Mules close out Indians' season

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. -- Tyler Hansbrough didn't have a point in the first half of Thursday's MSHSAA Class 5 District 1 championship game, but the Jackson Indians still trailed by 21 points.

Brad Chronister hit six-first half 3-pointers for the defending state champions as the Mules won 66-35 at a packed Peters Gym.

The Indians, many wearing wristbands with No. 31 for teammate Jason Schafer who died before the season in a car wreck, had their season end at 23-4.

Two of those losses were to Poplar Bluff (23-4), which pulled away with a 28-2 run that started with the second quarter and ended five minutes into the second half. Jackson's only bucket of the second quarter came in the final 30 seconds when Jack Puisis hit a wide-open layup.

"We decided we would try to take Tyler and Ben [Hansbrough] away and make some of the other guys beat us," said Jackson coach Darrin Scott. "We knew coming in if Chronister shot it well it would be a long night for us and he did. That was the difference in the game. If he doesn't shoot the ball well, we've got a chance. You've got to give Brad Chronister a lot of credit because we challenged him to make shots."

Chronister, who missed all seven of his shots in Tuesday's semifinal, was 7-for-13 on Thursday for a game-high 21 points. Allan Spencer added eight first-quarter points as the Jackson defense packed in on Hansbrough, who finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and five blocks.

Poplar Bluff hit 9-of-18 from downtown.

Puisis led the Indians with 13 points while Ryan Mirly added seven.

Spencer and Chronister opened the game with consecutive 3s as the Mules built an 11-2 lead. Tyler Beussink's basket midway through the first quarter pulled Jackson within six but Chronister answered with a 3 and Spencer splashed in another to start an 8-2 run.

Poplar Bluff led 23-14 after one quarter but the Indians missed 12 of their next 13 shots from the field during a 30-7 swing over the next 14 minutes.

"We had an outstanding year," Scott said. "They came in tonight doing what we wanted. They executed the gameplan, it just didn't work tonight. I'm proud of my seniors and the effort they gave."