Pictures from the WJC Tourney

These are two of the great pictures taken by Jeff Billings, Marty Williams, and Jack Smith of KCSC Sports. Above, Liberty's Brandon Chapman gets fouled in the act of shooting, makes the shot and the free-throw to complete a huge old fashioned three-point play.

You can view these and other outstanding pictures at http://www.kcscsports.net/

Jays Go Down in Defeat to Bulldogs

The Jays struggled in the championship game against Grandview in the William Jewell College tournament losing 54-38. The BlueJays had a disappointing display of offense shooting only 32% from the field and making only 1 of 15 three point attempts. Leading scorers for the Jays were Isaiah Norfleet with 13 points and Jordan Lewis with 11.

Denton Koon and Lewis earned All-Tournament Team honors. Norfleet, who led the Jays in scoring two out of the three games, also played well.

Up next is a three game week beginning with road games to Blue Springs and Lee's Summit North on Tuesday and Friday. On Wednesday Liberty hosts Park Hill South.

Jays Advance to Title Game

The Liberty BlueJays advanced to the championship game of the WJC Tourney with a 59-57 win over Park Hill. Leading scorers were Denton Koon with 17 points and Jordan Lewis with 15. Koon also grabbed 11 rebounds. Austin Weese and Ben Hansen combined for 17 timely points. But it was Junior Brandon Chapman's old fashion three point play that put the Jays up late in the game. Then the Trojans made a remarkable 3 pointer to tie the game with 17 seconds left. With 6 seconds left Chapman found an open Hansen who was fouled and he made both free throws to give the Jays the edge.
In the championship game, the Jays will face Grandview at 9pm on Thursday, Dec. 30th. Go Jays.

BlueJays Sink Vikings

The Liberty BlueJays battled Shawnee Mission West in the 10:30am game of the Hy-Vee Shootout at Avila University. Liberty won 68-47. The Jays led from the beginning going up 7-0 and then 16-6 by the end of the first quarter. Jordan Lewis' opening three pointers helped get the Jays rolling on the offensive end but it an intense defense that was the main difference in the game. The BlueJays went on to lead by 14 at halftime thanks to Denton Koon's 10 first half points. The third quarter belonged to Isaiah Norfleet as he scored 9 points in the quarter. Koon finished with 20 points, Norfleet with 13, Lewis with 11. Austin Weese and Kyle Rutliff each added 8 points.

"The staff was pleased with our defensive execution this morning," mentioned Coach Phil Simpson. "Our players have had the opportunity to focus on defense for the 97% of the last three practices and our performance showed the positive attitude, maturity, and leadership skills they possess."

In a surprise ceremony immediately after the game, Denton Koon was awarded the Hy-Vee Scholar/Athlete scholarship for his excellence in the classroom and on the court. Congrats and well deserved!

Up next for the Jays: Blue Spring South at Cokely on Tuesday, Dec.21st.

Blue Jay Basketball News

Updates from the Liberty Basketball Program

• The Jays will face St. Pius in the first round of the William Jewell Tournament. Game time is set for 7:30pm on Monday, Dec. 27th.


• The Freshman team defeated Platte County 61-7 last night.


• The Freshman host Liberty North at LHS Friday night at 7pm.

• For the past 17 years BlueJay basketball players have donated a Saturday morning to give back to their community as helpers in the Mayor's Christmas Tree Food Drive. Players assisted in moving and delivering close to 500 boxes of food. Pictured above is Sam G. loading a box.

• Up next for the Varsity Jays is the Hy-Vee Shootout at Avila University. Liberty plays SM West at 10:30am.

Freshmen Jays Win Championship

The LJHS Freshmen won the championship game of the Park Hill tournament Friday night by defeating Park Hill South 45-44. The Jays started out a little slow and by got down 9-12 at the end of the first quarter but they responded well in the 2nd quarter. Brady Newland hit a baseline jumper and 2 3's in about a 90 second span and we were up 27-20 at half. Liberty led by about 5 for the rest of the game until the last 3 minutes. The Jays got down by 1 with about 90 seconds left and were forced to trap on defense for the first time all game. It resulted in a turnover for PHS with 50 seconds left. A play designed with multiple options was called and Reece Frizzell got the ball inside and scored to put them up 1 with 15 seconds left. The BlueJays ran the same defense again and tipped the pass on the double team. They ran the ball down and PHS had to foul with 3 seconds left, clinching the game.
"We put forth a solid effort, and I really think we will grow from this experience", mentioned Coach Rouse. "I was very impressed with the effort we put forth. It was a great test for us".

Jays 'Find a Way'

The opening of conference play could not have been more exciting as the Jays hosted the Lee's Summit North Broncos at Cokely Fieldhouse. With LSN scoring the first 8 points of the game it looked like the Jays could be in for a long night. However, they bounced back strong and actually had a 3 point lead after the 1st quarter thanks in part to Jordan Lewis' 9 points. It was back and forth during the 2nd but LHS held on to a 1 point lead at halftime. Isaiah Norfleet hit a layup at the buzzer giving the Jays the slight edge. During the 2nd half the consistent BlueJays played better on both ends of the floor pushing their lead to 9 points. But the Broncos wouldn't go away for long. They stepped up the defensive pressure and forced the Jays to take some quick shots. This helped them regain the lead in the 4th quarter. However, Denton Koon saved his best basketball for the end and along with Brandon Chapman taking a big charge late in the game, the BlueJays prevailed 66-63. Lewis led the team in scoring with 26, followed by Koon with 16, and Norfleet with 12. "I'm satisfied with the win tonight primarily because we showed some heart and effort this evening. This is not the easiest way to begin a season with 3 games at Kickapoo and one day of practice before an extremely tough conference opponent but I need to acknowledge the determination of our players and credit them for a nice performance," remarked Coach Stirtz. Next up for the Jays is Lee's Summit on Tuesday, Dec. 14th.

Kickapoo Classic

The Liberty BlueJays had a good opening weekend of the 2010 basketball season by winning two out of three games at the Springfield Kickapoo Classic.
The Jays began play with a matchup against Springdale Har-ber. The Wildcats had already played 3 games so they had the first game 'jitters' out of the way. But that didn't phase the Jays as they raced to a 44-27 lead at halftime. They extended to 27 points during the second half and finished with a 82-59 final. Denton Koon and Jordan Lewis each had 18 points and Isaiah Norfleet had 12. Each member of the team scored in the game.
Friday night's game against Fayetteville, Ark. was a big test. With the largest lead of the game being 5 points, it was a back and forth battle. Down 1 with 10 seconds to play, the Jays had their chance but ended up losing 57-59. Again, the top 3 scorers were Koon, 20 pts; Lewis, 16 pts; and Norfleet, 13 pts.
Next the BlueJays faced St. Louis Imagine College Prep in a Saturday afternoon finale. They rebounded from a bitter defeat the night before by dominating the first quarter 23-13. However, the Bears bounced back and cut the lead to 2 by halftime. But the opening play in the 3rd quarter, a dunk by Koon, spurred on the Jays and they continued to execute well in the 2nd half and win 69-52. A huge performance by Kyle Rutliff, 16 points, and Lewis, 23 points helped the cause.
Lewis was selected for the All-Tournament Team for his outstanding play.
The Jays have no time to rest as they open up conference play at Cokely Fieldhouse on Tuesday night against one of the best teams in the Metro, Lee's Summit North. Tip-off is scheduled for 7pm.