SILER CITY — When your tank is running on empty, you’ve gone about as far as you can go.
After battling Eastern Randolph to a virtual standoff at halftime, Jordan-Matthews appeared to run out a gas in the third quarter and never could regain its early intensity to fuel a second-half comeback as J-M dropped a 51-38 PAC 7 2A Conference decision to the Lady Wildcats Tuesday night in Frank N. Justice Gymnasium.
Eastern Randolph improved to 2-0 in the league standings and 4-2 overall, whereas the Lady Jets lost their fifth straight outing while falling to 0-1 in the conference and 1-5 for the season.
Freshman point guard Brecken Snotherly poured in 22 points and Savannah Beaver chipped in 10 for the Lady Wildcats, who shot 41 percent (20-of-49) from the floor and held a 33-25 advantage in rebounds while committing 16 turnovers.
Makayla Glover notched a double-double for Jordan-Matthews with 11 points and 14 boards, while Jasmine Scotten and Ellia Wright contributed 10 points apiece. J-M connected on 29% (14-of-48) of its field goal attempts while turning the ball over 14 times.
“Maybe because we were playing on consecutive nights, but we came out sluggish and a little flat to start the game,” remarked Eastern Randolph coach Brett Snotherly. “While we didn’t play our best basketball we found a way to win, but credit J-M for coming out and playing hard. At halftime we discussed focusing on boxing out and doing a better job running the offense, which resulted in more rebounds in the second half and taking better care of the ball, while we dug in on defense and our man-to-man pressure started forcing turnovers that let us extend our lead.”
Lady Jets’ coach Charles Byrd commented he felt the biggest difference in the second half was his team’s lack of stamina.
“I think we got tired midway through the third quarter and didn’t have enough energy left to make a run after Eastern Randolph made theirs,” said Byrd. “Their man-to-man gave us problems in the second half and caused us to get away from our motion offense principles like cutting and screening. We’re coming along offensively but need to be in better shape to perform.”
The Lady Wildcats opened up a 6-0 lead in the first three minutes of play and never trailed throughout a low-scoring first half until Wright’s jumper in the lane with 1:03 to go before intermission gave J-M the advantage at 16-15.
But Eastern Randolph would then retake the lead at the break when Snotherly scored on a drive from the right wing with 3.2 seconds showing on the clock.
Following a pair of Wright free throws with 5:37 left in the third stanza that forged the third and final tie of the night at 22-all, Beaver’s lane jumper 12 seconds later put the Lady Wildcats in front for good, and behind 10 points from Snotherly in the frame Eastern Randolph went on to build a 35-28 advantage by the end of the period.
Beaver’s jumper in the lane with 4:47 remaining in the contest capped an 8-0 Lady
Wildcats’ run to start the fourth quarter that stretched their lead to 15 and Jordan-Matthews could never get the margin under 13 the rest of the way.
Eastern Randolph eventually seized its biggest advantage of the evening with 1:37 to play when a pair of Lilly Whitaker charity tosses put the Lady Wildcats up 51-34.