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JCC Women Capitalize On Turnovers In 72-40 Win

Jamestown CC’s Alexis Rodenbaugh shoots over Mercyhurst North East’s Shaquoia McCray during NJCAA Region 3 Division II women’s basketball Wednesday evening at the Physical Education Complex. Rodenbaugh led the Jayhawks with 22 points in a 72-40 win. P-J photo by Valory S. Isaacson

Extra possessions are like gold in basketball.

Jamestown Community College took advantage of an embarrassment of riches Wednesday night.

The Jayhawks scored 36 points off 37 Mercyhurst North East turnovers en route to a 72-40 NJCAA Region 3 Division II women’s basketball victory.

“We’ll turn it over once in a while, but that’s a good group to get in transition,” Jamestown CC coach Travis Wells said of his team. “They can find each other. When we get to where we want to be, they’re going to be making some nice plays.”

Freshman Alexis Rodenbaugh (North East, Pennsylvania/North East) led Jamestown CC with 22 points and nine rebounds.

Jamestown CC's Lakin Gustafson looks to score in front of Mercyhurst North East's Nia Phillips (32) during NJCAA Region 3 Division II women's basketball Wednesday evening at the Physical Education Complex. P-J photo by Valory S. Isaacson

“We’re pretty balanced. I think if she has an off night, I think somebody else … can step up,” Wells said of Rodenbaugh. “We don’t necessarily have to depend on one person to give us a bunch of points.”

Sophomore Emilee Sperry (Panama/Panama) added 12 points and six steals while freshman Nicole Johnson (Panama/Panama) chipped in 12 points.

A change in the schedule this year has regional opponents playing each other three times apiece as opposed to just two matchups in the past. Winning a Region 3 game before winter break, just four games into the schedule was fine with Wells.

Jamestown CC (4-0, 1-0) used a 28-1 run spanning the first and second quarters to put the game away early. A Sperry 3-pointer with 7:19 left in the second quarter gave the Jayhawks a 32-11 and the Saints did not make a field goal in the second quarter until Shaquoia McCray’s bucket with 4:13 left.

“The defense was there,” Wells said. “We were starting to see the passing lanes. We missed some, but that’s the game-speed type passing that we’re looking for.”

Mercyhurst North East (2-2, 0-1) closed to within 15 points midway through the third quarter, but another 15-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters pushed the lead back up to 30.

During the run, freshman Taylor Phelps (Ashville/Chautauqua Lake) hit a 3-pointer, freshman Olivia Lynn (Frewsburg/Frewsburg) found Rodenbaugh open on a nice 2-on-1 break to push the lead back up to 20 points with 3:04 left in the third quarter, and freshman Haley Hettenbaugh (Kennedy/Randolph) found Johnson open on another breakout with 7:50 left in the fourth quarter to make it 60-30.

A 3-pointer from the Saints’ Zykerah Montgomery ended the run with 6:47 left in the fourth quarter, but by that point the game was over for all intents and purposes.

Turnovers on seven of their first 11 possessions put the Jayhawks in an early 8-5 hole, but sophomore Hayden Burgeson (Lakewood/Southwestern) came off the bench to pick up back-to-back steals, and the second was converted into the go-ahead basket as Rodenbaugh found Sperry to give the hosts an 11-10 lead with 2:37 left in the opening quarter.

“It’s whoever is coming in. It should be their time. Some nights you are going to have it and some nights you don’t,” Wells said. “We expect that next man up. Whoever comes in it shouldn’t be a letdown. We should be able to expect good things from whoever comes in.”

Sperry followed with a 3-pointer and Rodenbaugh scored the next seven points, including a three-point play near the end of the first quarter as Jamestown CC led 21-10 after 10 minutes.

One point of contention for Wells was the Saints’ 38-30 rebounding edge, including 14 on the offensive end of the court.

“I want to clean up rebounding a little bit. I didn’t like that part of it,” Wells said. “We didn’t do the fundamentals of boxing out. We were there, but we didn’t make contact and push them out like we’re supposed to.”

All 10 Jayhawks played at least 11 minutes with eight finding the scoring column. Freshman Lakin Gustafson (Sherman/Chautauqua Lake) followed Rodenbaugh with six rebounds while Burgeson and Phelps each had three steals.

NOTES: McCray had 11 points and 11 rebounds while Alissa Johnson also had 11 points for Mercyhurst North East. … Nia Phillips and Julie McBryar each had eight rebounds for the Saints. … Jamestown CC returns to action Saturday evening at CC of Rhode Island while Mercyhurst North East hosts Division I Baltimore City CC on Saturday afternoon.

MERCYHURST NORTH EAST (40)

Johnson 4-9 3-3 11, McBryar 0-3 0-0 0, Faulkner 0-6 0-0 0, McCray 5-9 1-2 11, Phillips 3-11 1-6 7, Madison 0-0 0-0 0, Kande 0-0 0-0 0, Overton 0-1 0-0 0, Fillyaw 1-7 0-1 2, Cochran 0-3 0-0 0, Montgomery 1-3 0-0 3, Wade 0-0 0-0 0, Smith 2-3 2-2 6. Totals 16-55 7-13 40.

JAMESTOWN CC (72)

Sperry 4-9 2-2 12, Rodenbaugh 8-11 6-7 22, Johnson 6-11 0-0 12, Lynn 4-7 1-2 7, Hettenbaugh 0-1 0-0 0, Lancaster 0-2 0-0 0, Burgeson 3-7 1-2 7, Hallberg 1-3 0-0 2, Phelps 2-7 0-0 5, Gustafson 0-3 5-10 5. Totals 27-61 15-23 72

Mercyhurst North East 10 12 8 10 — 40

Jamestown CC 21 18 19 14 — 72

3-point goals–Mercyhurst North East 1-5 (Johnson 0-1, Fillyaw 0-1, Montgomery 1-3), Jamestown CC 3-10 (Sperry 2-5, Hallberg 0-1, Phelps 1-3, Gustafson 0-1). Rebounds–Mercyhurst North East 38 (McCray 11), Jamestown CC 30 (Rodenbaugh 9). Assists–Mercyhurst North East 5 (Johnson 2), Jamestown CC 18 (Phelps 4). Total fouls–Mercyhurst North East 19, Jamestown CC 13.

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