Lockdown defense helps Jackson girls basketball team secure district title

ARNOLD, Mo. -- The message that Jackson girls basketball coach Tyler Abernathy gave his team prior to its Class 5 District 1 championship game against No. 3 Northwest was the same as every other game before it: play hard and have fun.

"In these situations you just have to enjoy," Abernathy said. "Some people get too tense and make it bigger than what it is. You have fun and enjoy it, and it's just a high school memory."

The Indians walked out of Fox High School on Friday night with the memory of their third district championship in four years after a 57-27 rout of the Lions.

"I'm just happy for these girls," Abernathy said. "They've been through a lot this year, and to be able to come out and win your district is something that they're going to remember forever and I'm just proud of them, happy for them."

Abernathy thought that after the first few minutes of the game his players' nerves wore off. Then once he saw that their defense was giving Northwest fits and that the Indians had a good rhythm on offense, he was confident in their chances of advancing in the postseason.

Jackson players on the bench cheer a score against Northwest during the third quarter of the Class 5 District 1 championship game Friday, March 6, 2015 in Arnold, Missouri. (Fred Lynch)

The Indians went up 6-2 early after 3s by senior guard Rachel Crites and sophomore guard Rylee Stafford, but Northwest knotted it at 10 to end the first quarter.

"We couldn't let them get up first because then we probably would've rolled over," Crites said.

Jackson's defense then stifled the Lions. Northwest was held to just three points -- all on free throws as the Lions shot 0 of 5 from the field -- in the second quarter and the Indians pushed their lead to 23-13 at the half.

"We just concentrated on our scouting report, making them do things they're not comfortable doing," Abernathy said. "I thought we took the players out of their comfort zones. We made them catch where they didn't want to catch. We made them drive in directions they didn't really want to drive in."

Jackson's Rachel Crites shoots against Northwest during the first quarter of the Class 5 District 1 championship game Friday, March 6, 2015 in Arnold, Missouri. (Fred Lynch)

The Lions were held to single digits in the third and fourth quarters as well.

Jackson outscored Northwest 17-5 in the third and 17-9 in the final eight minutes.

Lions' 5-foot-10 senior forward Taylor Fortner was the main challenge for the Indians. She finished with a game-high 15 points, with 11 in the second half.

"The Fortner girl is a really, really good player," Abernathy said. "I think she scored roughly 1,100 points in her career. She averages about 16 a game. That was our No. 1 focus, making her work. We knew she was going to score some, but we just wanted to make her work for everything, and then just kind of close out on the girls on the outside. Fortner was our biggest concern."

Junior guard Autumn Reid led the Indians with 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting and was 2 for 2 from the free-throw line. Crites finished with 12 points while Stafford had 11.

"Confidence has been a real big thing that coach has been telling me because all my shots haven't been going in," Reid said. "After the first one went in I got a lot of confidence and felt better."

Abernathy was particularly pleased with how his players responded following their overtime victory in the semifinals against Poplar Bluff.

The Jackson girls basketball team poses with the Class 5 District 1 championship plaque after defeating Northwest 57-27 Friday, March 6, 2015 in Arnold, Missouri. (Fred Lynch)

"We played Bluff on Monday night, and it was a dramatic game, dramatic ending, and to be able to turn around after a game like that is sometimes hard for high school kids to do, and I just thought as a group they came in with a goal, they forgot about the past and focused on this game, and I think you saw the results of that," Abernathy said.

The Indians (18-9) will face Kirkwood (20-4) in a state sectional on Wednesday. Tip-off is set for 7:45 p.m. at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Missouri.

"We're going to have to have three really good days of practice to prepare ourselves, and then we're just going to have to play really, really hard," Abernathy said. "We're going to have to do a lot of things right against them because obviously they're a good team."

Jackson 10 13 17 17 -- 57

Northwest 10 3 5 9 -- 27

JACKSON (57) -- Autumn Reid 13, Rachel Crites 12, Rylee Stafford 11, Cassidi Tomsu 6, Nicole Sotak 6, Mallorie Maintz 4, Abigail Hermann 3, Krista Martin 2. FG 21, FT 10-12, F 18. (3-pointers: Crites 2, Reid 1, Stafford 1, Hermann 1. Fouled out: Hermann.)

CENTRAL (27) -- Taylor Fortner 11, Cassidy Thompson 7, Jordyn White 6, Marquee Banderet 2, Jena Davis 1. FG 9, FT 8-11, F 17. (3-pointers: none. Fouled out: Fortner.)