St. Joe’s Jaguars Defeat Rocky River Pirates 45-39 In Back & Forth Classic

Game recaps are brought to you by – https://keeonsports.com/sponsors/

What a game it was tonight as the St. Joe’s Jaguars overcame a 35-30 early fourth quarter deficit to defeat Rocky River 45-39 at home.  The Jaguars used big three balls by Lizzy Lenahan and Ryan Elbert in the fourth, to comeback on the Pirates and capture the win.

Lenahn finished with 10 points while Elbert had 6.  Ava Haddad led the Jaguars with 16 while Ella Neitzel had 10 and Elise Larsen with 6.  Smantha Kim also had two big foul shots to help seal it late for the Jaguars.

The Pirates were led by Kelsey Murphy with 17 and Ava Patti with 12.  10 of Patti’s 12 came in the third quarter which helped the Pirates build a lead at the time.  Also scoring for the Pirates was Natalie Swallow with 5, Annika Mocho with 2 and Sophia Murray with 3.

A few moments after her foul shot made it 5-2 Pirates, it was a Sophia Murray jumper increasing the Pirate lead to 7-2 halfway through the first. The quarter would end with the Pirates on top 9-6 as both teams played incredible defense.  Ava Haddad accounted for all 6 Jaguar points in the period.

A pair of made foul shots by Ava Haddad would give the Jaguars their first lead of 14-13 at the 4:59 mark of the second quarter.  This allowed the Jaguars to go into a full court trap and force a quick turnover which Haddad would eventually cash in for two more and increase the lead to 16-13.

Back-to-back Jaguar buckets by Larsen sandwiched a River three by Swallow to make it 20-16 with 2:48 to play. Larsen wasn’t done however and found the basket again to make it 22-16 in the closing minute of the half.  The teams would go to the break at 22-16 as well.

Three minutes into the third quarter, the Pirates cut into the lead a bit at 28-25 by using the strong presence of Murphy and Patti down low as the two combined to score their first 9 points of the quarter with 8 of the coming from inside the key. A fast break run out by Patti would then cut it down to 1.  Patti just kept on coming and then gave the Pirates the lead back with a runner in the paint to make it 29-28 with 3:57 to go in the quarter.

Patti would remain hot and finish the third quarter with 10 points as the Pirates grabbed a 33-30 lead.  Also scoring in the quarter was Kelsey Murphy with 7.  The Pirates outscored the Jaguars 17-8 in the 8-minute stretch.

Down 35-30 early into the fourth, the Jaguars called on Lizzy Lenahan to get them back in it, and she did!  She followed two shots from the foul line with a three ball to tie it at 35 with a little over 5 minutes to play.  Ryan Elbert would then drain a three of her own, and just like that, the Jaguars led 38-35.  The Pirates would battle back and make it 40-37 with 2:11 to play.

A few minutes later it was Ella Neitzel slipping wide open near the rim to make it 43-37.  St. Joe’s would hang on for the 45-39 victory.