Late Free Throws Help Jags Fend Off Crowley

Jacob Martella, Staff Writer
January 7, 2011
Filed under Sports

With time winding down in the fourth quarter against the Crowley Eagles, the Jaguars found themselves in the same situation they were in against Austin LBJ. They were leading and just needed to nail their free throws to win the game. But unlike against LBJ, the Jags did nail their free throws and beat Crowley 58-52.

“It was a tough game, but at first we didn’t come out like we wanted to but we pulled it together and had to make it back a little bit,” senior Wesley Davis said.

The Jags played Austin LBJ in the second-round of the Fort Worth Coca-Cola Classic over the break. They had the lead late but went stone cold at the free throw line to fall 68-66. Tuesday night, however, the Jags didn’t let that happen.

“Against LBJ we were one for ten from the free throw line in the fourth quarter when we tried to put the game away,” head coach Jason Mutterer said. “Tonight we were nine of ten in the fourth quarter.”

Coach Mutterer said that the loss helped them coming down the stretch against Crowley because of being in the same situation.

“I tell the kids all the time you’ve got to learn from those experiences because you’re going to be situations later in the season,”  Mutterer said.

The Jags started out slow, trailing 13-11 after the first quarter. Senior Jordan Marshall said that it was difficult to come together as a team.

“A lot of people have been doing different things, people sick and all that and it was just hard to come together, but we ended up doing that in the second half,” Marshall said.

The Jags were also having to deal with backup point guard Keon Campbell being out after missing two practices over the break due to illness. Others had to step up and fill that hole.

“Joel Kapiamba had to step up and play more minutes and then Isaiah McFail came in and played more minutes,” Davis said.

Coming out of the half, the Jags used a 15-9 run to break open the game and cruised the rest of the way for the victory.

“Coach told us, ‘We don’t want to lose to a team like that like we did in the tournament,’” Marshall said.

The Jags were coming off a disappointing sixth place finish in the Coca-Cola Classic over the break. Coach Mutterer, however, said that this week was the toughest for them.

“For two weeks they’ve been able to stay home and come and go as they wanted to and get as much rest as they wanted to and now we’re back to school. We’re all tired because it’s a different schedule,” Mutterer said.

The win puts the Jags at 2-0 in district play and in a three-way tie with Everman and Granbury atop District 7-4A. They will have their district home-opener Friday night at 8:00 p.m. against Cleburne. Coach Mutterer is glad that they’re finally getting into a routine.

“From this point forward we have 12 district games on Tuesdays and Fridays,” Mutterer said. “It’s good to get into a routine. The kids like routines.”

Box Score

Summit 58, Crowley 52

Summit – Davis 20, Kapiamba 12, Marshall 9, Butler 4, Tabron 4, Higgins 3, Schwab 2

Crowley – Ray 18, Harold 8, Niles 6, Rodgers 6, Manning 5, Onuoha 4, Padmore 2, Russell 2, Young-Riley 1