DIAMOND, Mo. — Thomas Jefferson suffered its first loss of the season after taking an early first-quarter lead before Diamond rallied in the middle quarters on the way to a 47-44 win on Monday.
The Cavaliers (5-1) started the game with a 15-7 lead after the first quarter. The Wildcats cut the lead to two, 24-22, by halftime before outscoring Thomas Jefferson 14-11 in the third quarter. Both teams played even over the final eight minutes, with Diamond holding on for the win.
“We got off to a great start early in the ball game and really did a great job of getting established,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said to SoMo Sports. “Credit to Diamond and Coach Adams for making an adjustment, and making it tough for us to get the ball to the basket. We kind of lost our composure late in the game and that’s something we hadn’t done over the past couple of games. From here, it’s just back to work, learning from our mistakes and looking to grow as individuals and as a team.”
Diamond was led by Hunter Shallenburger, who finished with 18 points. Tyler Daniels added 12 and Eli Cupp finished with nine.
Jay Ball, who scored 10 points in the first quarter, finished with a game-high 23 points and seven rebounds to lead Thomas Jefferson. Tyler Brouhard had nine points and three blocks, while Caden Myers had five points and four steals.
Thomas Jefferson hosts Everton on Tuesday.
