Rockets roll past Carmichaels, 59-40
JEFFERSON — The Jefferson-Morgan boys basketball team scored double digits in each quarter and had six players reach the scoresheet, as the Rockets opened the 2014-15 campaign with a 59-40 triumph over non-section rival Carmichaels Friday night.
With the win, J-M snaps a four-game losing skid to its county rival and picks up just its third victory over Carmichaels in the last 13 meetings.
“We played as a team tonight and that’s something that we have struggled with in the past,” Rockets coach Dennis Garrett said. “We were aggressive with the ball and we were able to spread the ball around. I think we turned the ball over too much. We had like 15 first half turnovers, and that can’t fly. We have to clean that up.”
Rece Henneman paced the Rockets (1-0) with 26 points, including 16 in the opening half.
Dylan Davis added 13 points for J-M, while Austin Clark and Christian Randolph chipped in with six points apiece.
“I told Dylan he should be 10 (points) and 10 (rebounds) every game,” Garrett said. “He is a big-body kid and if he continues to box out, he is going to get a lot of garbage buckets for us. He plays like he is 6-3 and is pretty deadly from inside the paint.”
For the Mikes (0-1), Liam Shea tallied a team-high 16 points, followed by Nick Mundell (11) and Jacob Kinsell (eight).
“We are young and a little inexperienced, and I think everyone knows that,” Mikes coach Don Williams said. “I really like the fact that we didn’t quit and we didn’t stop hustling throughout the game. We had a lot of positives and some good spurts tonight.”
The Rockets started the contest with an 8-4 run courtesy of three baskets from Henneman and a putback hoop by Randolph.
The visitors battled back to an 8-8 deadlock after consecutive baskets from Shea, but Henneman responded with a 3-pointer and two free throws to give J-M a 13-8 lead at the end of one.
In the second quarter, the squads exchanged baskets and Carmichaels took its first lead of the game, 18-16, after a mid-range jumper by Kinsell.
The Rockets countered and ended the second stanza on a 13-3 run to push their lead to 29-21 at halftime.
J-M began the third period with eight straight points and carried a 41-28 lead into the final eight minutes of regulation.
The Mikes went on a 10-6 rally to the cut the deficit to 47-38 with 5:26 left, but the Rockets once again answered the call by scoring 12 of the next 14 points in the game.
“I think we had an extra energy tonight because it was the first game,” Garrett said. “I know it’s always an intense rivalry with Carmichaels, but we can’t afford to overlook anybody or be flat against anybody. We have to bring that same energy every game.”
One of the big keys in the game is the Rockets’ five senior starters against the Mikes’ younger line-up.
“That experience is invaluable,” Williams said. “We had it last year with five senior starters and they have it this season. For some of these kids this is their first varsity game. We are just feeling things out now and I liked how we looked as a team.”
Both teams will continue their non-section schedule this week, as J-M hosts Beth-Center on Monday and Carmichaels travels to California on Tuesday.
Non-section
Carmichaels 8-13-7-12 — 40
Jefferson-Morgan 13-16-12-18 — 59
Carmichaels: Liam Shea 16, Nick Mundell 11. Jefferson-Morgan: Rece Henneman 26, Dylan Davis 13. Records: Carmichaels (0-1), Jefferson-Morgan (1-0).