Thursday evening was the first home game of the 2016-17 season for the NCOE Junior High Basketball team when they welcomed the Grayville Junior Bison to town for a non-conference battle.
The contest started out a little slow as both teams struggled offensively, but as time went on, the action progressively picked up offensively as well as defensively for the Junior Cardinals. NCOE was able to claim the fourteen point lead at the end of the first quarter (18-4) and added to that in the second quarter to take a commanding 33-6 halftime lead. Following the break, the Jr. Cards picked up where they left off and went on to defeat the Jr. Bison by the final score of 52-19.
Leading scorer for NCOE (2-0) was Jack Riggs with 13. Others scoring were Ty Money with 11, Joe Melton six, Jacob Richerson five, CJ Richardson five, Bryce Rider five, Lucas Browning three, Nathaniel Wilson two, and Gabe Largent two. Richardson and Money led the team with two assists each while Wilson, Richerson, and Browning added one apiece.
Tonight’s contest found Lucas Browning holding his ground down low as he brought down 10 rebounds followed by Melton with eight, Richardson six, Money five, Largent four, Richerson two, Riggs one, and Ryder one. Ty Money once again led the team in steals with six while Browning collected five, Riggs five, Richerson four, Wilson two, Melton two, Richardson two, Rider one, and Roberson one.
Coach Andy Sutter and his Jayvee squad were also able to maintain the lead at every quarter’s end as well as taking it a step farther and outscoring their opponent in all four quarters, to take the lopsided 45-19 victory and improve to 2-0 on the young season.
Colter Rister and Preston Long shared scoring honors with both collecting nine points. Others scoring were Cole Roberson seven, Aryon Jolley six, Cord Tucker four, Will Thompson four, Colby Prather four, and Aydan Allen two. Assists were very balanced with Jolley having three, Tucker two, Rister two, Roberson two, Long two, and Prather one.
Rister was also the top rebounder for the Jr.Cards with 14. Others with rebounds were Long four, Joel Hortin four, Thompson two, Erik Healy two, Dylan Frost two, Roberson one, Tucker one, and Jaden Simmons one. Jolley led the team with six steals followed by three from Prather, and one a piece from Rister, Roberson, Long, Tucker, Healy, Braden Mendoza, and Austin Surratt.
