The Greene County Rams lost two more basketball games in the middle school gym in Jefferson Saturday, putting them at 0-4 for the weekend. The Rams hosted the Jaguars of Southeast Valley (Gowrie) and lost the girls’ game 51-38 and the boys’ game 61-50.
Just as there was good news with the girls’ loss to Roland-Story Friday night, there was good news with their loss to the Jaguars. The Rams scored more than 150 percent of their season average in the loss. They entered the game scoring an average of 24.7 points per game and in five of their previous 11 games they had scored 20 or fewer points. They’ve score more than 38 points in only two games – their early December wins against CMB and South Hamilton.
Also, after turning the ball over 13 times in the first half, they finished the game with 17 turnovers total. They’re second half ball handling was good.
The score was tied at 4 points after 3:12 of play, but the Rams scored only once in the next eight minutes. They were down 14-6 at the end of the first quarter and 18-6 before they scored again with four minutes to play in the second quarter. The score was 21-14 at halftime.
The Rams scored 13 points in the third quarter and were as close at 23-19 after a Kenna Marquardt 3-pointer early in the quarter. That was the narrowest gap in the score. After three quarters the Jaguars were up 36-27, and with no points from the Rams in the last four minutes of the game, the Jaguars were able to build their 13 point margin.
Unofficially the Rams shot at 29 percent. They were 14 of 43 from 2-point range and two of 13 from 3-point range. They went four for six for 67 percent from the free throw line, well ahead of their 47 percent free throw average.
Laurin Lyons and Nicole Rohner each scored nine points, Sunny Mobley scored eight, Hannah Promes scored seven (including the Rams’ second 3-pointer), Marquardt scored three and Cassidy Adamson scored two points.
The girls have lost eight games in a row and are now 2-10 overall.
The boys can take heart from the fact that the game against Southeast Valley was one of only a few that the opposing team didn’t score more than their season average. The Jaguars, with a 6-2 record going into the game, were averaging 67.5 points per game. They scored 61 in their game in Jefferson. That was despite a size advantage over the Rams and out rebounding them by a 42 to 27 count.
The Jaguars held a slight advantage in the first quarter, leading all the way but not by more than five points. The score at the end of the first quarter was 19-15. The Rams scored first in the second quarter, making it a two point game, and they held that margin at 21-19. The Rams then went 5-1/2 minutes without scoring while the Jaguars stretched their lead to 33-19. Freshman Trey Hinote broke the chill with a pair of free throws with less than two minutes left in the quarter, and the Rams shortened the gap to 33-25 before the half ended.
The Rams whittled away at the Jaguars’ lead and had it to a few as three points twice in the third quarter before the Jaguars finished the quarter with a six point run and a 50-41 lead. Several times the Rams had opportunities to tie the game but missed shots. Seven points was the closest the Rams got at 54-47 with 5:22 to play in the game. The Jaguars controlled the game in the stretch and one by an 11 point margin.
Southeast Valley’s Dakota Jaeschke and the Rams’ Trey Tucker led in scoring with 17 points each. Jaeschke was 2-1/2 points above his average and Tucker was three points below his average. For the Rams, Mitchell Gorsuch had 12 points on four successful 3-pointers. Reid Lamoureux had nine points with one 3-pointer, Hinote had five points, Max Neese, Wade Adcock and Sico Boateng had two points each and Anthony Cunningham scored one point.
The Rams shot at 36 percent from 2-point range, about their average, but at only 22 percent from 3-point range, well below their average of 30.8 percent. They were 10 of 13 in free throws for 77 percent, better than their average 67.4 percent.
The Jaguars’ shooting from the floor was below their average, at 37 percent compared to 40 percent for the season. Their free throw percentage was better though, at 16 of 20 for 80 percent compared to their season average of 69.3 percent.
The Rams are 3-8 overall and the Jaguars are 7-2.
The Rams play PCM in Monroe next Tuesday, Jan. 12.
