Cape rides its defense to yet another W over rival Jackson

Cape Central junior guard Maurice Boyd defends against Jackson junior Kaed Winborne on Friday at Cape Central.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

How stout was the Cape Central defense in its boy’s basketball game on Friday with rival Jackson at Cape Central?

The Tigers missed 13 of their 22 free throw attempts, including 9 of 13 in the final quarter, yet won 45-38 after making just 12 baskets in the entire 32 minutes.

“We guarded hard,” veteran Cape Central coach Drew Church said. “Jackson is a physical team. It was just kind of a slugfest. It was kind of a war and an ugly game, but we kind of like ugly games.”

The Tigers (11-3) beat the Indians (9-8) for the 13th time in the past 14 games in the series and got revenge for a 44-36 loss to Jackson in the recent Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament.

Jackson, which also made just 12 shots, outscored Cape Central with the exception of a critical second quarter, in which the Tigers got three 3-pointers from senior forward Jonathan Brandtner and stretched their advantage from 11-7 to 29-17 going into halftime.

“We competed hard,” veteran Jackson coach Darrin Scott said. “We just dug a hole. When you are in that situation, you need some shots to fall to get right back in.”

That has been a difficult task for all of Cape Central’s opponents this season.

The Tigers are allowing just 41 points per game, which is the best defensive average by a Cape Central squad in at least 13 seasons.

Jackson is averaging over 58 points per game but has averaged just 41 in three games against the Tigers this season.

“When you are clawing to get back into the game,” Scott said, “any shot you miss feels like a huge one. You have to score a bunch to get back in it, and that didn’t happen.”

Cape Central only scored eight points in the third quarter, but its defense was so solid that it held Jackson to just nine points.

The Indians did score 12 points in the final period, including five from sophomore guard Blayne Harris, but in the final minutes, as Cape was continually missing free throws, Jackson couldn’t capitalize by getting makes at the other end.

“We fought to give ourselves a chance in the fourth quarter,” Scott said. “We can be proud of that. But we have to find a way to fix that second quarter and our defensive lapses.”

Only one Jackson player reached double figures, as Harris scored 12 points.

Senior guard Quinn Scott hit three 3-pointers to finish with nine points, while typical Indian standouts, senior forward Nick Wasilewski and junior center Clayton Ernst, totaled just seven points combined.

“We missed a few too many easy lay-ups,” Church said, “just because I feel like it was so physical. But you know, you can always rely on your defense.”

Junior forward Cameron Williams played with energy from the outset and eight of his game-high 14 points in the opening period to lead Cape Central.

“He has to realize, and he is starting to,” Church said of Williams, “that everybody is going to be focused on him. If he drives, there are going to be three guys there. We are really starting to work with him on passing and cutting, and getting your stuff on other things because he gets so much attention.”

Senior center Cameron Harris, sophomore forward Maxwell Vogel, and senior forward Jonathan Brandtner each scored nine points in the win.

“Offensively,” Church continued, “I wouldn’t rank us as an A tonight. But our goal was just to fight.”

The Tigers will visit North County (4-4) on Monday at 7:30 p.m.

The Indians will travel to Notre Dame (5-8) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.