For the second time in two seasons, the Thomas Jefferson boys basketball team has earned the title of district champions.
Thomas Jefferson built a slim lead just before halftime and used a staunch defensive effort in the third quarter to push the margin to double digits. Golden City made a run at the lead down the stretch, but the Cavaliers held the Eagles off by converting at the free-throw line to preserve the 49-38 win for their second consecutive district title.
“It feels great,” Thomas Jefferson coach Chris Myers said with a smile after his team’s win. “The biggest thing is the kids’ ability to execute a game plan, and they executed it to perfection. To hold Golden City under wraps like they did for most of the game, and we knew they were going to have a run in them, but we really held them in check all night and we are really proud of the kids for their defensive effort tonight.”
The Cavaliers, who played in their fourth straight district title game on Saturday, advance to take on District 6 champion Rich Hill at 7:45 p.m. on Tuesday in the Class 1 sectional round at Webb City High School.
“I want to see exactly what we have been doing to get us to this point,” Coach Myers said. “We want to play team basketball. We want to play good, solid team defense and we will let the rest take care of itself.”
GAME ACTION
Thomas Jefferson came up with the first real momentum swing in the game and it came at the end of the first half. With Golden City leading 17-15 with 2:34 on the clock, Thomas Jefferson closed the second period on an 8-0 run with field goals coming from Jay Ball, Levi Triplett and Caden Myers, with Myers’ bucket coming just before the horn to send the Cavs into the locker room with a 23-17 advantage.
Out of the break, Thomas Jefferson put the clamps down defensively and limited Golden City to just three points in the third quarter. The Cavaliers opened with a 10-1 run, with Caden Myers accounting for five points and Tyler Brouhard with three.
“Anytime you can create any type of separation against a team like Golden City, you are going to be pleased,” Coach Myers said. “We preach defense and we keep preaching it. That is two games in a row we have held two really good teams in check enough to get it done.
“I am a defensive guy. I always have been my entire life, even dating back to my football days. You will hear me say it a zillion times, defense wins championships.”
Josh Reeves had the only make from the field for the Eagles in the third period, which came on the drive with 1:24 to play, cutting TJ’s lead to 13.
Brouhard added a bucket on the drive just before the horn to push the TJ lead to 35-20 to open the fourth quarter.
Golden City captured its first spurt of momentum in the second half when Elijah Pettengill opened the final eight minutes of play with back to back 3-pointers to cut the deficit to single digits, 35-26. The Eagles cut the lead all the way down to four, 40-36, after two free throws from Max Parrill with four minutes left, but that would be as close to the lead that Golden City would get.
Thomas Jefferson—which went to the free-throw line 20 times in the fourth quarter (14-of-20), accounting for all of their points in the final period—was 9-of-14 from the stripe in the final four minutes to ice the win.
“When you have a 15-point lead going into the fourth quarter, it changes your mindset a little bit,” Coach Myers said. “They made a great run at us, and even though we would have liked to make a few more of those free throws, the kids stepped up and hit big ones down the stretch to finish it off.
SCORING LEADERS
Ball had 14 points to lead Thomas Jefferson, while Caden Myers and Brouhard each finished with 12 in the win.
Reeves had a game-high 20 points to lead Golden City, while Pettengill finished with 13 points in the loss.
