The Liberty Blue Jays battled Blue Valley West this morning at Avila University as part of the Hy-Vee Shootout presented by Metro Sports. The final score was 58-51 Jays. The victory moves the Jays to 6-1 on the season and an 7-4 overall record in the Shootout, which is best in the Metro.
After trading baskets in the first quarter, Liberty extended their lead to 6 points by halftime. Christian Brinser's 2 three pointers in the second quarter gave the offense a lift. Solid rebounding by Denton Koon and Austin Weese provided the Jays with an edge on the glass. Luke Lee gave his team valuable minutes off the bench with excellent defense and timely baskets.
The Blue Jays extended their lead to 10 in the 3rd quarter but the Jaguars didn't go away. A few missed layups and costly turnovers allowed BV West back in the game. The Jays led by 1 going into the last quarter.
With the game in the balance, Marshon Norfleet scored 6 big points and the Jays went 8-9 from the foul line during crunch time. Denton Koon, 21 points/12 rebounds in the game, went 5-5 from the charity stripe. Brinser added 10 points, while Norfleet and Weese chipped in 8 apiece.
"We were very pleased with how we performed during the most important part of the game, crunch time. With the score tied, our players made great reads in the motion offense and delivered the ball to a teammate for an easy basket. Brinser and Lee made some intelligent plays. Defensively we got stops and rebounds that extended our lead," stated Coach Stirtz.
The Jays will hit the practice floor a couple of times before Christmas break and then 2 more after break before they face Fort Osage in the Holiday tournament at 9pm.
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