short of making the Final Four each of the past two years.

"We've made it three straight district championships and sectionals, and have yet to get past that quarterfinal hump," Wendel said. " *... We've got to keep riding this momentum, and I think good things will happen for us."

Jackson 15 15 12 17 -- 19

Vianney 12 14 16 15 -- 57

JACKSON (59) -- Braden Wendel 15, Jacob Smith 14, Connor Shepard 12, Blake Reynolds 10, Terry Venable 6, Garrett Walker 4. FG 19, FT 12-14, F 12. (3-pointers: Wendel 4, Shepard 3, Smith 2. Fouled out: none.)

Vianney (57) --Carteare Gordon 21, Zach Colletta 9, Eric Krus 8, Daniel Baker 6, Nick Miller 5, Nick Thomas 4, Jordon Hardwick 4. FG 22, FT 10-16, F 13. (3-pointers: Krus 2, Thomas 1. Fouled out: none.)