Jackson boys basketball team loses to Sikeston

~ The Bulldogs got off to a hot start and defeated Jackson 85-59

Jackson boys basketball coach Darrin Scott said he hasn't come away from many 26-point losses feeling fairly decent about the way his team performed.

An exception was Tuesday night when the Indians were run over by visiting Sikeston 85-59.

"I give them more credit than us playing bad," Scott said. "I don't know many teams that would have beat them tonight. If they shoot it like that, they're really good."

Sikeston hit eight of its first nine field goals, including three 3-pointers, and never let up.

Sikeston's Markeith Bratcher pulls down a rebound in front of Jackson's John Meyer during the second quarter of a game on Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, in Jackson. Jackson lost 85-59. (Kristin Eberts)

The Bulldogs finished at 51.7 percent from the floor overall (30 of 58), including 47 percent from 3-point range (8 of 17).

Sikeston also sizzled from the free-throw line, making 17 of 18 (94.4 percent).

"They didn't miss, plain and simple," Jackson junior guard Braxton McDowell said. "They shot the lights out."

Defending Class 4 state champion Sikeston improved to 16-3 with its seventh consecutive win. The Indians fell to 12-7.

"We played really good," Sikeston junior guard Vashawn Ruffin said. "We was trying to push the ball on offense, make it an up-tempo game."

ABOVE: Sikeston’s Markeith Bratcher pulls down a rebound in front of Jackson’s John Meyer during the second quarter Tuesday in Jackson. Sikeston won 85-59. LEFT: Jackson’s Karson King shoots against Sikeston’s Keldon Warfield during the first quarter. KRISTIN EBERTS keberts@semissourian.com

The small and quick Bulldogs, whose tallest player stands 6-feet-2, succeeded in doing that against the much bigger Indians.

"We're playing better," Sikeston coach Gregg Holifield said. "Our kids did a good job of keeping pressure on the ball, and we've shot the ball well most of the season.

"Jackson has a quality team. To come in here and play like this is really good."

Ruffin had a big performance with 17 points, seven assists and seven steals.

"He played great. He really stepped up," Holifield said.

Junior guard Markeith Bratcher scored 16 points off the bench for Sikeston. He hit four 3-pointers.

Senior guards Kil'ron Coleman and Caleb McGee added 14 and 12 points, respectively, for the Bulldogs. McGee made three 3-pointers.

Jackson got 15 points from 6-foot-9 senior center John Meyer -- 13 in the second half. Meyer even showed off his improved range with a 3-pointer.

Karson King, a 6-5 sophomore wing, added 14 points for the Indians.

Sikeston did little wrong in the opening period in building a 25-10 lead. The Bulldogs hit 11 of 14 field goals and forced eight turnovers.

"We wanted to start fast," said Ruffin, who scored seven first-quarter points while Bratcher led the way with eight.

Jackson threatened to make things interesting, using a 10-0 run to slice a 28-10 deficit to 28-20 midway through the second quarter.

The Indians trailed 35-22 at halftime. McDowell led Jackson with eight points in the first half, six coming on 3-pointers.

"I was proud of our guys' effort after we got down so fast," Scott said. "It's something we can try to build on."

Jackson, which had a thin bench due to some injuries, could not keep up with the deeper Bulldogs in the second half.

Sikeston built a 22-point lead in the third quarter and carried a 62-43 advantage into the final period. The Bulldogs twice went ahead by 29 points before coasting to victory.

"We had a short bench. It's hard to play with six people against a team like Sikeston," McDowell said. "I thought we played hard. We played good. It's tough to keep up with them. We're exhausted."

Sikeston 25 10 27 23 -- 85

Jackson 10 12 21 16 -- 59

Sikeston (85) -- Kil'ron Coleman 14, Kyland Gross 6, Caleb McGee 12, Vashawn Ruffin 17, Terry Jamison 6, J.T. Jones 8,

Markeith Bratcher 16, Keldon Warfield 6. FG 30, FT 17-18, F 18. (3-pointers: McGee 3, Ruffin 1, Bratcher 4. Fouled out: none)

Jackson (59) -- Josh Daume 8, Caleb Newcomer 7, Braxton McDowell 9, Karson King 14, Luke Stevens 4, John Meyer 15, Blake Reynolds 2. FG 22, FT 8-12, F 17. (3-pointers: Daume 2, Newcomer 1, McDowell 2, King 1, Meyer 1. Fouled out: Stevens)

JV -- Sikeston won 65-37.