Jeff City defeats Bruins, claims district

Of course the two top teams in the district would need an additional four minutes to settle a championship.

At the end of four quarters, Rock Bridge and Jefferson City were locked at 25-25. Though the Bruins took their first lead of the game in overtime, Jefferson City pulled out a 32-30 win on Saturday at Hickman High School. Jefferson City became the Class 5 District 10 champion with the win.

In overtime, the teams traded shots and changed leads three times. A fast-break basket by Bruins’ guard Alex Austin started the extra period. Jefferson City guard Zach Roling’s 3-pointer with less than a minute left proved to be the difference maker. Rock Bridge had one last drive at the end of the game, but it never got a shot off, as Roling stole the ball.

Rock Bridge coach Jim Scanlon said he believed that his team had a strong chance to win in overtime.

“I thought that in overtime, as hard as we had to fight back, that we’d be OK,” Scanlon said. “We got that quick lead, but there were just two hard-nosed, tough teams.”

Scanlon said the struggles under the basket forced the team to look for shots outside.

“We struggled inside, and we just couldn’t get anything,” Scanlon said. “They were pretty physical down low.”

The first half was not a half either team expected. Rock Bridge scored six in a half that was plagued by turnovers. The Bruins’ first three drives of the game did not result in an attempted shot.

The Jays were not much better. Rock Bridge’s pressure also forced several Jefferson City turnovers. However, baskets from behind the arc provided Jefferson City with a 12-6 lead at halftime.

Down by six at halftime, the Bruins came out strong in the third quarter. The Bruins held the Jays to no field goals in the quarter, and Rock Bridge guard Terrell Turner scored six to help tie the game 14-14.

Turner finished the game with 13 points. He was the only player from either team to score more than 10.

Jefferson City coach David Fox said playing in a district with the teams close together can contribute to a low-scoring game.

“We see each other all the time,” Fox said. “We have pretty good idea of each other tendencies and what they do, and I thought tonight was a reflection of that.”

Scanlon said being in the locker room after a season-ending loss is especially tough.

“The worst part of coaching is this game here,” Scanlon said. “Every loss is bad. It’s tough, but the worst part of coaching is knowing you’re in the locker room with the guys for the last time.”