Jackson boys basketball team picks up conference win at Notre Dame

A team can't afford to have an off quarter when it's playing against the No. 7 ranked team in Class 5, according to the latest Missouri Basketball Coaches Association/MoSports.com state poll.

That's exactly what the Notre Dame Bulldogs had on Friday night, and Jackson took full advantage of it.

The Indians (16-2) held Notre Dame (10-7) to just six points in the second quarter and rode the momentum to a 59-49 SEMO Conference win at Notre Dame.

"They started playing a little faster, taking quick shots," Jackson coach Darrin Scott said of the second quarter. "We were getting out contesting, and they were taking quick shots. We got a quick rebound and got out and ran and we were able to make a run."

Jackson started the quarter on an 11-0 run to break open a close game and take a commanding 25-11 lead midway through the second.

Notre Dame missed its first seven shots of the quarter as well as two free throws.

"They started, I believe, on an 11-0 run, and we kind of dug ourselves a hole there," Notre Dame coach Kevin Roberts said. "We played scared for that first half. It was a tale of two halves for us. I challenged them at halftime to stop playing scared. I thought we fought really hard and we got better in the second half, but when you're down 15 and fighting back against a team like that you're going to have to get really good shots and you're only going to get one."

By the time the smoke settled Jackson had won the quarter 18-6 and was up 32-17 at the half.

Jackson's offense was clicking on all cylinders in the second eight minutes.

The Indians used dribble-drives to get past the first line of defense and did a good job passing to the post for easy baskets.

"I thought we did a good job of trying to get into the paint and either take a shot or dump it down to a big," Scott said. "Our bigs had to work hard to seal because their bigs do a good job. They're quick so they can get around, so I thought our bigs did a good job of working hard to try and get position."

The Indians once again took full advantage of their superior size.

"Coach was talking before the game, we wanted to come out and establish ourselves early in the paint," Jackson junior Blake Reynolds said. "We had to control the paint all night and I feel like me and Brandon [Lueders] did a good job doing that both defensively and offensively, rebounding, getting stick backs, getting fouled under the basket and getting to the free-throw line."

Reynolds and Lueders were a force on the interior for Jackson.

"Well the last couple of games we put an extra emphasis on that," Lueders said. "The high-low movement, Blake and I playing double low on the block. It's been working real good for us, so we're sticking with it."

The Bulldogs gritted their way back into the game in the second half, speeding up the Indians and knocking down open jumpers.

Notre Dame was just 4 of 13 from beyond the arc in the opening half, but was 3 of 5 from deep in the second half.

While the Bulldogs were making shots, the Indians were uncharacteristically turning the ball over.

"We started making some dumb plays," Jackson junior Blake Reynolds said. "Some stupid turnovers that we normally don't make. They knocked down some threes and got them right back into it."

The Bulldogs managed to cut the Jackson lead to 44-37 with 1 minutes, 50 seconds left in the third, but the Indians always had the answer.

Josh Daume drew a foul and buried two free throws to make it a nine-point game and Josh Friess hit the biggest shot of the night to close the quarter.

The Indians forced Notre Dame into two misses after the Daume free throws and controlled possession for the last shot of the third.

Friess caught the ball at the top of the key and buried a triple at the buzzer to make it a 49-37 game and take the air of the Notre Dame rally.

"That was a big, big possession," Roberts said. "I think we had it down to seven at one point and we dribbled the ball off our foot. We just have to realize that every possession matters, defensively and offensively. They did a good job, they're a good team."

Notre Dame managed to cut the lead to eight points five different times in the fourth quarter, but could never get over the hill, even with the help of some Jackson turnovers.

"I thought the second half we started playing faster on offense, taking quicker shots and they were more patient on offense and started getting to the basket," Scott said. "We could have played a lot better from the guard standpoint as far as taking care of the basketball, but we did a good job of trying to get the ball where we wanted it to be."

The Bulldogs never managed to capitalize, thanks in large part to a horrendous night from the charity stripe.

Notre Dame finished just 6 of 17 from the line, including missing the front of a one-and-one twice late in the third quarter.

"You can't compete with teams like that," Roberts said of his team's free-throw woes. "We threw it away probably 25 times, didn't shoot the ball well from the free-throw line, gave up a whole bunch of offensive rebounds and lose by 10 to one of the best teams in Class 5. If we just fix the little things, we have a lot of potential."

Daume led the Indians with 15 points, Reynolds chipped in 14 and Karson King added 12.

Quinn Poythress paced Notre Dame with 14 points while Grant Ressel added 11.

Jackson 14 18 17 10 -- 59

Notre Dame 11 6 20 12 -- 49

JACKSON (59) -- Josh Daume 15, Josh Friess 3, Braden Wendel 5, Calvin Lysell 2, Karson King 12, Blake Reynolds 14, Brandon Lueders 8. FG 13, FT 24-29, F 19. (3-pointers: Wendel 1, King 1, Friess 1. Fouled out: Lysell)

NOTRE DAME (49) -- Chase Urhahn 3, Hunter Eftink 1, Tanner Shively 5, Quinn Poythress 14, Trenton Schumer 2, Grant Ressel 11, Jordan Barber 5, Derek Hulshof 4, Dean Crippen 4. FG 17, FT 6-17, F 21. (3-pointers: Urhahn 1, Shively 1, Poythress 2, Ressel 3. Fouled out: none)