UJ Basketball
Tuesday Harold Newman Arena
Men
UJ 74 Briar Cliff 57
The University of Jamestown men’s basketball team went on a 35-7 second-half run on the way to a 74-57 win over Briar Cliff (Iowa) University Tuesday night at Harold Newman Arena.
Jamestown moves to 9-3 overall and 5-2 in the GPAC while Briar Cliff falls to 5-7 overall and 3-5 in the conference.
Briar Cliff got out to an 11-4 lead early, but UJ scored nine of the next 11 points to tie the game at 13.
Ethan Freidel scored the Chargers’ next eight points to give the visitors a 21-13 lead at the 12:08 mark of the first.
BCU stayed ahead until a pair of Allante’ Pickens (SR/Chicago, IL) free throws put UJ ahead 32-31 with 2:49 before the half.
The Jimmies trailed 35-34 at the break, but tied the game at 40 following Brady Birch (SR/Melrose, MN)’s basket with 15:50 to play.
The Birch basket started a 17-2 run, with the next 15 points for the Jimmies coming from Mason Walters (SO/Jamestown, ND) as the lead stretched to 55-42 with 10:34 to play.
A Nick Hoyt three-pointer brought the Chargers within 10 points at 55-45, but Will Cordes (FR/Shakopee, MN) answered with a three of his own to start an 18-2 run. Birch capped off the run, which saw UJ lead 73-47 at the 4:38 mark.
BCU ended the game on a 10-1 run to avoid the 20-plus point defeat.
Walters finished with 33 points on 14-of-15 shooting and pulled down 12 rebounds for his 11th double-double of the season. Pickens scored all of his 16 points in the first half to also finish in double figures. Walters and Cordes each dished out four assists.
Freidel and Quinten Vasa each had 11 points to lead Briar Cliff.
UJ connected on a season-low 5-of-22 three-point attempts, but were 24-of-34 inside the arc. Jamestown outrebounded Briar Cliff 36-26 and had a 21-11 edge in points off turnovers.
The Jimmies are back in action Friday night when they host Concordia (Neb.) University at 8 p.m.
Women
UJ 78 Briar Cliff 62
The University of Jamestown women’s basketball team shot a season-best 56.4 percent from the floor Tuesday night in a 78-62 GPAC victory over Briar Cliff (Iowa) University at Harold Newman Arena.
Conversely, the Jimmies held the Chargers to 27.4 shooting, a season low for opponents, on the way to their third victory in the last four games.
Jamestown improves to 6-3 overall and 4-3 in the GPAC, while Briar Cliff falls to 8-3 overall and 6-3 in the conference.
The Chargers missed their first 13 shots of the game and shot just 2-for-20 in the first quarter, but went 6-of-9 at the free throw line to stay within six points, 16-10, at the end of the first. UJ opened by making seven of their first 11 shots, including two three-pointers.
The Jimmies’ biggest lead of the first half came after an Audrey Rodakowski (FR/Dickinson, ND) basket made it 34-20 with 3:02 left in the second. Jamestown led 36-26 at halftime.
Briar Cliff got as close as 39-31 following a Konnor Sudmann basket at the 7:55 mark of the third. A 7-0 run capped off by a Noelle Josephson (JR/Ramsey, MN) steal and layup extended the lead to 15 points just 62 seconds later.
After the Chargers cut the lead to six with 2:45 in the third, Hannah DeMars (SO/Grand Rapids, MN) sank a pair of free throws and made a basket to give Jamestown a double-digit lead going into the fourth quarter.
Leading 60-56 with 6:09 in the game, Jamestown used a 12-0 run, started by a Kia Tower (SO/Bigfork, MN) three-pointer, to put the game away. Macy Savela (SO/Mountain Iron, MN)’s three-pointer at the 3:19 mark gave the Jimmies an 18-point lead, their biggest of the game. UJ shot 81.8 percent (9-for-11) in the fourth, their best mark in a quarter this season.
DeMars led the way for Jamestown with 23 points, eight assists, five rebounds, and three steals. Savela came off the bench for a career-high 19 points, including 5-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc. Tower added 16 points and Rodakowski chipped in with 12 points and seven blocked shots.
Sudmann had 20 points and Peyton Slaughter 12 points and 10 rebounds for Briar Cliff.
Jamestown is back in action Friday when they host Concordia (Neb.) University at 6 p.m.
