Jackson boys basketball team's sectional streak runs dry

HILLSBORO, Mo. -- The Jackson boys basketball program has had a lot of success in recent years. Three straight sectional wins is nothing to scoff at. But on Wednesday night, the Indians just came up against a team that was too much to handle.

Saint Louis University held Jackson to 21 points after the first quarter and pulled away for a 57-37 win in a Class 5 sectional at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Missouri, ending the Indians' sectional winning streak.

The Junior Billikens (19-9) got a conventional three-point play from David Jackson with 3 minutes, 51 seconds left in the second quarter to spark a 9-0 run that allowed the victors to gain some breathing room for the first time on the night. They then blew the door down in the third quarter, opening the period on 17-4 swing that all but sealed Jackson's fate.

The Indians (16-14) managed just six points in each of the second and third quarters.

Jackson's Stephen Irons shoots as SLUH's Matthew Nester defends during the first quarter of a Class 5 sectional Wednesday, March 9, 2016 in Hillsboro, Missouri.Fred Lynch

"The second quarter, we were doing a good job attacking. I just think their physical defense got to us in that second quarter. We weren't able to score," Jackson coach Darrin Scott said. "I thought we did a good job of taking away [Matthew] Nester and [Brandon] McKissic, for the most part, and then their other guys stepped up and made plays. They did a good job attacking the basket, but really I think their physical defense, that's what decided the game."

SLUH was paced by 13 points from David Jackson (5 of 6 from the field), while McKissic added 12.

The Junior Bills shot 51.1 percent from the field on 22-of-43 shooting.

Jackson shot 44.1 percent but attempted just 34 shots.

Cameron Hester had 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting to lead Jackson.

Just days after putting up 30 points in the Class 5 District 1 title game, leading scorer Jacob Smith was held to just seven points and only two through three quarters.

Smith and Stephen Irons both picked up three fouls in the second quarter, limiting their time on the floor and putting a dent in Jackson's offensive effort. After Smith converted a lay-in at 4:23 of the second quarter, the Indians didn't score again for two and a half minutes as SLUH took control.

Jackson's Desmond Morris puts up a shot against SLUH's Brent Smith during the first quarter of a Class 5 sectional Wednesday, March 9, 2016 in Hillsboro, Missouri.Fred Lynch

"I think we lost a little confidence," Scott said. "In that second quarter [Jacob] and Steph went out with three fouls, and we're going to struggle offensively without them. They've been playing well, and you could see the effect of them out of the game hurting us a little bit."

A Kelly Jackson layup in transition pushed the Junior Bills' lead to 30-17 with 2:13 left in the second quarter, and they took a 31-21 edge into the halftime break.

Hester hit a bucket and drew a foul at 6:52 of the third for Jackson but missed the ensuing free throw. From that point on, SLUH left the Indians in its wake.

Nester drained a 3-pointer before David Jackson converted a putback to go up 40-23 at 5:13 of the third. That set the table for a continued landslide, and the Junior Bills didn't slow down until after Anthony Hughes took a steal coast to coast with 2:07 left in the third period to make it a 44-25 game.

"They've got four or five guards that are really quick and really athletic and put it on the floor and attack the basket," Scott said. "You've got to work your butt off the whole time. Then they've got some guys who can shoot it and have post players."

Jackson players on the bench watch the final moments of the Class 5 sectional against SLUH on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 in Hillsboro, Missouri.Fred Lynch

By the time the quarter ended, SLUH was up by 21 points, 48-27.

The Junior Bills pushed their advantage to as much as 14 in the fourth quarter before Hester put the ball in the basket to make the gap 20 points again with 2:40 left to play. That differential stood the rest of the way.

Jackson went toe-to-toe with the SLUH in the first quarter, trading buckets and maintaining a one-point game -- despite never leading -- until the 5:19 mark, when David Jackson found room under the hoop for a putback and a foul, converting the three-point play to extend SLUH's lead. Less than a minute later, Nester slipped in a 3-pointer, and all of a sudden, the Junior Bills had a 12-5 advantage.

The Indians pulled back, as Hester finished back-to-back buckets, capped by a dunk off a Pete Lake pass to keep Jackson within three, 15-12, with 2:44 left in the quarter.

That helped the Indians finish the first period on a 7-2 swing, and a free throw by Walker with 5 seconds on the clock cut SLUH's lead to 17-15 after eight minutes.

The well went dry for the Indians after that.

It's the second consecutive year that SLUH has ended Jackson's season. The Junior Bills defeated the Indians 58-50 in last year's state quarterfinals.

This time around, the result ended the high school careers of three seniors -- Smith, Irons and Walker. They helped bring home a district championship in each of their seasons.

"It's been up and down, but for these guys, I felt like they've improved the entire year," Scott said. "Where we're at right now compared to two months ago, I'm extremely proud of how they progressed and how they played in the district tournament. We had to overcome a lot of adversity. We lost a lot of scoring and a lot of players the last few years, and they had to battle through that.

"For them to win their district and make that the fourth time in a row, I'm proud of that."

Jackson 15 6 6 9 -- 37

SLUH 17 14 17 10 -- 57

JACKSON (37) -- Garrett Walker 3, Jacob Smith 7, Pete Lake 8, Stephen Irons 2, Cameron Hester 10, Jacob Friess 2, Desmond Morris 5. FG 15-34, FT 5-10, F 21. (3-pointers: Lake, Morris. Fouled out: Irons.)

SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY (57) -- Brandon McKissic 12, Matthew Nester 8, Anthony Hughes 6, Matthew Leritz 9, David Jackson 13, Alan Wilson 2, Michael Sanders 2, Kelly Jackson 5. FG 22-43, FT 11-16, F 16. (3-pointers: Nester 2. Fouled out: None.)