Jefferson’s stay at the Westminster Holiday Classic started promisingly enough with a lopsided win over the tournament hosts but ended anticlimactically with lopsided losses to Alpharetta and Wesleyan.
Wesleyan, winners of two state titles in the last four years, drubbed Jefferson 61-34 Thursday in the consolation finals to close the tournament.
Austin Thompson led the Dragons with 12 points while Will Puckett had his fifth double-figure scoring performance in his last six games with 11 points.
Jefferson trailed the Wolves 34-23 at the half and attempted to make a run in the third quarter but simply lacked the necessary energy in this game, coach Bolling DuBose said.
“We just didn’t guard anybody,” he said. “We had no movement in our feet.”
The previous night wasn’t any better in a 68-35 loss to Class AAAAA Alpharetta.
No Jefferson player reached double figures with Tyler Patrick leading the Dragons with eight points. Jefferson trailed 34-18 at the half and briefly cut the lead to 10 in the third quarter before falling behind by 24.
“They were a very physical team, and we didn’t respond very well,” DuBose said.
The coach said he was disappointed that his team didn’t do a better job on the offensive boards or pick up many points in transition in the two tournament losses.
And his players apparently took that to heart. The team was slated to be off Friday but, at the urging of several seniors, practiced instead.
“A couple of the seniors said, ‘we don’t need a day off,’ and I said, I’m glad that y’all feel that way,” DuBose said.
