As it sprinted out to a 5-1 start, the Jordan-Elbridge girls basketball team had nearly equaled its entire win total (six) from the 2007-08 season.
All the Eagles needed was one victory in its own holiday tournament to get to that magic number before the calendar turned to 2009.
That didn’t happen in last Monday’s opening round, though, as J-E ran into a hot hand in Tully’s Jenna Johnson and took a 60-49 defeat to the Black Knights.
Johnson started converting early, pushing Tully to a 19-12 lead. Try as J-E could, it could not cool her off, especially in the third quarter as the Eagles’ deficit grew to 53-41.
By game’s end, Johnson had 29 points, including 12 field goals as she kept getting open inside and converting baskets before the Eagles could adjust its defense.
J-E lost despite a solid attack where Liz Caspari and Aimee Briggs each had 12 points and Katie Dungey added 10 points. Kelsey Richardson got seven points, with Samantha Davis picking up six points.
A day later, the Eagles met Phoenix in the consolation game, the Firebirds having lost a narrow 44-43 decision to Hannibal in the other part of the opening round.
Showing its ability to bounce back from temporary adversity, J-E would lead most of the way and earn a 50-39 victory over Phoenix to match that ’07-08 win total.
An active first quarter saw the Eagles go in front, 17-12. As it turned out, J-E outscored the Firebirds in every single period, turning up its defense in the second half to make sure Phoenix didn’t mount any rally.
Dungey, with 15 points, and Caspari, with 13 points, accounted for more than half of the Eagles’ production, while Briggs and Erin McLaughlin each got six points. Sarah Bregg, with 12 points, was the lone Phoenix player to score in double figures. Hannibal beat Tully 43-41 in the championship game.
If the 6-2 Eagles can beat Hannibal Monday night, it will better last season’s number. J-E visits defending Class B-2 champion Cazenovia on Thursday night.
