Jackson High School player Tyler Hunt (0) scored 16 points in a 46-44 loss to Chelsea on Tuesday night at home.
By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports
On a night where the Jackson High School boys’ basketball raised money for cancer research, they could not find a cure for complacency.
Jackson – riding a nine-game winning streak – lost to Chelsea High School 46-44 at home Tuesday night. The Vikings had beaten Chelsea on the road 62-56 earlier in the year.
Jackson falls to 10-3 overall, 6-2 in the Southeastern Conference White division.
“We have to be ready to play every night,” Coach Dan Crowley said. “In this league you are not going to walk into the gym and win just because you have a better record than the other team.
“Everybody in the league is capable of beating us if we don’t come ready to play.”
The Vikings have played everyone in the league at least once except for leaders Ypsilanti Lincoln. Jackson will travel to Ypsilanti Lincoln Feb. 12 and will host them Feb. 18 in a make-up game.
“We saw how the league went in the fall and knew we were going to be competitive,” Crowley said about the new conference. “They (Chelsea) were in the same boat as we were with no school yesterday (Monday) and no practice.
“They had incentive because we beat them earlier in the season.”
It appeared as if the Vikings would duplicate that win early in the game Tuesday night. Jackson jumped out to a 13-7 lead at the end of the first quarter as five difference players scored for the Vikings.
Then the Vikings struggled with turnovers and didn’t score until the 2:22 mark of the second quarter on a basket by Tyler Hunt.
Jackson struggled to stop Hunter Neff of Chelsea in the second quarter. The CHS senior scored 10 points in the quarter, 12 in the first half.
Jackson was able to keep themselves in the game by making numerous key stops late in the second quarter. A basket by Hunt pulled the Vikings within one point, 18-17, at halftime.
A 3-point basket by Dakota Robertson to start the third quarter gave Jackson a lead. But the lead would see-saw in the third quarter with Chelsea taking a five-point lead at one point, but Jackson regaining the lead late in the quarter 35-33.
Jackson took its last lead at 40-39 on a basket by Hunt. A steal by Tyshan Kelley and the ensuing basket tied the game at 44 with less than a minute remaining in the game.
Quinn Starkey made two free throws for Chelsea giving the Bulldogs the lead with less than 35 seconds remaining in the game. Jackson had the ball for nearly the rest of the quarter but could not put the basketball in the hoop.
The Vikings were led by Hunt with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Robertson scored nine points and Micah Cretsinger added six points. Kelley tallied six points, dished four assists and made two steals for Jackson.
Jackson celebrated Coaches vs. Cancer night for the American Cancer Society by raising $225 for research. The Nathan Fuentes Insurance Agency sponsored the event by purchasing jerseys and warmup shirts for each of the players. Each player had the name of a special cancer survivor or someone who passed away from cancer on the back of their jerseys.
Jackson will travel to Dexter on Friday at 7 p.m. for a conference tilt.
