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Twinsburg, Ohio – The Jackson Polar Bears used a combination of clutch baskets and airtight defense to defeat Solon, 56-47, in a Twinsburg District semifinal Wednesday night.
The teams traded baskets back-and-forth in the first quarter, with neither team getting much, if any, separation. But JJ Vaughan hit a triple that rattled around the rim and fell in to give Jackson an 18-15 lead at the end of the first quarter.
JJ Vaughan with this three that rattled around before falling in for the Polar Bears. Jackson leads 18-15 after one.@SportsKee1 @PurpleNGoldCrew pic.twitter.com/QhsIFsu5a4
— Tony Bogan (@TBoges2010) March 3, 2022
Jackson would add to their lead in the second quarter, thanks to the efforts of Owen Woolbert and Kevin James. James had six points and a couple of nice drives to the hoop. The Polar Bears would also play impressive defense, which helped to pad their lead.
Their lead stood at 31-23 at the halftime break.
Solon began to make their charge in the third quarter, behind the efforts of Sam Marbury.
Marbury, who had just two points in the first half, scored ten in the third quarter, including two triples. He was one of four different Comets to hit a triple in the quarter, as they rallied to tie the score at 42, going into the final stanza.
Solon has fought back to tie the game! Sam Marbury with ten points in the third, including this bucket.
We are tied at 42 going into an exciting fourth quarter! @SportsKee1 pic.twitter.com/pqOFtSJczY
— Tony Bogan (@TBoges2010) March 3, 2022
Three fourth-quarter free throws gave Jackson a 45-42 lead. But a Sam Marbury triple would tie the score right back up at 45.
Massillon Jackson took the lead thanks to a bucket on the inside by Owen Woolbert. He would add two more to increase the Polar Bear lead to 51-45 with 1:05 left. A Rayquan Thompson layup would cut the lead to 51-47, but five Polar Bear free throws iced the game.
Senior forward Owen Woolbert had a huge night Wednesday, scoring 22 points to lead all scorers. Senior guard Kevin James chipped in 16, and senior guard JJ Vaughan had 12.
Massillon Jackson improved to 14-10. They will play the winner of Aurora/Hoban Thursday night.
Solon finishes their season at 18-7. They were led with 18 points from junior guard Rayquan Thompson and 15 points from senior forward Sam Marbury.
Tony DeCesar is the worst coach. He looses so many games because he never has a disciplined team. He just shoots 3s and never plays defense