Jackson girls basketball team holds off Poplar Bluff for conference win

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- When it's Jackson and Poplar Bluff, throw out the stats.

The Lady Indians didn't allow a field goal more than 6 1/2 minutes at the start of the second half but needed a five-point run late to hold off Poplar Bluff 37-31 in a SEMO Conference game Wednesday.

"We knew coming in it was going to be a dogfight," Jackson coach Tyler Abernathy said.

The host Lady Mules shot 19 percent from the field, missed 10 free throws, turned it over 15 times and never trailed by more than eight.

The Indians shot 35 percent from the field but rebounding kept Poplar Bluff (10-8, 3-1) within striking distance.

"Boy, when you're not shooting it well you better play good defense or you're going to get blown out," Poplar Bluff coach Kirk Chronister said.

The win puts Jackson (12-6, 4-1) in a tie for second in the SEMO race with a chance to earn a share of the title by beating undefeated Dexter on Feb. 24.

Cassidi Tomsu scored six of her 12 points in the first quarter to lead Jackson. Kayla Keith knocked down three 3-pointers for nine points while Rachel Crites added six points.

Poplar Bluff was led by Cassidy Harris and Courtney Raulston with 11 points each. Harris pulled down 18 rebounds.

Seven of Poplar Bluff's nine first-quarter points came after offensive rebounds. Jackson was whistled for six of its eight first-half fouls after the Mules got an offensive rebound.

"It kind of frustrated me a little bit early because we spent so much time on it," Abernathy said of rebounding. "They are really good at it."

Ahead 29-25 to start the fourth quarter, three free throws by Randa Norman during a 15-second span put Jackson back up seven. The first field goal of the final frame came at the 2:53 mark when Poplar Bluff's Soley Webb got a fastbreak layin to cut Jackson's lead to 32-29.

Tomsu split at the line 50 seconds later and, following a missed 3 by Raulston, Crites hit a wide-open layup on a drive from the wing. McKinzie Scott's steal set up Tomsu's layin with 40 seconds left to seal the win.

"With us and Bluff it's never going to be 60-60 I don't think," Abernathy said.

Only once in the last six meetings has either team reached 50 and that includes an overtime game in the 2011 district final. Poplar Bluff leads the all-time series 40-36, but Jackson has now won three straight against its district rival.

Jackson led 11-9 after one quarter and the teams were tied at 15 for nearly three minutes before they traded baskets. Keith's 3 put the Indians up front for good with 1:35 left in the half.

Jackson took a 20-18 lead into the third quarter.

After a free throw following an offensive rebound by Samantha Gatewood, Poplar Bluff didn't score again until 5 minutes, 50 seconds later.

But the Indians couldn't take advantage, leading by seven following Tomsu's 3 at the 5:06 mark.

Raulston ended Poplar Bluff's drought with a 3 with 1:26 left in the third to cut Jackson's lead to 26-22.

Autumn Reid's lone 3 for Jackson was followed by Halle Huffman's three-point play off a putback to make it a four-point game heading into the fourth.

"We've been shooting it a little bit better, but we knew tonight everything would be tough because everything is contested," Abernathy said of a 5-for-19 shooting performance from 3-point range.

"You don't really get anything open," he said. "You're never open, open."