Jays stage huge rally, startle
defending Class 3 state champs

Dec. 1, 2017

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. --- Defeating Sedalia Smith-Cotton is one thing.

Defeating a defending state champion --- with seven returning seniors, no less --- is another.

To put it another way: You only have one chance to make a first impression --- and Mark Anderson is doing just fine, thanks.

In the second game for the first-year head coach, the Jefferson City Jays finished the game with a 19-8 flurry to startle the Northwest Academy  Hornets 66-64 on Friday night at Fleming Fieldhouse.

This was not only a signature win for Anderson, but it was a signature for a program trying to rebound from last season's 10-16 disappointment.

The Jays (2-0) had opened the season with 22-point rout of Smith-Cotton 10 days earlier, but they knew this one would be anything but easy.

Especially since the Hornets (2-3) know how to win when it counts the most. Last season's team, which featured many of these same players, was 10-10 late in the regular season before rattling off 11 consecutive wins to capture the Class 3 state championship.

On this night, however, the Hornets were in charge from almost the opening tip --- until it counted most.

Jefferson City had two early leads before fans were in their seats, at 1-0 and 4-2, before a driving score by Northwest's Rayonte Childs midway through the first quarter gave the Hornets a 6-4 lead. They would hold that lead until the game's final 103 seconds.

Northwest (St. Louis) --- ranked No. 3 in the the state's preseason poll --- dominated the boards in the opening half, scoring the majority of their points on follow-shots to build leads of 17-13 after one quarter and 33-24.

The Jays made several runs at the Hornets, but they were held at bay and Northwest maintained a 51-41 lead entering the fourth quarter. The margin was still 56-47 with less than four minutes left.

But the Jays caught fire and passed the Hornets down the stretch, thanks in large part to a huge fourth quarter by sophomore guard Brennan Jeffries, who scored 14 of his game-high 24 points in the final frame. It was a three-point play by Jeffries with two minutes left that pulled Jefferson City within 58-57, before his two free throws gave the Jays a 59-58 lead with 1:43 left.

It had been a long time since 4-2.

After the Hornets regained a 60-59 lead, it was Jeffries once again, as he scored on the break to give the Jays the lead for good at 61-60 with 47 seconds left. Jeffries then hit three more free throws in the final 21 seconds to help salt it away.

Wilshon Warren led Northwest with 16 points, while Charlie Wehmeyer came off the bench to chip in eight points for the Jays. Hudson Nilges and DeMani Jarrett --- who was a key defensive presence in the paint --- scored seven points apiece for the Jays, who host Timberland on Tuesday night.

If you're still wondering about first impressions, well ...

With a win, it would be just the second 3-0 start in the last decade for the Jays.

Loeffler's Link

Players from Northwest Academy (dark jerseys) and Jefferson City battle for position on a missed free throw  by the Jays' Rae' Quan Davis in the first half of Friday night's game at Fleming Fieldhouse.