JUDA - Juda boys basketball coach Kyle Krueger didn't count his team out even after the Panthers dug a 16-point hole in the second half Friday night against Albany.
"I think everyone thought we had a great chance," Krueger said. "We did a nice job of creating a few turnovers and getting some easy baskets. We had some really key and costly turnovers, as well."
Juda rallied by turning up the defensive pressure with a press and riding sophomore Joey Jordan, who scored a game-high 22 points. His turnaround jumper in the post, followed by a steal and layup with 5 minutes, 48 seconds left, sliced the Comets' lead to 39-32.
But Albany (1-2, 1-0 Six Rivers East) withstood the comeback and beat the Panthers 48-34 for its first win in the Six Rivers East Conference opener for each team.
Albany senior Bryce Hulbert, who was bottled up by the Panthers and limited to just one first-half point, scored his first field goal on a layup with 3:30 left to push the Comets' lead to 41-32. Albany senior T.J. Bump grabbed an offensive rebound on Tyler Conley's missed jumper, and he scored and was fouled on the putback. Bump converted the traditional three-point play to give the Comets an insurmountable 44-32 lead with 2:46 left.
Hulbert said he didn't feel the lead was in jeopardy.
"We were in control of the game," he said. "We needed to control the game and just needed to settle down."
Hulbert, who scored just five points, said he didn't think the Panthers did anything different defensively to shut him down.
"I feel I was open a lot," said Hulbert, who shot 0-for-6 from the field in the first half, but was helped by the Comets hitting seven 3-pointers. "I had my guys shooting from the outside and they helped me out a lot."
Albany junior Boomer Detra and junior Joshua Krueger each scored 12 points to lead the Comets. Conley added eight points, and Bump chipped in six.
"We started hitting our shots and it opened Bryce up," Detra said. "It's what we needed."
It was a tough first half for Juda (1-3, 0-1). The Comets jumped to an 8-3 lead highlighted by senior Casey Krupke's 3-pointer. Jordan kept the Panthers in the game in the first half, as he scored eight of the team's first nine points. Juda used an 11-5 run from the end of the first quarter that spanned into the second quarter and took the lead on junior Bryan Bauman's 3-pointer from the wing.
The Comets answered by scoring 10 straight points to close out the second quarter. Conley and Detra drilled 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions. The spurt was capped by Detra's 3-pointer with 1:46 to go in the second quarter to give the Comets a 23-14 halftime lead. The Panthers had almost as many turnovers (11) as points (14). The Comets stymied Juda with a pressing defense that forced the Panthers into 10 first-half turnovers.
"We know for us to bring intensity into the game, we have to hit some shots," Albany coach Derik Doescher said. "If we go cold and can't throw it in the ocean, I think it affects our defense. By no means are we where we need to be or where we are capable of being."
At halftime, Krueger stressed the importance of the start of the third quarter.
"We talked about (how) the first four minutes of the second half would determine who would win," Krueger said. "They scored four straight points and that was the rest of the game."
The third quarter started a lot like the first half ended. Albany went on a 9-2 run to open the period and extended the lead to 32-16 with Bump's 3-pointer with 4:47 left in the quarter.
The Panthers battled back, but Krueger knows the team has improvements to make.
"We are all a long ways from where we want to be," he said.
"I think everyone thought we had a great chance," Krueger said. "We did a nice job of creating a few turnovers and getting some easy baskets. We had some really key and costly turnovers, as well."
Juda rallied by turning up the defensive pressure with a press and riding sophomore Joey Jordan, who scored a game-high 22 points. His turnaround jumper in the post, followed by a steal and layup with 5 minutes, 48 seconds left, sliced the Comets' lead to 39-32.
But Albany (1-2, 1-0 Six Rivers East) withstood the comeback and beat the Panthers 48-34 for its first win in the Six Rivers East Conference opener for each team.
Albany senior Bryce Hulbert, who was bottled up by the Panthers and limited to just one first-half point, scored his first field goal on a layup with 3:30 left to push the Comets' lead to 41-32. Albany senior T.J. Bump grabbed an offensive rebound on Tyler Conley's missed jumper, and he scored and was fouled on the putback. Bump converted the traditional three-point play to give the Comets an insurmountable 44-32 lead with 2:46 left.
Hulbert said he didn't feel the lead was in jeopardy.
"We were in control of the game," he said. "We needed to control the game and just needed to settle down."
Hulbert, who scored just five points, said he didn't think the Panthers did anything different defensively to shut him down.
"I feel I was open a lot," said Hulbert, who shot 0-for-6 from the field in the first half, but was helped by the Comets hitting seven 3-pointers. "I had my guys shooting from the outside and they helped me out a lot."
Albany junior Boomer Detra and junior Joshua Krueger each scored 12 points to lead the Comets. Conley added eight points, and Bump chipped in six.
"We started hitting our shots and it opened Bryce up," Detra said. "It's what we needed."
It was a tough first half for Juda (1-3, 0-1). The Comets jumped to an 8-3 lead highlighted by senior Casey Krupke's 3-pointer. Jordan kept the Panthers in the game in the first half, as he scored eight of the team's first nine points. Juda used an 11-5 run from the end of the first quarter that spanned into the second quarter and took the lead on junior Bryan Bauman's 3-pointer from the wing.
The Comets answered by scoring 10 straight points to close out the second quarter. Conley and Detra drilled 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions. The spurt was capped by Detra's 3-pointer with 1:46 to go in the second quarter to give the Comets a 23-14 halftime lead. The Panthers had almost as many turnovers (11) as points (14). The Comets stymied Juda with a pressing defense that forced the Panthers into 10 first-half turnovers.
"We know for us to bring intensity into the game, we have to hit some shots," Albany coach Derik Doescher said. "If we go cold and can't throw it in the ocean, I think it affects our defense. By no means are we where we need to be or where we are capable of being."
At halftime, Krueger stressed the importance of the start of the third quarter.
"We talked about (how) the first four minutes of the second half would determine who would win," Krueger said. "They scored four straight points and that was the rest of the game."
The third quarter started a lot like the first half ended. Albany went on a 9-2 run to open the period and extended the lead to 32-16 with Bump's 3-pointer with 4:47 left in the quarter.
The Panthers battled back, but Krueger knows the team has improvements to make.
"We are all a long ways from where we want to be," he said.
