PITSBURG – The Brookville Blue Devils continued their undefeated season at 8-0 by outscoring the 6-2 Franklin Monroe Jets 49-42 in a standing-room-only crowd at the Hangar Friday night in the finals of the Jet Holiday Tournament.
The shots were flying all over the Hangar and landing with regularity in the first quarter for both the home-standing Jets and the Blue Devils from Montgomery County. Leading the aerial assault for the Jets in this 16 point quarter was sophomore Ethan Conley, who canned in 10 points, followed by junior Kyle Ressler, senior Mason Conley and junior Zach Cable with 2 apiece
The Blue Devils, coached by Versailles native Jeff Davidson, countered with Dalton Stewart’s 6 points, Jacob Gudorf 5, Cam Alber 5, Cody Cox 3 and Christian Berry with 3 for their 22-point effort
The second quarter saw the defense pressure jump up as the Devils won this eight-minute encounter by a 12-10 count. Ressler wrestled in two 3-pointers for 6 aided and abetted by Mason Conley and Ethan Conley with 2 apiece.
The Devils were led by the consistent and all-tournament selection Stewart with 4 while four other Devils popped in 2 apiece to go up 34-26.
Coach Troy Myers’ halftime oratory was taken to heart as the Jets refueled with Ethan Conley pouring in 4 points along with Mason Conley, Ressler and Cable all popping in a bucket and 6-foot 9-inch senior Kameron Thurmond getting his only point of the night. Brookville mustered only 6 points with Stewart leading the blue and white with 4.
The fourth quarter was defense with a capital D as the Jets were held without a bucket for the entire eight minutes. Mason Conley canned three free throws, and Ethan Conley poured in two from the charity stripe.
The Jets could only get as close as 3 points to the Devils. Brookville stalled the ball outside of the zone forcing Franklin Monroe to foul to stop the clock and put the Devils on the line. The Montgomery County squad made just enough freebies and a final block on Ethan Conley to secure the Jet Holiday Tournament championship.
“We missed way too many easy shots and could not capitalize at the free throw line, making 62 percent,” Franklin Monroe boys basketball coach Troy Myers said. “We went stone cold from the field the last 10 minutes of the game as we had no buckets at all. We had to adjust to Brookville’s stall tactics and foul them when they took the air out of the ball.”
Final scoring shows the Jets led by all-tournament player Ethan Conley with 18, Ressler 10, Mason Conley 9, Cable 4 and Thurmond 1 point for 42. The victorious Devils showed Stewart with 15, tournament MVP Cox 11, Gudorf 9, Alber 7 and Berry 7 for 49.