JACKSON BOYS DEFEAT WOODLAND 67-57

MARBLE HILL -- Jackson may have beaten Woodland 67-57, but the Cardinals probably took more from the game than the Indians did Tuesday night.

Woodland (8-3) learned it could stick with and a tough team (Jackson is a Class 4A school, while Woodland is 2A) even when its top offensive weapon has an off night.

David Massa, one of the region's top offensive players, scored just 15 points.

"He's their No. 1 offensive threat," said Jackson coach Steve Burk. "I thought Tori Meyr did a very good job (on Massa) and Matt Hale came off the bench and did a good job too."

But even when Massa struggled the Cardinals, who trailed by as many as 17 in the second quarter, chipped away until finally narrowing the gap to 51-46 with 7:16 left in the fourth quarter when junior Matt Cutsinger hit two free throws.

But Jackson (8-3) wouldn't let the score get any closer than that.

The Indians finally put the game away in the final two minutes by forcing two key turnovers and juicing the clock.

"We didn't shoot well enough tonight to come back on a very good team like Jackson," Woodland coach Jennings Wilkinson said. "The difference in the game was shooting. They shot better than we did."

Woodland made 20 of its 22 free throws, and shot 40 percent (17-for-42) from the field and just 23 percent from 3-point range.

Jackson shot 51 percent from the field (22-for-43).

The Indians came out sluggish in the first quarter.

After two missed shots and four turnovers in the Indians' first six possessions, Burk benched his starting five.

The subs quickly tied the game at 4-4 and built a 9-6 lead.

The starting five was reinserted with 1:12 left in the first quarter and the Indians ended up leading 21-8 going into the second period.

"We're trying to decide who is going to play," Burk said. "We're still competing for jobs. That's a way of letting our team know that no one has a starting position. We don't want complacency I thought our starters came in and played much better the second time.

"It was a physical ballgame. Both teams played hard and worked hard. We're pleased to come out of here with a 10-point win."

Justin Suedmeyer led a balanced scoring attack for Jackson with 14 points.

Doug Cary, who scored nine points in less than a minute during that crucial stretch in the first quarter, finished with 12.

Harith Jones added 11 points and came up with three key offensive rebounds off missed free throws in the fourth quarter.

Meyr added 10 points.