Jackets pull away from Mt. Vernon

Posted 2/2/23

The best part of Mineola’s 65-40 win over Mt. Vernon last Friday came with 3:12 left in the third quarter. The Jackets had broken the game open in the quarter and were in the middle of a …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Jackets pull away from Mt. Vernon

Posted

The best part of Mineola’s 65-40 win over Mt. Vernon last Friday came with 3:12 left in the third quarter. The Jackets had broken the game open in the quarter and were in the middle of a 14-point run.

Coach Steadman sent his team into a four-corners offense. For the remaining couple of minutes, those in attendance got to watch guards Zay Liscomb and Keke Martin work to get their defenders’ balance just a tad off-kilter before driving to the basket.

Not all the drives scored, but they were all incredibly athletic and were great games within the game.    

Friday’s game was all about bringing the team to a productive level of play. The Jackets did not have the best first quarter of the season. Mt. Vernon presented unique challenges with their speed and ability to push the ball down court. 

The Jackets needed a consistent motor, and guard TJ Moreland provided it. The senior put up 19 of his 28 points in the first half, and he did it in all possible manners of scoring: drives, steal/score, backdoor cuts, reverse lay-ins, baseline jumpers and 3-pointers from the key. 

When shots weren’t falling for the Jackets late in the first half, it was Moreland’s scoring which kept the pressure on the Tigers. 

Mineola benefited greatly from another excellent night of rebounding from Braydon Alley. Not only does Alley demonstrate a keen sense of timing for when to leap for a rebound, he has an innate sense around the basket of just how the ball is going to come off the iron. 

He has become one of the most critical components of the 2023 Yellowjackets. 

Last Friday, it was a well-placed assist from Isaiah Gardner to Alley which started the big third-quarter rally. While Moreland and Martin contributed scores in the run, it was Lipscomb who went on a 7-point scoring tear to give Mineola the first sizable lead of the night.

Ainsley Steward scored a long arcing 3-pointer from the corner to give Mineola a 53-34 lead at the quarter break. 

The Jackets did a nice job keeping their composure and court awareness in the final quarter and coasted in with a 25-point victory.

Mineola remains in second place, one game behind district-leading Chapel Hill. The Jackets hosted Winnsboro Tuesday and will travel to Chapel Hill on Tuesday, Feb. 7 for a rematch with the district-leading Red Devils.