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JAMESTOWN — Basketball is a mental game and on Saturday, the team with the stronger mental game won the ball game.
"We have a lot of stuff to clean up from a mental standpoint," Jamestown High School head boys basketball coach Jacoby Lloyd said. "Athletically and effort-wise we are fine but our mental game needs some work."
The Blue Jays fell to Dickinson 75-72 in a last-second thriller. The loss moves the Jays to 1-1 on the week and 3-3 in the West Region. Overall, the Jays are 4-3 with their only other losses coming against Bismarck High and Bismarck Century.
Jamestown's next test on the schedule is supposed to come on Tuesday at Mandan. The Braves are sitting at a perfect 5-0 in the West Region and 6-0 overall. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.
A big 12-point production from Payton Hochhalter helped the Jays to an early 18-8 lead but a couple of light fouls forced Lloyd to bench the senior which allowed Dickinson some space to make up those early points.
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By the break, the score read 38-36 Blue Jays.
"It was unfortunate that Payton got called for so many fouls," Lloyd said. "I don't want a ref's job but there were some inconsistencies. That happens sometimes though and we need to figure out how to roll with it better."
The Jays and Midgets went back and forth all of the second half. The Midgets clawed their way to an eight-point advantage but steady scoring from the Jays' starting five got Jamestown back within one with 58.2 seconds remaining.
Up 70-69, Drew Biel let one off at the top of the key to make it a four-point game. With eight seconds left, Jamestown's Ryan Larson was fouled on a jumper which gave the Jays a chance to make it a one-point game.
Larson wound up sinking the foul shot to shift the score to 73-72 Dickinson.
"I think Ryan did a nice job tonight," Lloyd said. "For the most part, he played smart. He had a couple of passes that his teammates had to recover for him but we're working on that. He's playing a lot more
consistently at both ends of the floor which is good."
Larson was the Jays' leading scorer with 21 points while Noah Meissner unleashed his hot-hand to produce 17. Hochhalter got his point total up to 16 before he was called for his fifth personal foul. Dalton Lamp also cracked into double-digits, notching 10.
The Blue Jays tabulated 16 fouls, the last of which came at an inopportune time.
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A foul on Dalton Lamp with eight seconds left wound up icing the game. Alex Dvorak made both of his foul shots to end it 75-72. Dvorak, a four-year varsity team member, scored a whopping 24 points while Damon Glasser was credited with 17 and Drew Biel sunk four 3s en route to his 16 total points.
"We've got to figure some things out," Lloyd said. "We've got to get better."
Dickinson 75, Jamestown 72
DHS 36 39 — 75
JHS 38 34 — 72
DHS — Alex Dvorak 24, Damon Glasser17, Drew Biel 16, Tyrese Annace 9, Owen Bittner 5, Sebastian Hauck 2, Dante Oyugi 2. Totals: 25 FG, 15-20 FT, 19 fouls. 3-pointers: Dvorak 4, Biel 4, Annace 3, Glasser 3.
JHS — Ryan Larson 21, Noah Meissner 17, Payton Hochhalter 16, Dalton Lamp 10, Mason Lunzman 4, Caydann Cox 2, Thomas Newman 2. Totals: 24 FG, 15-20 FT, 16 fouls. 3-pointers: Meissner 3, Hochhalter 3, Larson 2, Lamp 1.
