Jackson sets aside injuries to thump Central

With five of its top seven players out due to injury, the Jackson girls basketball team had no choice but to look to its remaining players against Central on Thursday night.

"We were a little thin tonight, but I had no doubt that the girls we do have would play hard," Jackson coach Tyler Abernathy said. "It's really just next person up. And I think we've gotten great leadership, not only from our seniors, but all around. Every day we practice hard. We play hard like nothing has changed, and I think that's a compliment to our senior leadership."

Rylee Stafford turned out to be the next player up for the Indians.

The sophomore scored a game-high 23 points and added five steals to lead Jackson in a 54-15 victory over Central at home.

"We had lost the past two games and we felt like we needed more momentum towards winning," Stafford said. "We knew we didn't have our better players and we just decided as a team we needed to do it for them and not just for us. Kayla Keith went into surgery the other day and before she did she sent us a Snap-chat saying that she wished she could be there with us. Before this game we prayed that all of them could have a fast recovery so they could come out there and play with us again. We dedicated this one to them."

Keith tore her ACL and MCL in the championship game of the Kelso Supply Holiday Classic against Saxony earlier this season. Abernathy said he does not know what her estimated time on returning is, but said he hopes to have her back by the end of the season.

Junior Cassidi Tomsu, the team's leading scorer and point guard, also is sidelined after being diagnosed with a concussion, which she sustained in a car accident last week. Abernathy said there is a possibility she will return to the starting lineup next week.

"We don't really know," said Abernathy when asked about Tomsu's return to the lineup. "We're taking it day by day. Hopefully she'll be back next week, but her being healthy is the most important thing."

Sophomore Randa Norman suffered a season-ending knee injury that required surgery.

Junior Mallorie Maintz and freshman Mah Massey are both out with ankle injuries. Massey had not been a starter for Jackson, but had been producing quality minutes on both the JV and varsity levels, according to Abernathy.

"Mah hurt herself in the JV game, of all things," Abernathy said. "She's been playing pretty good minutes for us, but not playing consistent minutes, so we like to get her in the JV games, and unfortunately she went down."

Abernathy added that he was unsure about a return time for both players.

Despite the injuries, Jackson (7-5) had no trouble cruising past Central (3-9).

The Indians knocked down their first two shots from behind the arc to build a 6-0 lead 45 seconds into the game, part of a 15-0 run.

The Tigers were held to just three shots in the opening period and scored their only points of the first when senior Tramonee Stewart scored on a layup with 38 seconds remaining.

Jackson sophomore Abby Herman closed out the first on the Indians' next possession with a 3 to give them an 18-3 lead.

In the second, Jackson used a 13-6 run to extend its lead to 31-6 at halftime.

Stafford led all scorers with 13 points at the break and junior Autumn Reid added nine.

"She attacked the basket well. That's something she does a pretty good job of," Abernathy said about Stafford. "She shoots it pretty well from the outside as well, but tonight when we were able to reverse the ball against the trap, she had some lanes to drive in, and I thought she did a pretty good job of going in there and finishing."

Central turned the ball over 15 times in the first half and finished the game with 33 turnovers.

Jackson turned a majority of those miscues into points in the second half, where they outscored the Tigers 23-9.

Central senior Maddie Daum finished with four points to lead the Tigers, while Sydney Tollison added three.

Abernathy said he hopes Jackson's win will provide the Indians with some momentum after ending a two-game losing streak.

"Anytime you win it helps solve some problems," Abernathy said. "Really, this team, led by our seniors, has been so consistent, regardless of if we win or lose. We'll have practice again tomorrow after school and I bet it will be a pretty good one. They'll go hard and we'll try to get better. We'll just kind of take it one day at a time."

Central 2 4 6 3 -- 15

Jackson 18 13 14 9 -- 54

CENTRAL (15) -- Maddie Daum 4, Sydney Tollison 3, Tramonee Stewart 2, Bailey Manley 2, Katherine Morton 2, Abbie Reece 2. FG 7, FT 0-2, F 15 (3-pointers: Tollison 1. Fouled out: none)

JACKSON (54) -- Rylee Stafford 23, Autumn Reid 11, Mckinzie Scott 5, Abby Herman 5, Nicole Humphreys 5, Nikki Sotak 3, Madi Eckley 2. FG 20, FT 10-14, F 9 (3-pointers: Scott 1, Reid 1, Sotak 1, Hermann 1. Fouled out: none)