Backup comes to forefront as J-M takes section lead
By Jerin Steele
Staff Writer
jsteele@observer-reporter.com
JEFFERSON – Jeremiah Robertson got a cupcake after the game for his birthday, which is on Sunday.
Another early birthday present was Jefferson-Morgan achieving sole possession of first place in the Class 2A Section 3 boys basketball standings.
And Robertson played a big part in achieving that.
Robertson came off the bench and provided a much-needed jolt to the Rockets, who overcame a slow start to beat West Greene, 50-35, Friday night in a battle for section supremacy.
The Rockets (4-0, 8-2) now sit alone atop the section standings, breaking out of a tie with West Greene (3-1, 5-5).
Robertson finished with 12 points, including seven in the second quarter, which helped erase an early 10-2 lead for West Greene.
“My role is to come in and play a good sixth-man,” Robertson said. “I want to create a spark and I think that helps the team a lot.”
The score was deadlocked at 20-20 at halftime, but Jefferson-Morgan took control in the third quarter.
Jase Bedilion hit a 3-pointer on the first possession of the third quarter and the Rockets did not look back from there. Houston Guseman and Bedilion each hit a pair of threes and Dayten Marion had a 3-pointer in the frame.
The Rockets ended up winning the quarter, 20-7 and led by double-digits the rest of the way.
Aside from hitting 3-pointers, upping the tempo and dominating the glass on both the offensive and defensive boards were driving forces in helping them pull away.
“We like to get out and run,” Rockets coach Brandon Lawless said. “They did a good job of trying to deter that, but once we were able to get out and run, we started to get going and that was the key factor.”
The night started well for West Greene.
With a patient, methodical offense, the Pioneers controlled the pace and created open looks to build a 10-2 lead by the end of the first quarter.
But once Robertson checked-in and provided a spark, the pace changed.
Marion hit a turnaround jumper just inside the foul line at the buzzer to tie the game going into the break, ending a quarter that the Rockets won 18-10.
“They’re a really good team that’s quick, athletic and physically strong,” West Greene coach Jim Romanus said. “I thought we dictated tempo early, which was OK, but in the second half and even the second quarter they started hitting 3-pointers on us and they crushed us on the boards with their physical strength. For us to be successful, we have to be methodical and slower-paced and we got away from that. Once it got to be out of our control we had to speed up and that’s not our game.”
Guseman led the Rockets with 13 points and Bedilion had 10.
Lane Allison paced West Greene with 12 points and Darren Knight scored nine.
The Rockets haven’t won a section title since 2001. They broke a long section title drought in football in the fall, and now are hopeful to do the same this winter.
Lawless was pleased with how his team rebounded tonight and did the little things to come out on top.
If they’re going to achieve their goal, they’ll look to follow a similar blueprint going forward.
“We told them tonight that this game was going to come down to those little victories. Those muck-up rebounds and little things. I always say the little victories stack up in the game of basketball. In the end it’ll all add up.”