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Saturday night’s primetime showdown between the Ashland Blue Jays and South Central Timberwolves showcased a team at the top of their game and a team riding an emotional high of an upset victory the night before.
However, with the sandglass running out, the magical run for South Central fell short as the Blue Jays captured the 2012 Southern Plains-Iroquois League Tournament championship with a 57-48 victory in front of a packed United Wireless Arena.
Done in by a nearly quarter-long scoreless drought, the Timberwolves couldn’t stop Ashland’s do-it-all man, Jay Luerman, who exploded for 34 points as the Blue Jays remain undefeated on the year and show why they are the consensus number one team in Class 1A.
“We knew we had to get our momentum going on the defensive end, we picked it up man-to-man, tried to speed the game up and ultimately get a lot of fast break, transition layups,” said Ashland head coach Kit Walker. “We were able to force them to take quicker shots than normal, which got them out of rhythm.”
It was a highly anticipated matchup between the two sides, as the T’Wolves were coming off a five-point upset of number three South Gray the night before, and Ashland, the proud owner of an unblemished record, came into the tournament as the team to beat.
The two teams met back in December, right before the winter break in Ashland, and the Blue Jays cruised to a 75-60 win. It wouldn’t be nearly as easy during the title game.
The beginning of the game looked as though it would be an Ashland blowout, as Luerman and the Stebens (Austin and Chance), had the Blue Jays flying high with an early 12-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.
That is when South Central’s star Clay Jarnigan and crew put the clamps down and went to work on the offensive end, maneuvering through the Ashland defense for some hard earned buckets in the paint.
As they worked their way back into the game, the T’Wolves swung the momentum back onto their side, delivering blow after blow through Jarnigan as they recaptured the lead, entering the halftime intermission with a 21-19 lead.
With a pocket full of confidence, South Central came out of the break as if their shoes were on fire, jumping all over the Blue Jays in tune to a 7-3 beginning to the second half. As the scoreboard read 28-22 in favor of the Timberwolves, a game that seemed in the hands of South Central, began to go terribly wrong for the green and black.
From the five minute mark of the third quarter to the six minute mark of the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves failed to sink one field goal or one free throw, as their six-point lead turned into a six-point deficit in the blink of an eye.
South Central could thank Luerman for ruining their title dreams.
In a back and forth, slug it out fourth quarter, it turned into the Luerman-Jarnigan show, as both top-tier talents showcased their skills around the rim and from mid-range.
But, with the Timberwolves gaining ground on the Blue Jays, Jarnigan would foul out with a minute left and the air was let out of South Central’s sails.
Ashland would outscore South Central 24-19 in the final frame to claim the nine-point win and a tournament championship for Walker, who attributes his team's seamless play to their history of playing junior basketball for years before this moment.
“That group is a special class of seniors, Saturday mornings growing up, those guys were always playing basketball with each other, so it’s almost as though they know what their teammate is going to do before they do it,” he said. “They’ve played so long together and played well together, that they just read off one another.”
The Blue Jays were led by Luerman who finished with 34 points on 13-of-19 shooting from the free throw line, while teammates Austin and Chance Stebens ended up with a combined 17 points. For the T’Wolves, they were paced by Jarnigan’s 17 points.
“Our chemistry it the best, we’re all unselfish and we all love each other,” Luerman said. “That’s the best part about playing is being able to do it with this group of guys.”
Saturday night’s primetime showdown between the Ashland Blue Jays and South Central Timberwolves showcased a team at the top of their game and a team riding an emotional high of an upset victory the night before.
However, with the sandglass running out, the magical run for South Central fell short as the Blue Jays captured the 2012 Southern Plains-Iroquois League Tournament championship with a 57-48 victory in front of a packed United Wireless Arena.
Done in by a nearly quarter-long scoreless drought, the Timberwolves couldn’t stop Ashland’s do-it-all man, Jay Luerman, who exploded for 34 points as the Blue Jays remain undefeated on the year and show why they are the consensus number one team in Class 1A.
“We knew we had to get our momentum going on the defensive end, we picked it up man-to-man, tried to speed the game up and ultimately get a lot of fast break, transition layups,” said Ashland head coach Kit Walker. “We were able to force them to take quicker shots than normal, which got them out of rhythm.”
It was a highly anticipated matchup between the two sides, as the T’Wolves were coming off a five-point upset of number three South Gray the night before, and Ashland, the proud owner of an unblemished record, came into the tournament as the team to beat.
The two teams met back in December, right before the winter break in Ashland, and the Blue Jays cruised to a 75-60 win. It wouldn’t be nearly as easy during the title game.
The beginning of the game looked as though it would be an Ashland blowout, as Luerman and the Stebens (Austin and Chance), had the Blue Jays flying high with an early 12-3 lead at the end of the first quarter.
That is when South Central’s star Clay Jarnigan and crew put the clamps down and went to work on the offensive end, maneuvering through the Ashland defense for some hard earned buckets in the paint.
As they worked their way back into the game, the T’Wolves swung the momentum back onto their side, delivering blow after blow through Jarnigan as they recaptured the lead, entering the halftime intermission with a 21-19 lead.
With a pocket full of confidence, South Central came out of the break as if their shoes were on fire, jumping all over the Blue Jays in tune to a 7-3 beginning to the second half. As the scoreboard read 28-22 in favor of the Timberwolves, a game that seemed in the hands of South Central, began to go terribly wrong for the green and black.
From the five minute mark of the third quarter to the six minute mark of the fourth quarter, the Timberwolves failed to sink one field goal or one free throw, as their six-point lead turned into a six-point deficit in the blink of an eye.
South Central could thank Luerman for ruining their title dreams.
In a back and forth, slug it out fourth quarter, it turned into the Luerman-Jarnigan show, as both top-tier talents showcased their skills around the rim and from mid-range.
But, with the Timberwolves gaining ground on the Blue Jays, Jarnigan would foul out with a minute left and the air was let out of South Central’s sails.
Ashland would outscore South Central 24-19 in the final frame to claim the nine-point win and a tournament championship for Walker, who attributes his team's seamless play to their history of playing junior basketball for years before this moment.
“That group is a special class of seniors, Saturday mornings growing up, those guys were always playing basketball with each other, so it’s almost as though they know what their teammate is going to do before they do it,” he said. “They’ve played so long together and played well together, that they just read off one another.”
The Blue Jays were led by Luerman who finished with 34 points on 13-of-19 shooting from the free throw line, while teammates Austin and Chance Stebens ended up with a combined 17 points. For the T’Wolves, they were paced by Jarnigan’s 17 points.
“Our chemistry it the best, we’re all unselfish and we all love each other,” Luerman said. “That’s the best part about playing is being able to do it with this group of guys.”
