Bob Jones girls basketball team holds off Jets 51-44

Rachel Murray (23) drives down the court against James Clemens Jan. 16. (Record Photo/Nick Sellers)

By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer

MADISON – After losing the first round of the showdown between the two Madison high schools 39-29 in December, the James Clemens girls basketball team came out fighting early against the Patriots.

The Jets led 9-4 at the end of the first period, limiting the Patriots inside and forcing them to use their perimeter shooters, who weren’t effective early.

Shots started falling for Bob Jones in the second period, as a three-pointer by Amy Maynard with 2:19 to go before halftime gave Bob Jones its first lead at 17-16. Maynard hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Patriots a 23-16 lead at halftime.

“Shots were hardly falling for us early, and they had to keep it together mentally to just keep pushing, regardless of whether the shots were falling,” Bob Jones head coach Andre Reynolds said.

Tyler Fredericks scored all four points for Bob Jones in the first period and kept pouring it on the entire game, finishing with 22 points, which led all players on the court. She also finished with seven rebounds, tying Emily Thomason and Ari Alexander for the team lead.

“[Fredericks] can be pretty good for us,” Reynolds said. “She was knocking them down this game.”

Bob Jones continued to widen its lead in the third period, leading 37-21 with 2:45 to go in that period before James Clemens made it close again. The Jets were down 39-27 going into the fourth period and got a three-pointer from Hannah Parks with 2:04 to go to come within seven of the Patriots at 48-41. Parks led James Clemens with 17 points, while Kailey Beckett finished with 10.

The Jets eventually got within six but that was the closest it would be in the second half, with the Patriots winning 51-44 on their home court.