Jackson Runs Past Pinckney in Girls’ Basketball

Maya Pierce (13) of Jackson High School scored 12 points in helping the Vikings to a 47-29 win over Pinckney at home on Monday.

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

(February 22, 2021 9:51 PM) The Jackson High School varsity girls’ basketball team spent some time working out during the three month-plus delay to start the 2020-2021 season. The Vikings really didn’t get started until mid-January.

Jackson is making up for lost time – in fast motion.

The Vikings recorded nearly 20 steals against Pinckney in earning a 47-29 win.

Jackson is 2-2 on the season, while Pinckney is 0-5.

First-year Coach Ken Robinson said the “long delay was mentally tough.”

“We really didn’t get started with tryouts until a couple of weeks before games resumed,” Robinson said. “Scheduling is tough … but that is just the way the season is going with COVID-19.”

Robinson says there is a lot of basketball IQ on the team and the Vikings put defense first.

“That came from Coach Weatherspoon,” Robinson said. “The goal was always to play solid man-to-man defense.”

Jackson took that to heart against Pinckney. The Vikings held Pinckney in single digits three of the four quarters in the win. Pinckney could only muster three points in the final quarter after pulling within eight points at the end of the third quarter.

Kaylin Moorehead was the star of the first half for Jackson. Moorehead scored nine points in the first 16 minutes of action as Jackson built a 24-14 lead.

Six players scored in the second quarter for the Vikings.

Jackson senior Zoe Langley picked up the scoring slack in the third quarter. Langley – one of two seniors on the team along with Madison Wagner – tallied six points pounding the basketball inside.

Maya Pierce scored eight points in the fourth quarter as Jackson outscored Pinckney 13-3.

Pierce finished with a team-high 12 points, Moorehead finished with nine points and six rebounds, and Langley scored eight points and pulled down eight rebounds for the Vikings.

Defensively, Kayla Johnson recorded four steals, and Wagner and Keiyera Johnson added three steals apiece for the Vikings. Jackson finished with 19 steals on the game and 10 assists.