Jefferson Boys Basketball

Robinson, J-Hawks handle Cougars

Creighton Robinson wasn't sure what to think when Jefferson Coach Stu Ordman told everyone the game plan for Friday night's contest against Kennedy.

Ordman decided to use Taylor Olson, his star point guard, as a high-post center for much of the game against the Cougars and use Robinson as the primary ballhandler instead.

"I was a little shocked, but I had to step up and handle the ball," Robinson remarked.

The strategy worked fine as the 10th-ranked J-Hawks bounced the Cougars, 56-43, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game on Hall of Fame night at Kennedy.

"We were trying to cause havoc in the middle with T.O. (Olson)," Robinson explained. "It opened it up a lot for us."

Robinson poured in a career-high 19 points and handled the ball cleanly all night. Alec Saunders tossed in four 3-pointers and scored 14 points for the J-Hawks (9-2, 5-2).

Olson finished with eight points, much less than his normal average of 21.5, but he was happy to pass the ball around when the Cougars surrounded him near the foul line.

"We knew they were going to collapse on me," he said. "I had to find the open guy."

Olson was battling an illness Friday, so he was able to conserve a little energy by playing the high post instead of running the team all night, but he returned to point guard in the fourth quarter to help protect the lead.

"I'm a little bit tired, but I'm fine," he said.

Olson wasn't the only J-Hawk who was a little under the weather against the Cougars.

"So was (Tyler) Hemphill, so was Creighton, so am I, so is Jacob (Olson)," Ordman said. "That's one of the things I was concerned about. We could hardly practice all week."

Robinson swished three 3-pointers on his way to 19 markers.

"I thought he played a fantastic game, considering how sick he is," Ordman said. "He's a competitor."

Kennedy played well in the first quarter and grabbed a 17-9 advantage, but the Cougars (7-3, 5-3) scored only four points in the second period and trailed 28-21 at the break.

The J-Hawks pummeled Kennedy, 19-4, in the second period to gain control. Hemphill tied the game, 19-19, with a bucket, Robinson made it 22-19 with a 3-pointer and Saunders made it 25-19 with another 3-pointer.

Kennedy pulled within 31-28 midway through the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Cody Bell, but Robinson answered with a 3-pointer of his own for a 34-28 lead.

Trevor Heitland scored for Kennedy, making it 34-30, but the J-Hawks went on an 8-1 run for a 42-31 margin early in the fourth quarter and cruised from there.

Bell led Kennedy with 13 points and Alex Hayden scored 12, but Heitland finished with only five points and 6-foot-7 center Elliott Christians scored only three points (all on free throws) despite having a big height advantage.

"Our senior point guard (Heitland) and our senior post guy (Christians) did not help us tonight offensively," Coach Bob Fontana said.

Fontana wanted his players to perform with a high basketball I.Q., but he didn't think the Cougars came close to matching the J-Hawks. "I told everybody this is the smartest team we've played all year," he said.

Fontana will have more weapons at his disposal Saturday night against Des Moines North when Josiah Coleman and Darius Fuller return from 10-game suspensions. Coleman and Fuller are two potential starters, and the Cougars went 7-3 without them.

"We held the fort okay. Record-wise, I'm not disappointed," Fontana said. "What I'm disappointed with is our mentality in games of this nature."

JEFFERSON (56): Saunders 4 2-2 14, Robinson 6 4-6 19, Kramer 1 5-6 8, Hemphill 1 0-1 2, T. Olson 2 4-4 8, Underwood 2 1-2 5, Sullivan 0 0-0 0, J. Olson 0 0-0 0, Goodell 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 16-21 56.

KENNEDY (43): Christians 0 3-5 3, Hayden 4 1-2 12, Bell 4 4-6 13, Jahlas 1 0-1 2, Heitland 2 0-0 5, Struss 2 0-0 4, Martin 0 0-0 0, Carter 2 0-1 4, Fergus 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 8-15 43.

Halftime - Jefferson 28, Kennedy 21. 3-point goals - Jefferson 8 (Saunders 4, Robinson 3, Kramer 1), Kennedy 5 (Hayden 3, Bell 1, Heitland 1).

No. 10 J-Hawks pull away from Waterloo West

As the quiet but undisputed leader of his team, Jefferson's smooth point guard Taylor Olson was playing a little under the weather Tuesday night.

However, he said that was no excuse for the J-Hawks' uninspired play that let a poor-shooting Waterloo West bunch hang around for much of the game at Jefferson.

The 10th-ranked J-Hawks finally got their act together in the last stanza - scoring almost as many points as it scored the rest of the game - and buried the Wahawks, 54-34.

"I don't know what the problem was, but our game was very lackadaisical for about the first three quarters," said Olson, a model student who is beginning to receive Division I scholarship offers.

"Maybe it was lack of leadership on my part. We sort of played on our heels. We didn't execute like we practice. We were just too tentative and laid back."

The savvy 6-foot-1 senior took over when his team needed it, however, scoring 13 of his game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter. When Waterloo West (4-5, 3-4) tried to blunt Jefferson's late-game surge with fouls, Olson cooly dropped in nine of 10 free throws in the last four minutes.

He was also the one his teammates relied on to control the ball and the tempo of the game.

"Taylor just kicked up his game," said Jefferson Coach Stu Ordman. "He wasn't feeling well, but I think he was playing on adrenaline."

Like his go-to star, Ordman felt the entire team started out as if hit by a bug of some sort.

"We let their pressure defense bother us, and we didn't rebound as well as we should," he said. "We didn't play with a lot of confidence. It's like a virus, and it spread to everybody."

With lackluster shooting by both sides, Jefferson (8-2, 4-2) led just 18-12 at halftime. Olson opened the second half with two slick drives to the basket, and long-range junior gunner Creighton Robinson popped his second 3-pointer of the night.

The Wahawks stuck around, however, thanks to a couple of buckets by 6-foot-6 senior Dale Jones. He came into the night leading the MVC in rebounding with 10.5 a game and was averaging 17.3 points.

Though taller than any J-Hawk, Jones preferred to play his game from behind the 3-point arc. At times he was guarded by the 5-foot-9 Robinson.

He did hit one long jumper and ended up with 13 points, but was never a force underneath or on the boards. Playing like a point guard, Jones late in the game dribbled behind his back on a fast break and was called for a charging foul on the way to the basket.

With a tenuous six-point lead going into the final quarter, Jeff sub Justin Underwood hit two quick jumpers and Robinson canned another 3-pointer (going 3 for 5 for the night).

When Olson made another of his patented floaters after driving down the lane, the lead was suddenly up to 12 with 5:20 to go. His conventional three-point play put the lead at 15, and he finished out the game from the free throw line.

"He had a tremendous game," said Ordman of his senior floor leader, who topped his season scoring average of 21.8 points. "He played with composure and really settled things down."

WATERLOO WEST (34): DaQuan Moore 3 5-8 11, Malik Green 2 0-0 5, Dimarco Mallett 0 0-0 0, Carderrius Smith 2 0-0 4, Dale Jones 5 2-4 13, Queshawn Roby 0 0-0 0, Alex Young 0 0-0 0, Tre Johnson 0 1-2 1, Xavier Hightower 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 8-14 34.

JEFFERSON (54): Alec Saunders 2 0-0 4, Creighton Robinson 3 0-0 9, Ky Kramer 3 2-2 8, Tyler Hemphill 2 3-4 7, Taylor Olson 7 8-11 22, Justin Underwood 2 0-0 4, Jacob Olson 0 0-0 0, Taylor Mueller 0 0-0 0, Andre Kearney 0 0-0 0, Austin Goodell 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 13-17 54.

Halftime – Jefferson 18, West 12. 3-point goals – West 2 (Green, Jones), Jefferson 3 (Robinson 3). Total fouls – West 15, Jefferson 14. Fouled out – none.

No. 1 Trojans block J-Hawks at buzzer, 50-49

Taylor Olson nearly wrote a storybook ending for the Jefferson High School basketball team Friday night.

Unfortunately for Olson and the J-Hawks, Dondre Alexander had an eraser and rewrote the script.

Alexander scored the go-ahead basket for top-ranked Iowa City West and blocked Olson's shot at the buzzer as the Trojans escaped with a 50-49 victory at the Jefferson gym.

The J-Hawks rallied from a 16-point deficit, held the high-powered Trojans to just two points in the fourth quarter and gave themselves a chance to win at the end.

Olson had the ball in his hands as the final seconds ticked away with Iowa City West clinging to its one-point lead. Jefferson Coach Stu Ordman did not call a timeout, trusting his senior point guard to make the right decision.

"He has to make that decision," said Ordman.

"We practice this," said Olson, who relished the opportunity.

Olson bided his time, then made his move to the basket with about five seconds left. He nudged past Alexander and thought he could get all the way to the basket for the game-winning shot.

"I saw the basket, I thought I was wide open, but I don't know, it didn't go our way this time," he said.

Olson got close to the bucket and went up for the shot. Alexander, a strong defender, recovered and got a piece of the ball.

"Yeah, it was a block. A clean block," said Alexander.

"Yeah, he did get a piece of the ball," Olson confirmed.

The buzzer sounded. Ordman grimaced, then quickly joined the handshake line. The big upset had slipped away.

Iowa City West (9-0, 6-0) jumped to a 33-17 lead at halftime and appeared headed for an easy victory, but the eighth-ranked J-Hawks (7-2, 3-2) had other ideas.

"A little voice modulation there at halftime," said Ordman. "We really challenged our guys."

Ordman put 5-foot-9 guard Creighton Robinson in the starting lineup for the second half in place of 6-foot-4 center Justin Underwood, making the J-Hawks even smaller than usual but even quicker, presenting matchup problems for the bigger Trojans.

Robinson pulled Jefferson within 48-47 with a 3-pointer, then gave the J-Hawks their only lead of the night at 49-48 with a sensational reverse layup, high off the glass with English.

"Coach said if I have a clean look, take it," said Robinson, who made three 3-pointers and finished with 15 points.

"I thought he played with a lot of heart," said Ordman. "He played inspired basketball. He actually brought us back in the game."

Alexander, playing with a sore right hand, made a strong inside move and gave Iowa City West a 50-49 edge with the visitor's only basket of the fourth quarter with 1:30 remaining.

Jefferson spread the court and began killing time. The J-Hawks briefly lost possession, but the Trojans gave it right back with 39 seconds left in front of the J-Hawk bench.

Some teams would milk the clock and call a timeout with 10 or 12 seconds left to design a final play, but Ordman trusted Olson with the outcome in his hands.

"We're down one (point), we might as well take the last shot and see what happens," said Ordman. "Our leading scorer had the ball with a good look at the basket. A pretty good play."

Olson had the option of passing to an open teammate, but he'd made terrific moves to the basket all night and had a chance to win the game on his own.

"I got a clear line to the basket, but Dondre recovered and then he got a piece of the ball," he said.

Alexander came away with the loose ball and there was no time for anything else to happen as the game ended.

"We didn't out-play them," said Iowa City West Coach Steve Bergman. "We had a couple of stretches where we shot it really well. That was enough to get us over the hump."

Alexander fell early in the game and hurt his right hand, costing him a few minutes of playing time. He also got into mild foul trouble and missed a few more minutes, but he was around at the end when it mattered to avoid the upset.

"We're No. 1, so everyone is going to come out and play their 'A' game, play their best game against us," he said.

Ordman liked his team's patience and shot selection in the second half, compared to what transpired in the first 16 minutes. The J-Hawks also played much better defense in the second half.

"We were tentative and seemed kind of scared in the first part of the game," said Olson. "I think that was the problem."

Jefferson began the week with a spotless 7-0 record, but suffered a 61-46 loss at No. 3 Dubuque Senior Tuesday night and finished the week with a one-point groaner against the No. 1 team in the state.

"I'm hoping this inspires the guys," said Ordman. "If we put four quarters together instead of two, we might win another game."

Olson led Jefferson with a game-high 19 points. Alexander finished with 13 points. Austin Swank gave the Trojans a big lift off the bench with three 3-pointers and 11 points.

Only four J-Hawks scored in the ballgame. Tyler Hemphill netted eight points and Alec Saunders had seven.

IOWA CITY WEST (50): Morgan 2 0-0 5, Lohaus 4 0-0 9, Alexander 6 0-0 13, Gylten 3 1-2 8, Batie-Gaddy 2 0-0 4, Bryant 0 0-0 0, Swank 4 0-0 11, Stewart 0 0-0 0, Smith 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 1-2 50.

JEFFERSON (49): Kramer 0 0-0 0, T. Olson 6 7-8 19, Saunders 2 2-4 7, Hemphill 4 0-2 8, Underwood 0 0-0 0, Robinson 6 0-0 15, Kearney 0 0-0 0, J. Olson 0 0-0 0, Goodell 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 9-14 49.

Halftime - Iowa City West 33, Jefferson 17. 3-point goals - Iowa City West 7 (Swank 3, Morgan 1, Lohaus 1, Alexander 1, Gylten 1), Jefferson 4 (Robinson 3, Saunders 1).

Senior clamps down on Olson and J-Hawks

DUBUQUE – Taylor Olson and his Cedar Rapids Jefferson teammates found out just how tough the road can be in the Mississippi Valley Conference.

In the first of two Class 4A top-3 tests this week, the No. 8 J-Hawks struggled to overcome a poor shooting night Tuesday and fell to No. 3 Dubuque Senior, 61-46, at Nora Gymnasium.

Jefferson (7-1, 3-1 MVC) shot just 18-for-50 (36 percent) from the field in the loss. The offensive output was a far cry from what the J-Hawks produced before Christmas break.

Jefferson averaged 62.1 points per game during its seven-game winning streak to start the season.

“We had very poor shot selection, and we had very poor patience during the entire first quarter,” Jefferson Coach Stu Ordman said. “That hurt us for the entire game.”

Senior (7-0, 4-0) had a clear advantage in size. The Rams don’t have a starter shorter than 6-foot-4, and their front line of Josh Weeber, Connor Grant and Seth Bonifas goes 6-5, 6-5 and 6-9, respectively.

The Rams put the clamps on Jefferson’s leading scorer, Taylor Olson, who came into the contest as the No. 2 scorer in Class 4A at 23.1 points per game.

Olson was contained for most of the game by Senior point guard Domen Zevnik. Olson finished with 12 points, all coming in the second half.

“(Zevnik) played good defense, and he knows he’s got those big guys behind him,” Ordman said. “When Taylor did beat him, we had guys open on the perimeter. It’s tough to shoot over those guys, though.  (Zevnik) is a good player who concentrates really well on defense.”

Olson didn’t feel in sync on the offensive end.

“As a team, Dubuque Senior is really big,” Olson said. “They can sag in the lane. With them shutting down the lane, it’s hard to get my game going from inside and out.”

Senior led for the entire game until the fourth quarter, when Jefferson mounted a run. The J-Hawks took their first lead, 38-37, on Olson’s long bank shot with 7:20 remaining in the fourth.

It was all Rams after that juncture. Senior went on a 20-2 run over the next four minutes, and Jefferson never recovered.

“Going into the third quarter, I knew we had to make a run then,” Olson said. “Once we did, I don’t think we handled some situations well. Some of our rotations were bad, and some of the key situations in the end hurt us in the long run.”

Senior had a balanced scoring attack, led by Grant with 17 points. Zevnik added 15 points and Weeber 13 for the Rams, who have defeated three top-10 teams already this season.

Ky Kramer paced Jefferson with 15 points, including three 3-pointers.

The schedule doesn’t get easier for the J-Hawks. Next up for Jefferson is a home tilt Friday with No. 1 Iowa City West.

“It is what it is,” Ordman said of the tough schedule. “In the MVC, that can happen.

“We have to share the basketball and have patient possessions on offense. Defensively, we don’t have much margin for error. We have to get more consistent.”

JEFFERSON (46): Alec Saunders 2 0-0 6, Ky Kramer 6 0-0 15, Tyler Hemphill 1 0-0 2, Taylor Olson 5 2-4 12, Justin Underwood 0 0-0 0, Andre Kearney 0 0-0 0, Jacob Olson 0 0-1 0, Creighton Robinson 3 1-2 9, Layne Sullivan 0 0-0 0, Austin Goodell 0 0-0 0, Taylor Mueller 0 0-0 0, Daniel Eggers 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 3-7 46.

SENIOR (61): Domen Zevnik 4 4-4 15, Kyle Haber 3 3-5 9, Connor Grant 7 3-5 17, Josh Weeber 5 2-2 13, Kyle Holdridge 1 0-1 3, Mitch Duve 0 2-2 2, Drew Anderson 0 0-0 0, Jon Powers 0 0-0 0, Austin Clemens 0 0-0 0, Lucas Legrand 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 13-20 61.

Halftime score – Senior 29, Jefferson 20. 3-point goals – Jefferson 7 (Saunders 2, Kramer 3, Robinson 2); Senior 5 (Zevnik 3, Weeber, Holdridge). Total fouls – Jefferson 19, Senior 12. Technical foul – Kearney. Fouled out – Kearney.