Taking advantage of the host Trojans playing in their season opener Tuesday, Nov. 29, Jacksboro got out to a quick start and led by seven after one quarter.
Windthorst came storming back, however, in the second and kept the Tigers on their heels the rest of the way in a 50-45 win. Jacksboro slips to 1-2 for the season.
Both teams had trouble shooting from the floor (Jacksboro 13-49, Windthorst 18-60) and free throw line (Jacksboro 14-35, Windthorst 9-21).
The Tigers missed their first seven shots before Ryder Jackson and Kasey Ray Swan buried three-pointers to go up 7-2 midway through the first. Both also forced turnovers by taking charges on the defensive end.
A Landon McLemore three-pointer would cut the deficit to two but Swan’s second three-pointer and a Cannon Valenzuela putback would help Jacksboro, which shot 29% in the first, take a 12-5 lead after eight minutes.
Windthorst tied the game at 12 with a 7-0 run early in the second, Valenzuela snapping the string. McLemore came through with another three-pointer to give the squad the lead at 17-16. The Trojans led by as many as six with their best shooting quarter of the game but a Kaden Vaughan three-pointer at the buzzer kept Jacksboro down three, 30-27 at the half.
Valenzuela, who led the Tigers in scoring in the first two quarters with 12 points, picked up his fourth foul with 6:28 left in the third forcing him to the bench. The Tigers would tie the game at 30 on free throws from Jackson but then go into a shooting rut by missing seven in a row to start the half.
Windthorst would take advantage and go on a 7-0 string before a Swan putback with 3:01 to go in the third was the visitors’ first basket of the quarter.
Despite a 1-13 shooting quarter, Jacksboro still only found itself down 40-35 heading into the fourth quarter. Jacksboro took advantage of getting into the double bonus 19 seconds into the fourth. Four free throws from Lando Belcher and a Jackson bucket off an offensive rebound gave the Tigers a 41-40 lead with 6:41 remaining.
Valenzuela came back into the game with just more than five minutes left and added a basket but the Tigers’ shooting fell off the deep end with the Purple missing its last six shots from the floor. That, and the squad going 2-9 at the line down the stretch, would prove to be Jacksboro’s demise.
Brayden Berend converted from both inside and outside to give the Trojans the lead back for good. A Randall Bustos free throw would bring the Tigers within four but no closer.
Valenzuela had 15 points and 10 rebounds with Jackson tossing in 13 points for Jacksboro. McLemore had 15 points and Berend 11 for Windthorst.
Jacksboro returned home to face Lindsay (see story, page 8) and will play in the North Hopkins Tournament this weekend.
