Rock Bridge boys basketball team comes up short to Nixa

COLUMBIA — Rock Bridge boys basketball coach Jim Scanlon said he wished his team had been thinking just a little better Saturday.

The Bruins came up short losing 80-75 to Nixa at the Norm Stewart Classic at Columbia College.

The game was close for the first three quarters, until the Bruins fell behind by as much as 10 points in the beginning of the fourth.

“Our effort was good, we had a nice comeback, but I’m disappointed in our mental approach,” Scanlon said. “Our shot selection was poor — we’re still figuring out who our shooters are and who our posts are.”

The Bruins kept playing hard, and with some large contributions from point guard Travis Jorgenson, came back within a point of Nixa with 40 seconds left.

While Jorgenson is only a sophomore, his aggressive, shot-hungry style sets him apart. He has the ability to see the court well and creates separation to get his shots off. He had varsity experience as a freshman last year, and it is apparent that his age is not a factor in his play as the Bruins' starting point guard.

“He’s the ultimate worker. He really works on his game, and he’s the kind of player that doesn’t cut corners, which is why he is where he is on the team today,” Scanlon said. “He’s a leader as a 10th-grader and has a lot of experience.”

At 5 feet, 11 inches, Jorgenson isn’t afraid to drive and go in for the layup, which he did multiple times in Saturday’s matchup. He racked up 24 points, and when he sank his 3-pointer to pull the Bruins within a point, the energy of the game was the highest it had been all night.

“We played pretty well and we played hard. It was the little things that killed us,” Jorgenson said. “They made less mistakes than us.”

As a player two years younger than three of the other starters, one might expect Jorgenson to be treated differently because of his age. But his level of play erases the age gap.

“We all play hard and we’re all friends, so I’m not treated any differently,” Jorgenson said.