Jacksboro goes 2-1 at Opening Day

BRECKENRIDGE ­– It was a good first day overall for the Jacksboro girls basketball team, the Tigerettes picking up a pair of wins in a tournament here.

The girls defeated Santo 35-28 and Brownwood 46-43 in pool play action. Pool play concludes tomorrow and the tournament ends Thursday.

The Tigers, on the other hand, weren’t as fortunate, suffering a loss to Dublin 83-63.Recaps of all three games, in the order they were played, follow:

Dublin 83, Jacksboro boys 63

The Lions tossed in 31 first quarter points in the first game of the tournament and were never seriously threatened as the Tigers dropped to 8-9.

After Clay Botello put Jacksboro up 2-0 early, Dublin went on an 11-0 skein, aided by a tough press which allowed for some easy buckets. Tyler Rogers’ basket, free throw and three-pointer cut the lead to five before Dublin scored 18 of the final 24 points of the frame to put the Lions up 31-14 after one.

Jacksboro had baskets from Dalton Harp and a pair of three-pointers from Payton Laake would bring the Tigers within 21 after Dublin had pushed the lead to 29 late in the half. Dublin shot just under 50 percent for the half to take a 53-28 lead at the break.

Rogers got some help from Botello, Ke’Ondrae Sadler and Riley Rollans in the third quarter, scoring 20 points in the stanza and cutting the deficit to 18. The Tigers were 7-15 in the frame shooting but still were down 69-48 heading to the final quarter.

Rogers led a balanced attack with 19 points. Laake had 14 points with Botello tossing in 10.

Jacksboro girls 35, Santo 28

After taking an 8-3 lead in the first quarter of their tourney opener, the Tigerettes were able to slowly expand their lead to open with a win.

Both teams had trouble getting any offense going at all. Freshman Baylee Thompson was a threat down low, scoring all eight Tigerette points in the first frame.

Fellow post Leah Plaster added a pair of buckets down low to extend the lead to five. A third Plaster bucket and a Trinity Tisdale three-pointer put the lead into double figures for the first time.

Santo went on a 7-0 string late in the half to draw within three but Plaster’s fourth bucket of the frame put the Tigerettes up 20-14 at intermission.

The offensive doldrums continued but baskets by Jaymee Yount, Kaylea Maples and Jordan Nichols padded the cushion to nine. Santo closed strong to cut the deficit to 27-21 after three frames.

Yount’s bucket again gave the Purple a 10-point lead. The Wildcats missed eight consecutive shots down the stretch enabling the Tigerettes to hold on for the win.

Thompson tossed in 10 points and Plaster eight to set the Jacksboro pace.

Jacksboro girls 46, Brownwood 43

After a one-game respite, the ‘Battle of the ‘Cats’ commenced and gave a small but vocal group thrills.

The lead went back and forth throughout the contest but Thompson continued her hot hand, breaking an 8-all tie in the closing seconds of the first. Jacksboro fell behind by as many as six in the second but free throws and a Plaster bucket in the final second brought the Tigerettes within 22-19 at the break.

Jacksboro missed nine in a row from the field after getting within one in the third quarter. The Lions went up by as many as seven in the third but steals and baskets by Maples and Nichols late brought the Purple within 34-32 as the third quarter closed.

Jacksboro used free throw shooting from Maples and Tisdale for a 37-36 lead with 4:32 left and was never headed after that. Maples buried four free throws in the final minute to up the squad to 15-4.

Yount tossed in 10 to lead the Purple.

Jacksboro is looking to resume District 8-3A play with a White-Out Game at home Jan. 3 vs. Bowie, it was announced at the tournament. Fans are asked to wear white with white towels to be passed out.