Cobra Taylor Abel (shown above, back right) pulls up for a short jumper in the second half of Tuesday's game against JCN. Abel and the rest of the Jackson Heights girls put together a strong team effort on the way to a 47-33 victory over JCN.

Jackson Heights girls rally on the road for big win over JCN

They’re playing like winners. They’re playing like we’re a team that should win and breaking through a lot of these mental barriers that we’ve had at Heights in the girls program for so long. I hope we can carry that forward."

 

David 1, Goliath 0. That’s easily what the scoreboard could’ve read after the Jackson Heights girls basketball team prevailed 47-33 at Jefferson County North on Tuesday night, shaking a particularly pesky monkey from its back in the process.

“I don’t know the last time Jackson Heights has beat Jeff North on the girls side. It might have been 10, 15 years, so breaking through that hurdle is big mentally,” JH coach Dan Shupe said.

The Cobras, in fact, may still be celebrating after removing such a large weight from their shoulders in the cathartic win. What is equally as important, maybe, is the manner in which Heights collected the win, as the Cobras dominated from the second quarter on and proved to be the deeper team on Tuesday in a bit of role-reversal.

While the Chargers jumped out to a 14-6 lead after one quarter of play, Shupe credited his team for the adjustments it made defensively. JCN broke down Heights’ zone defense and got some points in the paint early, but Cobra forwards Payton Thomas, Jordan Wells and Katelin Strube were dedicated to taking that away the rest of the game.

“All of those girls in the interior did a good job of not letting them get that low post position for the most part,” Shupe said.

Asserting itself defensively was only part of the recipe for Jackson Heights’ success on Tuesday, as the Cobras also had some big runs that swung the momentum in their favor. That started in the second quarter. JH opened with a 16-1 run to take a lead it would never relinquish and held a 24-19 advantage at halftime.

Teamwork helped the Cobras put together those strong stretches and Shupe said that stemmed from the players starting to gain an understanding of the bigger picture and how they all fit together.

“The kids played relaxed. They played within themselves. I think they’re beginning to understand their roles a little bit better instead of trying to do too much or do things that maybe aren’t their strengths. They’re doing things that are their strengths and it’s kind of showing in those areas,” Shupe said.

Senior guard Jessica Keehn was one example who stood out, as Shupe noted she is starting to facilitate more while still asserting herself on offense. Keehn led the Cobras with a game-high 22 points on Tuesday, but also set up teammates like Wells, Thomas and Abel (who combined for 18 points).

Jefferson County North got a boost from Annabelle Vaught to start the second half, as Vaught went to work inside and converted at the free throw line, but the Cobras eventually adjusted and got another crucial run at the end of the third quarter.

Marley Wareham hit a big three-pointer and Jessica Keehn followed suit halfway through the quarter as part of a 10-2 run that helped Heights build up a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Jackson Heights continued to look crisp in the fourth, while JCN seemed to be lagging, and the Cobras took advantage and continued to execute their offense. After an early timeout by the Chargers, the Cobras broke their ensuing press with ease and Wells converted to put Heights ahead 41-27.

“When it comes down to that crunch time, you need to execute things right to give yourself an easy shot or a good-looking shot and that was big. That was huge executing those things in crunch time when they’re coming after you,” Shupe said.

The Chargers were forced to foul late and Keehn continued to make key shots at the free throw line for JH to help the team close out the 47-33 victory.

While it was not a perfect game by any means for the Cobras, as Shupe noted the Chargers held a strong rebounding advantage in the game, that didn’t take away from the importance of the win.

This may not be the same JCN team that has appeared in three straight Class 2A state championship games, but it is still a program with a long history of success and beating a team like that allows the Cobras to start to establish themselves in that same mold.

“They’re playing like winners. They’re playing like we’re a team that should win and breaking through a lot of these mental barriers that we’ve had at Heights in the girls program for so long. I hope we can carry that forward,” Shupe said.

Jackson Heights (4-3) will try to keep it up as the team returns home to take on Horton with games starting at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Jan. 13, 2015

JH:  6-18-13-10—47

JCN:   14-5-8-6—33

Individual statistics:

JH:  Keehn 6 (3) 7-10 22, Thomas 3 2-4 8, Wells 2 2-2 6, Wareham 2 (1) 0-0 5, Abel 2 0-2 4, Strube 1 0-0 2. Totals- 16 (4) 11-18 47.

JCN:  Vittitow 4 (2) 2-3 12, Seichepine 5 1-2 11, Vaught 2 4-9 8, Page 1 0-0 2. Totals- 12 (2) 7-16 33.David 1, Goliath 0. That’s easily what the scoreboard could’ve read after the Jackson Heights girls basketball team prevailed 47-33 at Jefferson County North on Tuesday night, shaking a particularly pesky monkey from its back in the process.

“I don’t know the last time Jackson Heights has beat Jeff North on the girls side. It might have been 10, 15 years, so breaking through that hurdle is big mentally,” JH coach Dan Shupe said.

The Cobras, in fact, may still be celebrating after removing such a large weight from their shoulders in the cathartic win. What is equally as important, maybe, is the manner in which Heights collected the win, as the Cobras dominated from the second quarter on and proved to be the deeper team on Tuesday in a bit of role-reversal.

While the Chargers jumped out to a 14-6 lead after one quarter of play, Shupe credited his team for the adjustments it made defensively. JCN broke down Heights’ zone defense and got some points in the paint early, but Cobra forwards Payton Thomas, Jordan Wells and Katelin Strube were dedicated to taking that away the rest of the game.

“All of those girls in the interior did a good job of not letting them get that low post position for the most part,” Shupe said.

Asserting itself defensively was only part of the recipe for Jackson Heights’ success on Tuesday, as the Cobras also had some big runs that swung the momentum in their favor. That started in the second quarter. JH opened with a 16-1 run to take a lead it would never relinquish and held a 24-19 advantage at halftime.

Teamwork helped the Cobras put together those strong stretches and Shupe said that stemmed from the players starting to gain an understanding of the bigger picture and how they all fit together.

“The kids played relaxed. They played within themselves. I think they’re beginning to understand their roles a little bit better instead of trying to do too much or do things that maybe aren’t their strengths. They’re doing things that are their strengths and it’s kind of showing in those areas,” Shupe said.

Senior guard Jessica Keehn was one example who stood out, as Shupe noted she is starting to facilitate more while still asserting herself on offense. Keehn led the Cobras with a game-high 22 points on Tuesday, but also set up teammates like Wells, Thomas and Abel (who combined for 18 points).

Jefferson County North got a boost from Annabelle Vaught to start the second half, as Vaught went to work inside and converted at the free throw line, but the Cobras eventually adjusted and got another crucial run at the end of the third quarter.

Marley Wareham hit a big three-pointer and Jessica Keehn followed suit halfway through the quarter as part of a 10-2 run that helped Heights build up a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Jackson Heights continued to look crisp in the fourth, while JCN seemed to be lagging, and the Cobras took advantage and continued to execute their offense. After an early timeout by the Chargers, the Cobras broke their ensuing press with ease and Wells converted to put Heights ahead 41-27.

“When it comes down to that crunch time, you need to execute things right to give yourself an easy shot or a good-looking shot and that was big. That was huge executing those things in crunch time when they’re coming after you,” Shupe said.

The Chargers were forced to foul late and Keehn continued to make key shots at the free throw line for JH to help the team close out the 47-33 victory.

While it was not a perfect game by any means for the Cobras, as Shupe noted the Chargers held a strong rebounding advantage in the game, that didn’t take away from the importance of the win.

This may not be the same JCN team that has appeared in three straight Class 2A state championship games, but it is still a program with a long history of success and beating a team like that allows the Cobras to start to establish themselves in that same mold.

“They’re playing like winners. They’re playing like we’re a team that should win and breaking through a lot of these mental barriers that we’ve had at Heights in the girls program for so long. I hope we can carry that forward,” Shupe said.

Jackson Heights (4-3) will try to keep it up as the team returns home to take on Horton with games starting at 5 p.m. on Friday.

Jan. 13, 2015

JH:  6-18-13-10—47

JCN:   14-5-8-6—33

Individual statistics:

JH:  Keehn 6 (3) 7-10 22, Thomas 3 2-4 8, Wells 2 2-2 6, Wareham 2 (1) 0-0 5, Abel 2 0-2 4, Strube 1 0-0 2. Totals- 16 (4) 11-18 47.

JCN:  Vittitow 4 (2) 2-3 12, Seichepine 5 1-2 11, Vaught 2 4-9 8, Page 1 0-0 2. Totals- 12 (2) 7-16 33.

The Holton Recorder

109 W. Fourth St.
Holton, KS 66436
Phone: 785-364-3141
 

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