JEFFERSON dialed up the defensive pressure Tuesday and, in turn, returned to the win column with a 68-47 win over Johnson Tuesday.
“We, overall, played more aggressively than we had been,” coach Jason Gibson said.
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak.
Jefferson (2-4) was able to use its press effectively and generate points off turnovers in the win over the Lady Knights. Offensively, the Lady Dragons’ 68 points were a season-high.
Bailey Boyd and Kellie Goza led the Lady Dragons with 16 points each. Skylar Evanson added 14.
“It was good to get back on the winning track,” Gibson said. “The kids worked hard in practice.”
Before beating Johnson, Jefferson faced a top-5 team in Rabun County Saturday. The Lady Wildcats were as good as advertised in handing the Lady Dragons a 65-26 loss.
“They’re good,” Gibson said. “All the credit needs to go to Rabun County. They outplayed us in a lot of areas.”
Jefferson trailed by only six after a quarter and were within striking distance midway through the second quarter, “then the wheels kind of fell off,” Gibson said, as his team trailed by 19 at the half.
“Rabun County is the kind of team that beats you in spurts,” Gibson said.
With the game out of hand heading into the fourth quarter, Jefferson rested its starters and played many of it subs.
Gibson said his team simply gave Rabun County too many extra possessions and chances, pointing to two glaring statistics: 41 turnovers and 17 offensive rebounds surrendered.
“It’s tough to overcome those types of things,” he said.
Skylar Evanson led Jefferson with 10 points.
Jefferson entered the Rabun County game coming off a 47-43 overtime loss to Winder-Barrow.
The Lady Dragons trailed the Class AAAA Lady Bulldoggs by eight points in the fourth quarter but rallied to force overtime. Bailey Boyd’s free throws with 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter tied the game at 39. Jefferson had the ball for the final possession, but couldn’t end the game in regulation.
Jefferson didn’t convert a shot from the field in the extra period, getting four free throws. Meanwhile, Winder-Barrow converted Lady Dragon turnovers into points in securing the win.
Boyd led Jefferson with 11 points, while Evanson added nine.
Gibson said his team didn’t shoot the ball particularly well against Winder-Barrow’s zone, and attacking the zone proved problematic with 6-footer Delorean Itabiyi guarding the paint. Jefferson also struggled from the free throw line, going 11-for-23.
Still, Gibson said this was a gutsy effort from his squad despite being off offensively.
“We kept battling, kept battling, kept fighting,” he said. “We scratched and we found a way to get back in the game and to have a chance to win the game.”
