Jessieville got what it needed out of its top two players, and it was more than enough to end Episcopal Collegiate's four-year stranglehold on the 3A-5 district tournament.
Senior guard Hunter Daley scored a game-high 36 points and junior forward Steven Benson added 27 points and 18 rebounds to carry the Lions to an 82-73 victory over the host Wildcats in the tournament final Friday night.
"This was such as big win for us," Jessieville Coach Eddie Lamb said. "We've had a great rivalry with them, and they've obviously gotten the best of us the last couple of years. And all three contests with them this year have been great, and each one of them could've gone either way.
"But we played so hard [Friday]. Daley is just a natural scorer for us and Benson is just a moose inside. They were huge in helping us get this one."
Daley and Benson scored 26 of the Lions' final 28 points to help beat the Wildcats for the second time this season after the they split their first two meetings.
Senior forward Kelvin Robinson finished with 28 points for Episcopal (16-10), which was going for its fifth consecutive district title in a row. Senior guard Allie Freeman had 19 points before fouling out early in the fourth quarter, and junior guard Kamron Brasfield had 17. The loss was also the Wildcats' first since losing to the Lions 56-53 on Jan. 16.
The victory also allows Jessieville (21-5) to enter next week's 3A-2 regional tournament at Cedar Ridge as one of two top seeds, but the Lions wanted to settle things first with their conference rivals.
The two teams traded baskets for the majority of the opening quarter and were tied 20-20 with 6:30 left in the first half before Daley's three-pointer started a 12-3 run that enabled the Lions to open up a 32-23 lead. But Freeman hit a three-pointer, and the Wildcats outscored the Lions 9-0 to tie the game at 32-32.
The Lions outscored the Wildcats 7-3 to end the second quarter and lead 39-35 at halftime.
There were seven ties in the third quarter before Daley's layup at the buzzer allowed Jessieville to grab a 56-54 lead. The Lions led 63-61 after Brasfield's three-pointer with 5:21 left in the game.
But Benson scored on a putback, and the Lions outscored the Wildcats 11-2 as Jessieville slowly pulled away.
"The is a great boost for our kids, and hopefully we can carry this over into next week," Lamb said. "And in the bigger scheme of things, that's when you want to be playing your best ball, and we hope we can do that."
The Lions finished 27 of 46 from the field and outrebounded the Wildcats 35-22. Episcopal shot 26 of 52.
JESSIEVILLE (82)
Burleson 2 2-2 5, Anderson 2 0-0 5, Daley 11 8-13 36, Owens 0 0-0 0, Lamb 2 2-4 7, Benson 10 7-8 27. Totals 27 19-27 82.
EPISCOPAL (73)
Pitts 3 0-0 6, Owens 0 0-0 0, Robinson 10 7-12 28, Freeman 8 0-0 19, Brasfield 5 4-7 17, Bethel 0 3-4 3. Totals 26 14-23 73.
Jessieville (21-5);16;23;17;26;--;82
Episcopal College (16-10);16;19;19;19;--;73
Three-point goals -- Jessieville 9 (Daley 6, Anderson 1, Lamb 1, Burleson 1), Episcopal 7 (Freeman 3, Brasfield 3, Robinson 1). Total fouls -- Jessieville 20, Episcopal 25. Fouled out -- Freeman, Bethel.
Sports on 02/20/2016