Shepherd falls to Beaverton in JPC action
It was a tall task.
On Wednesday evening the Shepherd High School boys basketball team played host to Beaverton in a Jack Pine Conference contest.
Beaverton came into the game a perfect 7-0 and had received 13 votes in the latest AP poll, just missing out on a top-10 ranking in Division 3. Moreover, let’s not forget that Beaverton is coached by none other than Roy Johnston, the winningest coach in state history with 792 career wins.
That was the tall order Shepherd (4-5) had to face Wednesday and the Jays didn’t really face it as they got run off the court by a final of 58-31.
“We just didn’t bring it mentally tonight,” said Shepherd head coach Lance Maney, a 2008 Shepherd graduate. “We weren’t confident and you have to be confident, especially against a good team like that. That was the best team in our league and we didn’t step up.”
For the season the Jays have been up and down. They started 0-3 before winning four of the next five. Next up are two huge games versus Pinconning and Sanford-meridian, two teams that beat Shepherd early on. If they Jays play like they did Wednesday, well, they’re in trouble because both of their next two opponents are solid.
“We have to be confident between the ears,” said Maney looking forward. “We’re looking forward to those games though.”
The Beavers took an early 16-6 lead in the first quarter and doubled up the host 34-17 by the half. From there the outcome was never in question.
Zach Bendele led the Jays with nine while Thomas Alfano had six. Beaverton was paced by Carson Oldani’s 20 points.
The Jays return to action Friday at Pinconning.