Jackets roll past DeKalb

Posted 3/3/22

A good basketball team has to win in a variety of circumstances – including when one of their number has a bad night. The Mineola Yellowjackets claimed a bi-district crown last Tuesday by defeating the DeKalb Bears 59-38.

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Jackets roll past DeKalb

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A good basketball team has to win in a variety of circumstances – including when one of their number has a bad night. The Mineola Yellowjackets claimed a bi-district crown last Tuesday by defeating the DeKalb Bears 59-38. The win was notable due to the fact that Mineola overcame not just one player having a bad night, but the guards as a position group having a sub-par performance.

Like good teams do, they simply overcame. Largely through the dominating inside game of Dawson Pendergrass, Mineola racked up rebounds and scored timely second-chance points. 

Pendergrass finished with 18 points, a ton of rebounds, a couple of very nice assists and three blocked shots. The strong junior post intimidated DeKalb with his quickness, leaping ability and strength. DeKalb modified shots and drives all night long when in Pendergrass’ vicinity. 

The Yellowjackets got off to a fast start. Aggressive play tallied the first seven points for Mineola. Pendergrass, Xzavien Lipscomb, Hunter Vandover and Stephen Ogueri scored in the opening minutes.

After that initial surge, the Jackets fell victim to DeKalb’s three-man half-court trap. Five turnovers in the later stages of the quarter let the Bears back in the game.

Pendergrass closed the quarter with a full court drive for a score. He manipulated his body at the finish to avoid a charging call. At the break Mineola led 18-10.

T.J. Moreland lofted a beauty of an 18-foot jump shot to give the Jackets an 11-point lead early in the second quarter. The Jackets seemed to be dominating the state of play, yet the DeKalb squad remained in the game, just a possession or two from challenging the lead. 

Four consecutive scores from Pendergrass – one on an excellent assist from Bradyn Alley – pushed the margin back to 11 points at the half, 29-18.    

DeKalb rallied in the third quarter. After Keke Martin put Mineola up by 13 points with a textbook-perfect tip-in, the Bears outperformed the Jackets in the remaining four minutes of the third. The Bears closed the score to 39-31 after three quarters of play. 

For a game which felt like it had been dominated by one side, it was suddenly a close finish. 

For a brief moment it was close. 

The Jackets started the final period by taking three tough inside shots on their initial possession and capturing three offensive rebounds with Ogueri getting the basket. 

After DeKalb answered with a score, Moreland went to work. The talented playmaker generated 13 points in the final quarter. He did it on two contested drives, two 3-pointers, a steal-and-score and a free throw. It was a marvel to watch, and it broke DeKalb’s will.   

Additional production from Alley, Pendergrass and Isaiah Gardner catapulted the Yellowjackets to a 21-point margin of victory.    

The win set Mineola up with a rematch from last year, facing the Jefferson Bulldogs in the area round. The game will no doubt bring back some of the emotions, for both sides, from Mineola’s win a year ago.