For the second time in 32 days, Ryle’s Jayden McClain and Jaelyn Jones bedeviled Conner.
McClain’s 16 points and Jones’ 14 was more than enough to give the Raiders a 54-24 win in Tuesday’s girls 33rd District semifinal at Boone County’s Nell Fookes Court. Their second victory over Conner this season.
Ryle coach Katie Haitz couldn’t decide whether McClain was more effective scoring in the paint, blocking and altering shots, or hitting 3-pointers.
“To be honest, I think she’s a well-rounded all-around player,” Haitz said. “She does a great job on both sides of the floor.”
McClain is just an eighth-grader, but she’s not awed at playing against older girls.
“I’ve grown up playing with boys and playing up since I was in third grade,” McClain said.
It is noteworthy that Jones is playing; she wears a brace on her left shoulder and sometimes hesitates to use her left arm.
“I have a strained rotator cuff,” Jones said. “It’s feeling better.”
Ryle’s two-game winning streak couldn’t have come at a better time. The Raiders dropped 10 straight against stout competition before a 44-28 win over Bishop Brossart on Feb. 20.
Tuesday, Ryle’s defense was stout – Izeleee Kerns’ nine points led the Cougars, and Alexis Craddock had just two before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter.
“Jayden played on (Kerns),” Haitz said. “I thought she did a great job in making adjustments from the last time we played (Conner) … not going for head fakes as much. She made her have to shoot over the top of her.”
Conner (9-19) coach Michelle Gambrel maybe knew it would be a long night after one quarter. The Cougars not only didn’t score – they didn’t dent the scoreboard until Avery Burcham’s bucket 88 seconds into the second stanza.
An early first-quarter play was illustrative of Ryle’s defensive stinginess – McClain’s defensive rebound quickly turned into a 3-on-1 runout with Jones scoring on a layup.
The 6-foot-5 McClain not only altered, blocked or rebounded Conner shots – she knocked down two 3s. Her first long, far one sent Ryle (9-21) to a 14-2 lead.
“I do like being inside, but I also want to be outside,” McClain said. “It’s the kind of player I am.”
McClain wasn’t Ryle’s only long-distance shooter. Emerson Dowell and Piper Aschermann each hit one, part of a 9-2 run over the final 5:22 of the second.
Dowell’s and McClain’s 3s put Ryle up, 29-9, less than two minutes into the second quarter.
“I honestly wasn’t prepared for a good-bye speech,” Conner coach Michelle Gambrel said. “I honestly thought we were going to win that game. We were ready for them, we were prepared. We just didn’t hit shots in the beginning.”
Next for the Raiders: three-time defending Ninth Region champion Cooper, a 68-18 winner over Boone County, for the title at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Jaguars won the Battle of Union with a 56-51 win over Ryle in the Jaguars’ gym on Jan. 17.
Haitz didn’t divulge any strategy on Tuesday.
“We’ll figure that out and come up with a game plan,” Haitz said. “We’re looking forward to the game and having another opportunity to play against them.”
RAIDERS 54, COUGARS 24
CONNER — 0-6-11-7 – 24
RYLE — 11-12-19-12 – 54
Conner (24) — Burcham 7, Kerns 9, Craddock 2, Hawthorne 3, Everett 3. 3-Pt. FG: 2 (Burchett, Everett). FT: 8-9. Fouls: 16. Fouled out: Craddock.
Ryle (54) — Aschermann 4, Dowell 6, Jones 14, R. Warner 2, McClain 16, A. Warner 6, Hampton 6. 3-Pt. FG: 6 (Dowell 2, McClain 2, A. Warner, Hampton). FT: 15-24. Fouls: 10. Fouled out: None.
Records: Conner 9-19, Ryle 9-21.
Cooper 68, Boone County 18
Lexi Murphy led the Jaguars with 13 points, and Gianna Cooper added 10.
Mercy rules require a 35-point lead, and a game must last at least the first half before the running clock starts.
You could’ve declared a mercy-rule clock midway through the second quarter. The three-time defending Ninth Region champion Jaguars led, 21-2, after one quarter and 47-3 at intermission.
Cooper’s Alivia Scott opened with nine first-half points, Murphy and Mikaela Breeze had eight, and Cooper had six.
Murphy’s eight second-quarter points led a 26-1 beatdown. Briajia Land’s free throw was Boone County’s only score.
The Rebels outscored Cooper (21-5) in the third quarter, 10-9, thanks to Krystal De Leon’s two 3-pointers.
Boone County finishes their season at 1-26. Krystal De Leon led her team with six points, and Land and Aaliyah Sharp added four each.
JAGUARS 68, REBELS 18
BOONE CO. — 2-1-10-5 – 18
COOPER — 21-26-9-12 – 68
Boone Co. (18) — Sharp 4, Henson 2, Glasheen 2, De Leon 6, Land 4. 3-Pt. FG: 2 (De Leon 2). FT: 1-10. Fouls: 11. Fouled out: None.
Cooper (66) — Brissey 2, Breeze 9, Hubbard 2, Rankin 5, Scott 9, Allen 8, Cass 8, Thompson 2, Cooper 10, Murphy 13. 3-Pt. FG: 9 (Murphy 3, Breeze 2, Cass 2, Scott, Rankin). FT: 9-18. Fouls: 8. Fouled out: None.
Records: Boone County 1-26, Cooper 21-5.