In a nail-biter that could well have been a preview of the postseason, Jefferson High’s girls basketball squad took a thrilling 69-68 win over Sweet Grass County, their top conference rival. In their second victory of the week, the girls preserved an undefeated start to the 2021-22 season and strengthened Jefferson’s ranking as one of the top teams in Class B.
The Panther boys, meanwhile, won convincingly against both Sweet Grass and Twin Bridges, moving them into third place in the conference.
Girls
The Sweet Grass game, on Jan. 8, was taut from start to finish. The Herders, who won the state championship last year and have returned all but one starter, showed why they remain in the top ranks of Class B. They were up 15-10 after one period and built a 9-point lead in the second before the Panthers cut the margin to 31-26 at the half. MacKenzie Layng led the way with 7 points.
The Herders built their lead to 10 in the third before Jefferson got back into its flow. Brynna Wolfe hit a 3-pointer and followed with a pair of 2-pointers to make it 40-37, and Rachel Van Blaricom finished the quarter with a pair of free throws and a 2-pointer—and you could feel the energy was coming back. The score: 47-43, Herders.
As the final quarter started, it certainly got loud on both sides of the court. Cia Stuber swished a 3-pointer, and a pair of 3-pointers by Wolfe and free throws by Van Blaricom gave the Panthers a 59-55 lead. Baskets by Stuber, Van Blaricom and Layng made it 65-61 with 1:48 left, but this wasn’t over yet. The Herders converted an old-fashioned 3-pointer to make it a one-point game, Wolfe sank two free throws, the Herders scored again, and Van Blaricom came back with free throws for a 69-66 lead.
With seconds remaining, Sweet Grass went to the free throw line, hit the first and missed the second—but the Panthers were called for another foul. Once again, the Herders made the first and missed the second, finally sealing the Panthers’ 69-68 conference win. Van Blaricom led the Panthers with 26 points, while Wolfe added 17, and Layng and Stuber had 9 each.
Two nights earlier, the Panthers had faced a scrappy bunch from Twin Bridges. The Falcons pressed early and took a 5-4 lead before Dakota Edmisten scored and Stuber and Wolfe each hit 3-pointers to give Jefferson a 12-5 lead at the end of one quarter. The Panthers built their lead to 18-5 in the first two minutes of the second quarter, and Stuber’s back-to-back 3-pointers helped power the team to a 29-11 halftime lead.
Layng hit a 3-pointer early in the third, Austie May scored 3 points, Van Blaricom added 9 and it was 43-15. The subs took over and did a great job, with Jessie Harris swishing a pair of 3-pointers as the Panthers took the non-conference win, 55-30. Stuber led the scoring with 11 points, while Van Blaricom and Wolfe added 9 each and May 7.
Boys
Facing Twin Bridges, the Panthers wasted no time in setting the pace. Luke Eckmann started the game with a 3-pointer and followed with a 2-pointer. Tom Meyer hit a 3-pointer to make it 11-2, Tyler Harrington followed with a 3-pointer and Wade Rykal finished off the first with a 2-pointer as the Panthers established a 20-6 gap.
Rykal started the second with a pair of baskets, Harrington hit a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer, and Trent McMaster finished off the first half with a pair of baskets for a 33-17 lead. With Harrington on fire from 3-point land, Jefferson took a 60-27 lead and the subs took over. Mike Emter put in 6 points, and Hyrum Parke added 5 to fuel a 71-44 win. Harrington led the way with 20 points, while McMaster had 15, and Eckmann and Rykal had 7 each.
At Sweet Grass County, both teams struggled in the first half to get shots to drop. The score was knotted at 6-6 after one quarter, and it stayed close in the second: A 3-pointer by Zach Zody gave the Panthers a 17-16 lead, but a Herder free throw tied the score at 17 at the half.
In the third, McMaster’s two breakaways gave Jefferson a 23-19 lead, and a basket by Jake Genger followed by Rykal’s bucket made it 28-19. Genger and Meyer added baskets, and Harrington stole and drove the length of the floor to make it 34-19 after three. The Herders got to within 40-30 in the fourth, but the Panthers closed out the 44-30 win. Rykal led the balanced scoring with 11 points and Genger added 10.
