Warriors hold off host Pirates to reach title game

Feature photo caption: Leighton Jones attacks the lane against the Cumberland defense on Tuesday night. Jones finished with 10 points and four rebounds, and he sealed the win by scoring the final points of the game as time expired.

—photos by Terri Cox | Casey Local Sports Reporter

By Terri Cox | Casey Local Sports Reporter

CUMBERLAND — The Casey-Westfield Warriors fought through a gritty semifinal matchup against the host Cumberland Pirates to secure a 44-39 victory in the second round of the annual Cumberland Turkey Tournament. The win earned the Warriors a spot in the championship game against North Clay, though the title matchup has been postponed twice due to winter weather.

The semifinal was a tightly contested battle throughout the four-quarter affair, but Casey-Westfield held their ground to advance.

The Pirates drew first blood, scoring the first five points to take a 5-0 lead. A three-pointer by Leighton Jones, off an assist from Jackson High, finally put the Warriors on the board. Cumberland answered with a basket, but CW responded immediately with a field goal by High, assisted by Fred Thomas.

Thomas then converted an offensive rebound to knot the score at 7-7. Moments later, Jones secured a steal and found an open Jack Julius for a three-pointer, giving the Warriors a 10-7 advantage. CW extended the lead on a Thomas basket fed by Julius to make it 12-7, though the Pirates scored in the final seconds of the quarter to cut the deficit to 12-9.

The two teams went toe-to-toe in the second frame. CW expanded their lead to 19-11 thanks to a three-pointer from Julius, but the Pirates worked their way back, cutting the advantage to two points with just under 2:30 left in the half.

Thomas hit one of two free throws and High added a basket in the final seconds to push the CW lead to 24-19 at the intermission.

Cumberland came out hot in the third quarter, capitalizing on a pair of Warrior turnovers to tie the score at 24-24 just two minutes in. High responded by taking a perfect pass from Nolan Clement for an open three-pointer, followed by a pair of free throws on the next possession to reclaim a 29-24 advantage.

Despite struggling from the free-throw line later in the quarter—hitting just one of four attempts—the Warriors maintained their lead heading into the final frame.

Scoring slowed significantly in the final eight minutes as the two teams combined for just nine total points. Cumberland managed to get within a basket on several occasions, but the Warriors staved off the rally. CW connected on 3-of-4 from the free-throw line down the stretch, and Jones put the final points on the board as time expired to seal the 44-39 win.

Jackson High led the Warriors with a double-double, recording a team-high 17 points and 10 rebounds. Leighton Jones added 10 points, with Fred Thomas chipping in seven, Jack Julius six, and two each from Nolan Clement and Landon Justice.

Jones and Justice pulled down four rebounds apiece, while Clement and Thomas had three each. Clement handed out four assists, while Julius added two. Defensively, Julius recorded two takeaways, while Jones, Will Moore, and High each had one steal.

Will Moore rises up to reject a Cumberland shot during the semifinal round of the Turkey Tournament. Moore recorded one of the team’s three blocks in the hard-fought 44-39 victory that sent the Warriors to the title game.
—photos by Terri Cox | Casey Local Sports Reporter

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

Scoring Drives (Game Flow)

• 1st Quarter: Cumberland starts 5-0; CW responds with a run to lead 12-9.

• 2nd Quarter: CW extends lead to 19-11; Cumberland rallies, but CW leads 24-19 at half.

• 3rd Quarter: Pirates tie game at 24-24; High sparks a run to rebuild the lead.

• 4th Quarter: Defensive struggle with only 9 total points; CW hits free throws to seal the win.

Individual Statistics

• SCORING: Jackson High 17, Leighton Jones 10, Fred Thomas 7, Jack Julius 6, Nolan Clement 2, Landon Justice 2.

• REBOUNDING: Jackson High 10, Leighton Jones 4, Landon Justice 4, Nolan Clement 3, Fred Thomas 3, Jack Julius 2.

• ASSISTS: Nolan Clement 4, Jack Julius 2, Leighton Jones 1, Landon Justice 1, Jackson High 1, Fred Thomas 1.

• STEALS: Jack Julius 2, Leighton Jones 1, Will Moore 1, Jackson High 1.

• BLOCKS: Landon Justice 1, Will Moore 1, Fred Thomas 1.

Fred Thomas fights through contact for a put-back basket during the Cumberland Turkey Tournament semifinal. Thomas provided a crucial spark in the paint, tallying seven points and three rebounds to help the Warriors hold off the host Pirates.
—photos by Terri Cox | Casey Local Sports Reporter