Mortimer Jordan, Corner storm into Area 11 finals
KIMBERLY—Both No. 8 Corner and Mortimer Jordan earned wins on Wednesday night in the opening round of Class 5A, Area 11 Tournament play at Mortimer Jordan High School.
The host Blue Devils will battle Corner for the area championship on Friday night at 7 p.m. Regardless of Friday night’s result, both teams will advance into Northeast Sub-Regional play next Tuesday.
Corner 54, Springville 37
The eighth-ranked Yellow Jackets darn near didn’t miss a shot for the first 16 minutes of the Area 11 tournament, as they went on to beat Springville 54-37 to reach the area finals and secure a place in the state playoffs.
It was a red-hot start that made the difference on Wednesday night. Corner made its first four shots of the game to claim an 8-0 lead in the opening minutes. The Yellow Jackets (21-9) would go on to shoot 74 percent from the field in the first half, which ended with a 36-14 advantage.
Eight of those points came from the inside via Sam Knowlton. Meanwhile, on the outside it was Caleb Brasfield and Skylar Lara teaming up for four 3-point makes (two apiece) before intermission. Corner also shot well at the charity stripe through the first 16 minutes of play, going 6-for-6.
The Yellow Jackets cooled off in the second half, of course, but did enough to cruise through the finish line. The final tally showed Corner making 20 of its 33 attempts (61 percent) from the field, paired with a 12-for-15 effort at the free-throw line.
Knowlton finished the night with 12 points, and Logan Entrekin added another 11 for Corner.
Mortimer Jordan 56, Saint Clair County 32
In the nightcap, top-seed Mortimer Jordan welcomed 38 points from a bench that has improved down the stretch.
The Blue Devils, much like Corner, built an early lead and held on for a 56-32 win over fourth-seed Saint Clair County. They held a 37-15 lead at the break and turned it into a 49-27 cushion through three quarters.
No one was better off the bench than junior Trevor Chandler, who brought instant offense in the second quarter. He checked in and quickly put nine points on the board, stretching an already comfortable Mortimer Jordan lead. He started with an old fashion 3-point play in transition. On the subsequent two possessions he pulled up from beyond the arc for a pair of makes that put the hosts out front by 20 with three minutes remaining in the first half.
Chandler finished with a team-best 14 points.
Kyle Elsberry ended the half with a tap in at the buzzer, sending Mortimer Jordan (22-7) to the locker room with a 22-point lead.
Head coach Josh Golden dug into his bench throughout the second half as the win looked imminent. Golden’s boys have now won 12 consecutive games.
Erik Harris is the Sports Editor of The North Jefferson News. Email him at njnsports@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jeharris2.