Perry’s lead scorer Shammond Ivory didn’t make the short road trip to Jefferson Tuesday for the season hoops opener due to illness, but his teammates still claimed a 67-59 victory. Four Blue Jays scored in double figures and came within two points of their season average from the 2014-15 campaign.
The Rams last year averaged 64 points, with lead scorer junior Trey Tucker averaging 22.6 points. Tucker scored 16 points, including four 3-point shots, in the non-conference game. Ram fans got a good look at another Trey, freshman Trey Hinote, son of head coach Jeramie Hinote. Hinote came off the bench and scored 12 points, including three 3-point shots.
Senior Reid Lamoureux scored 11 with one 3-pointer, senior Max Neese scored eight points, sophomore Wade Adcock scored seven, senior Mitchell Gorsuch scored three on a first quarter 3-pointer, and senior Tyler Beger scored two points from the free throw line.
As a team, the Rams shot at only 38 percent (21 of 55), while the Blue Jays shot at 50 percent (25 of 50). Both teams made eight of 14 free throws, and both teams made nine 3-point shots. No player fouled out of the game.
The teams played nearly even up for the first 12 minutes or so, and the Rams were ahead 31-30 with less than three minutes to play in the first half. The Blue Jays hit two long shots in a row and added a pair of free throws to finish the half with a 38-31 lead.
They dominated early in the third quarter and built their lead to 51-35 with about three minutes to play in that quarter, but the Rams narrowed the gap to 52-43 at the end of the quarter. The Rams were able to tighten the gap only a bit in the fourth quarter, getting no closer than within eight points.
The Rams play again at home this coming Friday, a Heart of Iowa game against CMB. The girls varsity game will begin at 6 pm, with the boys game at approximately 7:30.
