Jackson, Thoma learning despite loss in Flyer Invitational title game

It took Jackson boys basketball nine seasons from the 2013-14 season to once again reach the championship game in all three regular-season tournaments in the same campaign.

Kory Thoma, head coach of the Indians, achieved this feat in his first year at the helm of the Indians. However, the Indians suffered a 51-36 loss to Westminster on Thursday in the Flyer Invitational championship to finish winless in these title games.

Thoma’s entrance into the role has been nothing short of spectacular as the Indians currently have just one regular season loss, coming from a road game against Vianney.

Finishing second in three tournaments is a step in the right direction for Jackson, and Thoma understands that the lack of coronation for the Indians means little in regard to the direction that the program is heading in.

“These tournaments don't mean anything,” Thoma said. “It comes down to us executing and us getting better. We're 15 games in now. Going forward, you know, we're gonna get better.

“We're gonna learn from each of those losses. Cape Central twice, and now Westminster. Those are good teams.”

Westminster had Jackson’s number from the jump, creating an early 8-2 lead before a frantic Jackson comeback rallied to tie it at 10-10. As Jackson struggled to generate opportunities, open looks for Westminster continued to fall, and the lead eventually became insurmountable for the Indians.

“Our offensive execution wasn't where it needed to be,” Thoma said. “They set the tone early and they played really well. They had a great game plan and we just never really recovered from it. We couldn't get anything going on the offensive end.”

Junior guard Blayne Harris led Jackson with 11 points scored, with nine coming in the first half on three 3-pointers. His electric playstyle proves that he has the potential to be the Indians’ sparkplug in clutch time, including high-stakes situations ranging from the Westminster game to the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament bout with Cape Central.

Following Harris’ 11, senior center Clayton Ernst and junior wing Judd Thoma both scored eight points, helping a struggling Indians offense to rally to a four-point, 39-35 deficit before eventually falling by a lopsided 15-point margin via free throws.

Jackson kept it within one or two possessions for the majority of the game but eventually ran out of juice in the final stretch. Thoma acknowledges where fatigue comes into play and looks to incorporate a stronger rotation moving forward.

“Blayne [Harris] got a little tired tonight,” Thoma said. “Second half, I needed to get him off the court a little bit more so he has the legs and strength to play the second half because he plays a lot of minutes for me. Hopefully, I'll learn from that and we'll go forward.”