Jackson boys fall to Bluff in final

Poplar Bluff boys basketball standout Tyler Hansbrough nearly outscored Jackson himself in the Class 5 District 1 championship Thursday night at the Farmington Civic Center.

Hansbrough, a 6-foot-9 junior, scored 34 points as the Mules routed the Indians 56-39.

Playing without starting post player Tyler McNeely for the third straight game, Jackson (22-4) had no answer for Hansbrough, who outscored Jackson 29-23 through three quarters.

"One-on-one I don't think there is anyone who can handle him," Jackson coach Mike Kiehne said.

While the Indians had no answer for Hansbrough, they were able to neutralize the rest of the Mules early. Hansbrough had 14 of Poplar Bluff's first 15 points, which allowed Jackson to stay within reach of the Mules.

Jackson trailed only 13-9 after the first quarter and tied the score 13-13 just minutes into the second. At that point, the Mules' other players stepped to the forefront and helped Poplar Bluff take control of the game.

Glen Yandell scored three straight points, Hansbrough got the next bucket, and then Ben Hansbrough and Devon Brown hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Mules their first double-digit lead and deflate Jackson's district title chances. Poplar Bluff ended the half with a 15-0 run over the final 15 minutes to take a 28-13 halftime lead.

Jackson managed only three field goals in the third quarter, as Poplar Bluff pushed its lead to 49-23.

Jackson outscored Poplar Bluff 16-7 in the final quarter.

Jason Schafer led Jackson with 13 points, and Brad Eaton added 10. Seniors Eaton, McNeely, Nick Fiehler, Marc Lumsden and Willie Brown played their final game for Jackson.

"We've got two of our top three scorers coming back in Jack Puisis and Jason Schafer," Kiehne said. "We're going to have to have Ryan Mirly and Aaron Redecker step it up in the post, and we've got some guards that can fill in."

Jackson's 22 wins is its highest total since 1998.