Re-energized Jimmies down Defenders at Newman Arena

Mason Walters is quickly becoming indefensible in Great Plains Athletic Conference men's basketball.

The 6-foot-9 University of Jamestown sophomore recorded his 10th double-double in 11 games to start the season Tuesday at Harold Newman Arena, and on this particular night the former Jamestown Blue Jay stepped outside to bury 4 of 5 from behind the 3-point arc en route to 28 points and 16 rebounds.

The Jimmies upset the Dordt University Defenders -- who received votes in the now single-division NAIA men's basketball top 25 preseason coaches' poll -- 91-74.

"Well, we know he can make 'em ... all summer he's making 'em," said UJ sophomore guard Marc Kjos. "Now he's got some confidence, which is good. It definitely sparks our team, for sure."

Kjos nailed five 3-pointers of his own and scored a career-high 21 points in a game in which the Jimmies converted 16 of 35 shots from downtown. UJ needed the hot shooting early.

Dordt (7-4, 3-4 GPAC) scored 50 points in the paint all told, scoring off the drive seemingly at will at times in the first half. Walters had 18 points and 12 boards by intermission, but the Jimmies only led 46-42 after converting 12 first-half 3-pointers.

Walters stroked three of his four treys as UJ hit its first 8 of 10 from long range and led 28-22 after the opening nine minutes. The Defenders, who fell to 2-4 over their last six games, shot a blistering 15 of 21 inside the arc in the first 20 minutes but didn't fare nearly as well popping triples.

"Fifty points in the paint was crazy for us, but, I mean, they shot 2 of 15 from 3s (total)," said UJ men's basketball coach Danny Neville. "It's kinda pick your poison.

"We switched some of those ball screens and their guards kinda took our bigs off the dribble. I felt like we did a good job adjusting in the second half."

Dordt senior guard Ben Gesink opened the second half by driving and scoring on three consecutive possessions, which briefly tied the game at 48-48 before UJ's Brady Birch had finally seen enough.

The 6-6 senior forward from Melrose, Minnesota, drew back-to-back charges during a 6-0 Jimmie run that pushed the home advantage back out to 54-48, and the orange and black awoke. The Jimmies would lead by as many as 23 points down the stretch, outpacing the Defenders 45-32 in the second half.

"Brady Birch has been kinda struggling and taking those two charges really uplifted our team and kinda made us play with a chip on our shoulder," Neville said. "Guys stepped up."

UJ's Cole Woodford hit a trio of 3-pointers and scored 11 points. The 6-8 Brock Schrom added a pair of dunks and 10 points in the winning effort.

Dordt's 6-7 freshman Jacob Vis led four Defenders in double-digit scoring with 14 points. Jamestown limited All-American honorable mention forward Garrett Franken (16 ppg, 8 rpg) to eight points and six boards in 30 minutes.

"We knew that they've got some really good posts, and they do," said Vis, who entered third on the team in scoring (12.7 ppg) and second in rebounding (7.5 rpg) "But, yeah, hat's off to them for making a lot of 3s tonight. That makes it tough."

Jamestown (8-3, 4-2 GPAC) and Dordt split its conference doubleheader last season in two games decided by three points or less -- one in overtime -- and were coming off what could've served as a demoralizing loss to Mount Marty last Saturday in Yankton, South Dakota.

The Jimmies squandered a 16-point lead in the final three minutes, falling to the Lancers 80-79.

"I think we were a little upset about our loss against Mount Marty," Kjos said. "We just wanted to come and defend."

The Jimmies got another monster game from Walters in the process. The sophomore is carrying per-game averages of 23.7 points and 13.3 rebounds after 11 games.

"Crazy," Neville said. "He's just got such a good knack for a ball. And, he's young. He keeps getting better every game."

Dordt finished at 22-9 last season and hosts Hastings (3-6, 0-5 GPAC) on Saturday. The Jimmies and Defenders are scheduled to meet again on Jan. 14 in Sioux Center, Iowa.

"There's a lot of basketball to play," Vis said. "Gotta keep moving forward. No one's gonna feel bad for us. We gotta keep our heads up, come back and practice hard."

A re-energized Jimmies host Briar Cliff (4-5, 2-3 GPAC) next Tuesday (Dec. 15) at 8 p.m.

"Everything happens for a reason, and I think that Mount Marty loss really stirred some stuff up in us," Neville said. "I'll get some sleep tonight."

University of Jamestown 91, (RV) Dordt University 74

DU 42 32 -- 74

UJ 46 45 -- 91

DU -- Jacob Vis 14, Jess Jansma 13, Ben Gesink 13, Cade Bleeker 10, Garrett Franken 8, Camden Bialas 6, Bryce Coppock 5, Dejay Fykstra 4, Caleb Harmsen 1. Totals: 28-57 FG, 2-15 3-pointers (Gesink, Coppock), 15-16 FT, 31 Rebounds (Franken 6), 17 Fouls, 18 Assists (Coppock 5), 14 Turnovers, 4 Steals (4 with 1).

UJ -- Mason Walters 28, Marc Kjos 21, Cole Woodford 11, Brock Schrom 10, Will Cordes 7, Brady Birch 6, Allante' Pickens 6, Devon Schultz 2. Totals: 30-66 FG, 16-35 3-pointers (Kjos 5, Walters 4, Woodford 3, Pickens 2, Cordes 2), 15-16 FT, 37 Rebounds (Walters 16, Kjos 7), 20 Fouls, 24 Assists (Kjos 7, Cordes 5, Pickens 4), 13 Turnovers, 5 Blocks (Schrom 3), 5 Steals (Kjos 4).

Records: Jamestown 8-3, 4-2 GPAC. Dordt 7-4, 3-4 GPAC.