By RYAN WALKER
JAY COUNTY — Southern Wells never went away, but did not come away with a victory over the ACAC’s second-best team Jay County 53-39 Thursday night.
In fact, the Raiders (5-11, 1-5 ACAC) nine straight points to open the fourth quarter saw them down by four points. Chandler Oswalt and Landon Johnson swished both three-point attempts and Perrin Gates got an old-fashioned one in between them. That got the attention of the Patriots (7-9, 4-2 ACAC) enough to wake up and put the game to bed later.
Jay County tightened up its defense, as it had virtually all game, and allowed only eight points the rest of the 6:30 remaining in the contest. In the meantime, it poured 16 points to close things out.
What might have been the killer for the Raiders came in the third quarter. Oswalt, their leading scorer averaging 12.3 points per game and doubles second-place in attempts, picked up his fourth foul not even three minutes into the second half.
That had the senior scorer sitting from the sidelines for the rest of the third quarter and watch his team go without a point for six minutes. Evan Pennington ended the drought in a 2-4 showing at the charity stripe, and Gates’ two free throws and bucket underneath managed a 15-point deficit heading into the final period.
“What he brings whether he scores or not, is that defenses shade to him,” Southern Wells head coach Joel Roush said after the game. “When that happens, people aren’t under as much pressure. They’re more open, and when that doesn’t happen, it’s tough.”
Gates was just about the only saving grace for the Raiders at the time, helping his team with many offensive rebounds and recording a 12-point double-double.
Outside of that third quarter, Roush was pleased with his team’s effort on the road.
The Raiders knocked back just about every time the Patriots scored. Oswalt cashed in on triples in each quarter while Gates went to work in the post.
The rest of the team, and even Oswalt and Gates at times, was dry from the floor. As a team, they shot 5-18 in the opening half with Andrew Aker making the only other shot outside of his two teammates.
Jay County’s defense runs a 1-2-2, 3-2 zone style that suffocates teams and forces them to size them up and drain the clock. Their player’s quickness and mix of size and length made it difficult to try and score.
Wesley Bihn, who had a team-high 11 points, is a 6’7” center, while Gradin Swoveland stands at the same hight as a guard. Trevin Dunnington and Ben Crouch are 6’4” and had significant playing minutes. Southern Wells’ tallest players that checked into the game were Gates and CJ Reber at 6’1”.
Add that to the 19 turnovers compared to 13 by the Patriots, and it was a rough night.
“They’re just so long,” Roush said. “I’m certain that whatever defense they play, they’d be problematic because that length and that size and the foot quickness, they’re just good.”
Oswalt led the field with a game-high 13 points.
Jay County also won the junior varsity game 40-10 in two quarters. Johnson led the way with six points and scored the same amount in the varsity game.
Southern Wells’ next game will be at home against Southwood. Junior varsity starts at 6 p.m. and will be playing two quarters only for the rest of the season. Varsity will start 20 minutes following that game approximately at 6:45 p.m.
ryan@news-banner.com
JAY COUNTY 53,
SOUTHERN WELLS 39
At Jay County
SOUTHERN WELLS (5-11, 1-5 ACAC): Chandler Oswalt 4-10 1-2 13, Perrin Gates 4-5 4-5 12, Landon Johnson 2-5 0-0 6, Andrew Aker 1-4 0-0 2, CJ Reber 0-2 2-2 2, Evan Pennington 0-4 2-5 2, Caleb Johnson 0-1 0-0 0. TOTALS: 11-31 9-15 39.
JAY COUNTY (7-9, 4-2 ACAC): Wes Bihn 5-9 1-1 11, Gradin Swoveland 4-7 1-5 9, Trevin Dunnington 4-11 1-2 9, Jayden Comer 2-3 3-4 8, Liam Garringer 2-8 1-2 7, Parker Nichols 1-5 3-3 5, Aiden Phillips 2-3 0-0 4, Levi Muhlenkamp 0-2 1-2 1, Ben Crouch 0-1 0-0 0, Jackson Edwards 0-0 0-0 0, Cole Forthofer 0-0 0-0 0.TOTALS: 20-49 11-19 53.
S. Wells 7 7 8 17 –– 39
Jay County 12 8 17 16 –– 53
Three-point FG: Southern Wells 6-14 (Oswalt 4-9, L. Johnson 2-4, Reber 0-1), Jay County 3-14 (Garringer 2-3, Comer 1-2, Dunnington 0-3, Bihn 0-1, Swoveland 0-1, Nichols 0-2, Muhlenkamp 0-2). Rebounds: Southern Wells 21 (Gates 10, Pennington 4, Aker 3, Oswalt 2, Reber 1, L. Johnson 1), Jay County 21 (Phillips 7, Bihn 5, Dunnington 2, Garringer 2, Muhlenkamp 1, Comer 1, Crouch 1, Nichols 1). Turnovers: Southern Wells 19, Jay County 13. Fouls: Southern Wells 18, Jay County 16. Fouled Out: None. Technicals: None.
JV: 40-10 Jay County (2 quarters).
