Five Takeaways: Rock Bridge at Jefferson City
Columbia Rock Bridge made the short trip to Jefferson City on Thursday night to take on the Jays in a battle of Mid-Missouri powers. Rock Bridge came into the game ranked No. 2 in the Class 5 state rankings while…
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Continue ReadingColumbia Rock Bridge made the short trip to Jefferson City on Thursday night to take on the Jays in a battle of Mid-Missouri powers. Rock Bridge came into the game ranked No. 2 in the Class 5 state rankings while Jefferson City was ranked No. 5 in the same poll. The two teams battled tooth-and-nail for four quarters before Jefferson City came away with a 50-45 victory in a very competitive game. These two teams could very well meet again in a couple of weeks as they will be the top two seeds in the Class 5, District 9 tournament, which will be held at Battle.
Here are Five Takeaways from the the Jefferson City-Rock Bridge game.
Jefferson City’s formidable front line
Very few teams around the state can match the height and talent that the Jays can feature in its starting front line. They Jays’ trio of 6’3″ 2020 Sarah Linthacum, 6’1″ 2021 Kara Daly and 6’4″ 2023 Hannah Linthacum proved to be the difference in the game. Sarah Linthacum scored a game-high 17 points while Daly scored 12 points and Hannah Linthacum chipped in with six points. They are all mobile post players who really play well together as their passing to each other was excellent throughout the evening.
K.K. Brodie is a Stellar Sophomore
The 6’4″ 2022 post player from Rock Bridge had an excellent performance while combating Jeff City’s tall and talented front line. She set the tone early by blocking two consecutive shots on the first possession of the game. She finished the game with 12 points and six blocked shots. She has good hands to catch the ball in traffic and can score inside with good fundamentals and footwork.
Eryn Puett can play without the basketball
The 5’10 2020 guard scored a team-high 14 points for Rock Bridge and she did it in such a quiet and unassuming manner. She is one of the best I’ve seen and playing without the basketball, yet she always seems to be around the ball. She scored scored several buckets with her cutting ability and she constantly made herself available.
Brooke Bates is an unsung performer
On a team with arguably the state’s top front line and a talented shooting guard in Hannah Nilges, this 2020 point guard could get easily overlooked. On this night, she was very good as she scored five points in the second half and played a solid overall floor game. She was impressive with her passing, plus her ability to make a lot of hustle plays that may go unnoticed in the stat sheet, but were vital in helping her team win games.
The Turning Point
A couple of big events happened that really turned the tide in the game. The first came in the third quarter when standout 2022 guard Averi Kroenke was injured in a collision and had to leave the game. She did not return. The second came when Rock Bridge point guard Sanaa’ St. Andre fouled out with more than five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Without their starting backcourt, Rock Bridge was unable to hold on to its head and the Jays took over in the fourth quarter.