BJ girls stay perfect, Bob Jones boys, Buckhorn play it close
Bob Jones' Lindsey Jennings was 10 of 10 in free throws against Buckhorn
Bob Jones picked a bad time to go cold from the field Tuesday night in the boy’s game. In the first Class 6A, Area 15 game of the season, the Patriots let a 10 point halftime lead slip away. Then they had to scramble to put the game in overtime only to lose 62-58 to Buckhorn.
Bob Jones was led by Jamarcus Jones with 20, and Ralph Templeton with 13 points.
Jones and Tanner Finley hit consecutive 3-point shots late in the first half to give Bob Jones a 29-19 lead at halftime.
Buckhorn cut into the lead as Chaz Helton had the hot hand with eight points in the third quarter. With Bob Jones clinging to a 32-31 lead, Dalton Barkley hit a 3-point shot. Bob Jones had a 35-33 lead after three quarters.
Buckhorn took the lead as the Bucks scored eight straight points to take a 48-45 lead powered by Justin Ward’s four point play. Ward would score 12 points in the pivotal fourth quarter. Trailing 52-46, Ralph Templeton scored five straight points to make it 52-51 and Ryan Flanigan hit a free throw to tie the game at 52 at the end of regulation.
The Patriots tied the game at 58 in overtime but Templeton fouled out and Buckhorn hit four free throws to ice the win. Justin Ward had 17 and Isaiah Edwards had 15 including two free throws with six seconds left.
Bob Jones falls to 3-4 and Buckhorn goes to 6-3.
In girl’s action, Bob Jones ran their perfect record to 9-0 with a 51-41 win over a Buckhorn team that came in ranked eighth in the state with an 8-1 record.
Former Bob Jones coach and current Alabama women’s assistant coach Tim Miller was in attendance watching some of his former players.
Buckhorn led 11-8 after the first quarter but Chandler Elder hit 3 three point shots and Lindsey Jennings scored seven points to put the Lady Patriots up 20-18 at halftime.
Trailing by two points late in the third quarter, Anna Robertson hit a 3 point shot and Elder had a steal and score to put Bob Jones up 37-34. From there, Lindsey Jennings took over.
Jennings hit four free throws down the stretch to seal the win. For the game she hit 10 of 10 free throws, all in the second half. She finished with 17 points.
Elder had her career best 16 point and hit four 3-point baskets.
“The first time I took a shot it went in and everything just felt right off my hand so I took my open shots,” Elder said. “If I’m hot then I try to take advantage of it. If someone else is hitting then I will try to get it to them.”
Elder is a junior who has played on the varsity for two years. She was a key reserve on last year’s team that made it to the state 6A championship game.
Without a dominant center, Bob Jones depends on everyone to rebound.
“Lindsey and I both go in and rebound,” Elder said. “She is a great teammate. She is really supportive and she helps me out and tells me what I’m doing wrong. She is a good leader on the floor,” Elder said.
“For her size, she gets a lot of rebounds,” Coach Danny Petty said of Elder. “She is very aggressive and it’s a big plus for us when she can rebound.”
“Free throws is what won it for us at the end,” Petty said. “Lindsey, we like for her to have the ball. She can go around anybody. We have other people hitting so she can kick out or go to the rim. Her hitting free throws is a big plus for us.”
Bob Jones, ranked #4 in 6A, will now face their biggest test of the season Friday night at #1 ranked Sparkman.
“It’s a big challenge but we’re looking forward to it to see where we are and what we need to do. It’s a rivalry game and should be a good crowd,” Petty said.
The teams did not meet last year but are now both in Area 15 so they will meet twice in the regular season.
