Jackson uses big runs, and 23 from Suddeth, to roll past Lumen Christi 57-43
By Mike Moore
Staff Writer
Jackson – He played like a man possessed, and just maybe, he was.
How else can you explain Shonte Suddeth and the game the Jackson High junior had Tuesday night against rival Lumen Christi on the hardwood.
Well, Dan Crowley put it in much simpler terms.
“That’s Shonte,” Crowley said. “That’s what Shonte does.”
Suddeth scored a game-high 23 points at home Tuesday, anchoring a number of big runs for the Vikings in what eventually was a 57-43 victory over the Titans.
“Always a big win,” Crowley added. “We had to win this one at home.”
“It was what we expected,” Lumen coach Pat Neville said of the high paced, back-and-forth game. “Watching them play, it was the tempo we expected. But I thought we did a good job keeping it a half-court game at times. We mixed in some zone, and we made some big shots.”
Suddeth hit an early 3-pointer, and it seemed to ignite the Vikings, who started the game on a 14-3 run.
But after Neville used a timeout, Lumen came roaring back, cutting the deficit to 16-9 by the end of the first quarter, and 19-16 midway through the second.
But Jackson went on another run, closing the first half with an 18-5 advantage for a 37-21 lead at the break.
Neville talked Sunday night about being an underdog, but playing with confidence, and his guys did just that as the second half opened.
Lumen outscored Jackson 15-8 in the third quarter, trimming the deficit to just six at one point.
But Jackson had an answer, almost every time, eventually pulling away for a second-consecutive victory over the Titans, and third if the crowd’s chant of “just like football,” meant anything.
Suddeth led all scorers with 23 in the victory.
Jaylon Johnson made two three’s in the first half, and finished with eight points, while Deangelo Weaver, Sam Williams and R’Mand Brown all scored seven for the Vikings, who improved to 2-3 on the young season.
“We’ve had guys step up off the bench all year,” Crowley said of his bench play, which was key all night. “We’ve had guys step up and play defense, guys step up and hit big shots. … We knew we were going to get (Lumen’s) shot, and they played very well tonight.”
Zaylen Moore led Lumen (1-4) with 18 points. Kristopher Wallace was a force on both ends of the floor, scoring nine points with six rebounds before severe cramps in his lower legs forced him out of the game.
Jon Brys finished with four points and four blocks.
Jackson is back in action Friday night at Grand Ledge (4-1) in Capital Area Activities Conference Blue Division play.
“You’re happy with the performance, but you can’t like losing,” Neville added. “The good thing for us, is Jackson plays a similar style to some of the games we have coming up. If we can take this game and learn from it and build from it, we’re going to be in good shape moving forward.”
Lumen returns to the hardwood Friday night at home against a Marshall team that’s won four in a row after starting the season with consecutive losses.
The teams won’t see one another again until the regular-season finale March 3 at Lumen.
Game Photos | Dan Crowley Post Game | Shonte Suddeth Post Game
Mike Moore is a play-by-play commentator and Sports Writer for JTV Sports. You can reach him at mjm12@albion.edu. He’s also the author of ‘Love, Defined; A Dedication to the Love, Sacrifice, and Magic of Motherhood.’
Love, Defined is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Tate Publishing or by contacting Mike directly.