Rockets upend C-H to earn share of section title
HOUSTON – Just when it looked like Jefferson-Morgan’s dream of a section championship for the first time in over a quarter century was slipping away, Jaymison Robinson came up huge.
After Chartiers-Houston’s Noah Doyle nailed a pair of free throws that made a game that was once a 12-point advantage for the Rockets into a tie game, Robinson quickly went up the floor.
He received an outlet pass with 10 seconds remaining and put in a layup off the glass, which proved to be the winning basket and Jefferson-Morgan defeated Chartiers-Houston 38-36 Friday night.
It clinched a share of the Class 2A Section 3 title, the first for the Rockets since 2000. They improved to 20-1 overall and 13-1 in the section.
“They left me open and typically I don’t take those shots, but you know I was wide open,” Robinson said. “I hit a little pump fake and went right up and it was a simple layup.
“It feels good to put a notch up on that (section championship) banner. I lost my voice. I can’t even talk, really. Words can’t describe how good this feels.
Chartiers-Houston, who won the first meeting 50-45 on Jan. 13, had to settle for a share of the section. It’s the second section title in a row for the Bucs (13-1, 18-4)
Robinson’s basket was the only field goal for the Rockets in the fourth quarter. Jefferson-Morgan led by 12 entering the fourth, but Chartiers-Houston put forth a furious rally.
Brody McCrerey had a steal and score that capped an 8-0 run and cut the lead to two.
Doyle’s free throws that tied the game were the only time the Bucs didn’t trail in the second half and it lasted for all of five seconds.
Chartiers-Houston has only one senior (Aaron Walsh), but still managed to repeat as section champs regardless of Friday’s result.
“(Jeferson-Morgan) played a good game,” Bucs coach Rich Tranquill said. “It was a low-scoring game, but to be honest I’m proud of the group of men in our locker room. I’m proud of what they’ve done all year and proud of what they did all night.”
Jefferson-Morgan led 22-17 at halftime and used an 11-4 advantage in the third quarter to build a 33-21 lead.
Jeremiah Robertson had eight points in the quarter and Brayden Ellsworth canned a three-pointer that made it 29-18 and forced a Chartiers-Houston timeout.
The Bucs did not get a field goal in the third until Brody McCrerey made a runner with 50 seconds remaining, but Robertson had a putback at the buzzer to negate it.
“We started to mix things up a little bit defensively,” Rockets coach Brandon Lawless said. “In the first meeting we played all man and looking back on things, I thought adding in a little bit of (1-3-1) zone would help. We probably ran more zone tonight than we did man and I felt like we had a lot of success with it.”
Both teams used pressure on defense from the opening tip.
Whether it was a press after a made basket or trapping in the halfcourt, both teams kind of mirrored each other when playing defense.
It was Jefferson-Morgan that found enough offense to take a 13-8 lead after the first quarter.
Back-to-back baskets from Jeremiah Robertson and Jaymison Robinson and a three by Triton Farabee that capped a 7-0 run and gave the Rockets a 13-5 lead.
Chartiers-Houston’s Bryson Boskovich was fouled on a three-point attempt and made a three foul shots to cut the lead to five.
Three’s from Boskovich and McCrerey gave Chartiers-Houston a 14-13 early in the second. The Bucs held the lead for most of the half, while Jefferson-Morgan went on an extended dry spell.
But Marion got going in the final couple of minutes to spark the Rockets. He made a tough runner while being fouled and converted the free throw to give Jefferson-Morgan an 18-17 lead.
Jeremiah Robertson added a bucket and made two free throws and Jefferson-Morgan went into halftime with a 22-17 lead.
Marion blocked a shot attempt by Ethan Farnham just before the halftime buzzer sounded.