The Jackson Polar Bears (15-1) are amongst the best girls basketball teams in the state and are the best team in Stark County. They clashed with the Massillon Lady Tigers last night, coming out with an 80-58 victory. The game proved to be another test for the Lady Tigers, who have taken on their fair share of top-ranked opponents in the last two weeks. A stretch of games including St. Vincent-St. Mary’s (ranked 18th in Ohio), a team of European All-Stars, Milford (ranked 7th in Ohio), and Jackson has led to a 1-3 stretch but will prove to be a valuable experience when it comes to the DII tournament in February. In last night’s contest, the Polar Bears overwhelmed the Tigers with a bevy of 3-pointers, and despite a Massillon rally in the 3rd quarter, Jackson won big in their 11th straight victory.
1st Half
Jackson came out firing (three pointers, that is). The first long bomb fell just one minute into the contest. Then came another, and a third followed. The Polar Bears quickly climbed to an 11-2 lead. Hannah Nicola answered with a long 3 of her own and Delaney Pierce blocked a shot to give the Tigers the ball back, but missed shots on the Massillon end led to more opportunities for Jackson. A pair of 3s made the score 17-5. Pierce picked up 2 on a fastbreak off of a steal and Kynslie Williams hit a free throw to pull within 11 points. Jackson added a pair of baskets with their bigs in the paint and led 23-8 after one quarter of play. The Tigers and Polar Bears exchanged baskets for a minute or two to open the second quarter as Nicola and Pierce added baskets for Massillon. Pierce scored 5 straight for the Tigers to cut the deficit to 31-17, but Jackson once again hit a 3 to break the streak. Jackson continued their barrage of 3s to climb to a 45-24 lead. Rylee Adams hit a pair of 3s for Massillon to end the quarter, and the Tigers trailed 45-30 at the half.
2nd Half
Jackson scored first to start the third quarter, but Jaryn Wolff nailed a 3 from the right corner and Kynslie Williams spun into the lane and scored to cut the lead to 47-34. Delaney Pierce found Rylee Adams under the basket for a layup, and Pierce Euro stepped to the basket and put it home to make it 47-38 with 4:41 remaining in the quarter. Hannah Nicola added a pair of free throws, and the Tigers only trailed by 7. Unfortunately for Massillon, Jackson got back into stride and hit a pair of 3s while putting up an 8-0 run. Pierce was able to hit a 3 of her own, but the Polar Bears had climbed back up to a 12-point lead at 57-45 after three quarters. It was all Jackson at the start of the fourth quarter– a trio of 3-pointers and a jumper in the lane pushed the lead back up past 20. Delaney Pierce put up a few points of her own (as she finished with 32) but the Lady Tigers fell 80-58.
Box Score:
Delaney Pierce, 32 points
Hannah Nicola, 13 points
Rylee Adams, 7 points
Kynslie Williams, 3 points
Jaryn Wolff, 3 points
