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Sophomores Shine As Jayhawks Run Past Erie CC

Jamestown Community College’s Olivia Lynn (30) attempts to shoot over Erie CC’s Arieana Speed during Monday’s NJCAA Region 3 Division II women’s basketball game at Jamestown CC’s Physical Education Complex P-J photos by Valory S. Isaacson

On Sophomore Night at the Physical Education Complex, Jamestown Community College’s second-year players shined.

North East (Pa.) graduate Alexis Rodenbaugh led the Jayhawks with 26 points to go along with eight assists, seven rebounds and two steals in a 74-36 NJCAA Region 3 Division II win over Erie CC.

“She’s got to have that mentality, that will open up the passes,” Jamestown CC coach Travis Wells said of Rodenbaugh’s offensive outburst. “Right now she is thinking pass before shot. She is a great shooter and we need her to shoot. … She’s got to be a threat for us.”

The victory puts Jamestown CC (17-8, 3-5) in prime position to lock up the No. 4 seed with a win in one of its final two games at Genesee CC on Wednesday night or at Monroe CC on Saturday afternoon. The No. 4 seed would mean a home subregional playoff game next Wednesday afternoon at 2 p.m. against the No. 5 seed, likely Mercyhurst North East.

“You always want kids sleeping in their own beds,” Wells said of a possible home playoff game. “You don’t have to worry about travel and you have a home crowd.”

Jamestown Community College’s Nicole Johnson goes in for a layup during Monday’s NJCAA Region 3 Division II women’s basketball game against Erie CC at Jamestown CC’s Physical Education Complex.

Rodenbaugh wasn’t the only sophomore to step up for the Jayhawks on Monday night. Panama graduate Nicole Johnson scored 22 points on 9-of-10 shooting while Frewsburg product Olivia Lynn had 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

“Nicole’s been pretty steady with her attacks on the basket,” Wells said. ” … The kids just got out and ran in transition tonight. Everybody was running.”

Randolph graduate Haley Hettenbaugh chipped in 7 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots while turning the ball over just one time.

“The kids have taken care of the ball much better. That gets you opportunities,” Wells said. “Give yourself a chance and don’t shoot yourself in the foot.”

Frewsburg graduate Hannah Boardman rounded out the all-sophomore starting lineup and also made an impact, scoring 4 points while handing out three assists in 23 minutes of action.

“Everybody has to step up. When you lose a player it affects defense and it affects offense,” said Wells, who has been without the services of sophomore Taylor Phelps for the past few games. ” … It’s pushing us to grow. I think we are finally adjusting.”

Jamestown CC shot 33 of 53 (62.3 percent) from the floor, assisting on 29 of the 33 made baskets. The Jayhawks also turned the ball over just 15 times, a marked improvement from their last several games.

Janae Brannon led the Kats (6-17, 1-7) with 16 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals while Tea’laya Huff added 9 points and 10 rebounds.

Jamestown CC led 7-0 early in the first quarter, but Brannon scored Erie CC’s next seven points and the Jayhawks’ lead was just three after 10 minutes of play.

The Kats’ Niah Price tied the game at 15 with a 3-pointer to open the second quarter, but after the game was tied at 17, Jamestown CC went on a 17-0 run highlighted by a three-point play from Rodenbaugh and capped by a bucket from Hettenbaugh that made it 34-17. Huff scored with 2:16 left in the first half to stop the scoring spree, but the Jayhawks led 38-19 at halftime.

“We were up on them 20 before a couple of years ago and lost,” Wells said. “We were up 20 on Genesee CC this year and lost. It’s never over.”

Rodenbaugh and Johnson each had 8 points during a 20-12 third quarter before Jamestown CC won going away with a 16-5 fourth quarter.

“They came to play tonight,” Wells said of his team. “You can’t ask to go out on a better performance than that.”

Winning at least one of their final two games won’t come easy for the Jayhawks as they lost 71-69 against Genesee CC on Feb. 6 and lost 68-58 on Feb. 2 against Monroe CC.

“You always want to get better. We are slowly getting better,” Wells said. ” … You want to be playing your best ball come playoff time.”

NOTES: Phelps, a Chautauqua Lake graduate, was honored with Jayhawk sophomores Elizabeth Harrison (Maple Grove), Hettenbaugh, Boardman, Rodenbaugh, Johnson and Lynn before the game, but Phelps has been unable to play due to an illness. … Erie CC was just 14 of 63 (22.2 percent) from the field, including 3 of 18 (16.7 percent) from 3-point range. … Freshman Katelyn Bennett, a Jamestown graduate, had five rebounds in the win.

ERIE CC (36)

Price 2-12 0-0 5, Soto 1-14 0-0 2, Brannon 6-19 2-6 16, Huff 3-9 3-7 9, Funderburk 0-4 0-0 0, Speed 1-3 0-0 2, Abel 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 14-63 5-13 36.

JAMESTOWN CC (74)

Hettenbaugh 3-8 0-0 7, Boardman 2-5 0-0 4, Rodenbaugh 12-14 2-4 26, Johnson 9-10 4-4 22, Lynn 6-10 1-2 13, Harrison 0-2 0-0 0, Bennett 1-4 0-1 2, Zenns 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-53 7-11 74.

Erie CC 12 7 12 5 — 36

Jamestown CC 15 23 20 16 — 74

3-point goals–Erie CC 3-18 (Price 1-3, Soto 0-8, Brannon 2-7), Jamestown CC 1-8 (Hettenbaugh 1-6, Rodenbaugh 0-1, Bennett 0-1). Total rebounds–Erie CC 29 (Huff 10), Jamestown CC 39 (Hettenbaugh 8, Lynn 8). Assists–Erie CC 9 (Brannon 5), Jamestown CC 29 (Hettenbaugh 12). Total fouls–Erie CC 12, Jamestown CC 12. Technical fouls–Cummings-Price (Erie CC head coach).

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