Smith shines as Starfires outlast Jets
After falling behind early, the South Adams Starfires resiliently battled back to knock off the Adams Central Jets 51-39 to advance to the IHSAA Class 2A Sectional Semifinals on Friday night.
While the game ended on a disappointing note for the Jets, they could hardly have started the contest any better. South Adams (7-15, 3-3 Allen County) scored the first two points of the game, but the Jets answered with a 13-0 run to take a double-digit lead.
The run started with a trio of three-pointers, the last of which came from Kate Fisher from the right corner to give Adams Central (6-17, 2-5 Allen County) a 9-2 lead.
A bucket from Alexa Brotherton put the Jets up 11-2 and prompted a South Adams timeout with 4:43 left in the first.
Grace Fisher scored the final points of the Adams Central surge on a layup that put the Jets up by 11.
Emmerson Smith, who played an outstanding game for the Starfires, finally stopped the run with a three that made the score 13-5 late in the first.
Baskets were tough to come by early for the hosts. Meanwhile, Adams Central took advantage of the scoring struggles experienced by the Starfires when Ashlyn Doster made a shot while being fouled to put the Jets up 10.
A layup and two free throws by Laney Trausch as well as a free throw by Macy Pries allowed the Starfires to cut the deficit in half by the end of the first quarter.
The Jets had their mammoth run in the first quarter. In the second, it was the turn of the Starfires.
South Adams scored the first eight points of the second quarter to slice the Adams Central surplus down to two. The lead changed hands when a triple by Smith made it 16-15 in favor of the Starfires.
The surge reached 13 points without reply before the visitors answered through Doster to pull back within a point.
Late in a first half that saw the momentum take several pendulum swings, the basket by Doster triggered a run of six-unanswered points for the Jets.
The final field goal of the first half came when Athena Schwartz stole a pass in the backcourt and put the ball through the net while getting fouled.
Pries rounded out the firsthalf scoring with a free throw.
The half ended with Adams Central clinging to a 23-21 lead.
Most of the arena was full for the second sectional quarterfinal of the evening. The big crowdAdams Central fans behind the benches and South Adams supporters on the other side of the court- made plenty of noise throughout the night.
The home fans would be given a lot more to cheer about in quarters three and four.
Another three by Smith gave the Starfires a 24-23 lead shortly after the intermission. A pair of two-pointers by Trausch and a long two by Patterson completed a 9-0 run for the home team and gave them a 30-23 lead.
The run also forced an Adams Central timeout with 3:35 left in the third quarter.
Doster, who finished tied with Kate Fisher for most points scored by a Jet on Wednesday with eight points, got Adams Central on the board in the third quarter with a basket almost immediately after the timeout.
Unfortunately for the Jets, the two points scored on the play by Doster would account for half of their total in the third quarter. Brotherton accounted for the other two.
South Adams ended the third quarter with a five-point lead.
After two points by Stafford early in the frame, Smith drained another three to give the Starfires a 37-31 cushion. Smith ended the night with six three-point baskets.
Smith made it 42-33 with another triple.
Schwartz got a friendly roll on a hook shot that pulled the Jets back within eight as the game moved into the late stages of the quarter.
While the Jets continued to battle, South Adams showed a high level of composure and resolve as they sealed the victory.
A pair of free throws by Pries with 2:30 to go in the game gave South Adams their first double-digit lead of the night.
Stafford briefly brought the difference down to 10 points at 49-39 with a nifty drive to the basket, but it was too late for the Jets. The Starfires killed off the remaining time and eliminated their rivals from the state tournament.
The victory means the Starfires will play at least one more game on their home court. They will take on Whitko at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Earlier in the night, Bluffton defeated Manchester. The Tigers will face Fort Wayne Bishop Luers prior to the South AdamsWhitko game.
The winners of the two contests will return to South Adams on Saturday to meet in the sectional championship game at 7:00 p.m.*