Marc Kjos' absence in the starting lineup was noticeable over the past two outings for University of Jamestown men's basketball.
The Jimmies faltered in back-to-back games against rival Valley City State and Northwestern College, as the sophomore guard battled a mild bout of COVID-19.
Kjos nailed five 3-pointers and had a big night defensively as the Jimmies rolled over Hastings College 77-68 Monday night in Hastings, Nebraska.
"It felt great. It's always great to be back with the guys," Kjos said. "Our game plan was to try to get inside but I was just taking what they were giving me, I guess."
Kjos' first 3 splashed through the cylinder four minutes into the contest and the Jimmies were already up double figures -- 14-4 -- on the Broncos. Jamestown led 40-27 at the half and led by as many as 18 points in the second half before Hastings would slash the advantage all the way to 70-67 with 4 minutes remaining.
ADVERTISEMENT
UJ's Mason Walters scored 13 points but his 20 rebounds helped UJ outboard the Broncos 56-37, which included 19 offensive rebounds by the Jimmies. Walters snatched seven offensive boards.
"It's all about playing hard," said UJ men's basketball coach Danny Neville. "I thought we defended well and I thought Marc Kjos made a huge difference for us tonight."
Kjos helped hold Hastings' guard Mason Hiemstra to four points on 1 of 13 shooting from the field. Hiemstra entered the game averaging 18.2 points per game.
"That was my main focus tonight, I would say, is just to slow him down," Kjos said. "I just go out there and try to play as hard as I can."
The Jimmies are still playing without reserve guard Cole Woodford and senior Jack Talley is scheduled to undergo an MRI on his injured right ankle this week. Talley was hurt during last Wednesday's 91-78 loss hosting Northwestern.
The Jimmies shot under 30% from 3-point range (11-39) but got just enough offense en route to victory. Senior guard Allante' Pickens hit four 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 20 points, while Brock Schrom also turned in a double-double for the Jimmies with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
True freshman Will Cordes scored 10 points and was in UJ's starting lineup Monday, helping the Jimmies (5-3, 2-1 Great Plains Athletic Conference) snap its two-game skid.
"I just thought we gutted out a win," Neville said. "We were in dire need of one and we just gutted it out."
ADVERTISEMENT
The Jimmies will be back on the court Wednesday at Doane University taking on the Tigers (3-2, 0-0) at 1 p.m.
"We gotta enjoy it tonight, but we gotta bounce back and finish the trip 2-0," Neville said.
University of Jamestown 77, Hastings College 68
UJ 40 37 -- 77
HC 27 41 -- 68
UJ -- Allante' Pickens 20, Marc Kjos 15, Brock Schrom 15, Mason Walters 13, Will Cordes 10, Devan Praska 2, Brady Birch 2. Totals: 31-79 FG, 11-39 3-pointers (Kjos 5, Pickens 4, Cordes 2), 4-11 FT, 56 Rebounds (Walters 20), 12 Assists (Walters 3, Birch 3), 12 Fouls, 10 Turnovers, 4 Steals.
HC -- Dashawn Walker 24, Ben Juhl 17, Jared Mattley 12, Matt O'Brien 7, Karson Gansebom 4, Mason Hiemstra 4. Totals: 28-70 FG, 4-18 3-pointers (Hiemstra, Mattley, O'Brien, Juhl), 8-11 FT, 9 Assists (Walker 3), 15 Fouls, 8 Turnovers, 6 Steals.
Records: Jamestown 5-2, 2-1 GPAC. Hastings 3-4, 0-3
The Trust Project
