BUFFALO – On the scoreboard, the Altoona-Midway Middle School Jets won three of the four quarters against the Bartlett Braves here Thursday afternoon at Milo Peterson Gymnasium.
But the final score of any contest includes all four periods – and a disastrous second quarter doomed the Jets to defeat, as Bartlett kept that advantage and held off AMMS 32-27 to win the Mineral Belt League matchup.
Altoona-Midway now enters the Christmas break with a 1-3 record, but Jet coach David Batzer liked much of what he saw Thursday.
“Even though we came out on the losing end on the scoreboard, this was our best game of the year so far,” said Batzer. “Everyone had a solid performance, even if you don’t see it in the numbers. We were aggressive in getting to the rim, and our defensive intensity was great. We caused some turnovers with our press and four different Jets had free throw opportunities.”
The Jets led 8-6 after one quarter, but Bartlett enjoyed a 14-2 margin to take a 20-10 lead into halftime. AMMS battled back gamely, cutting into that cushion each of the final two periods, getting within four points at one point before the Braves finally claimed the 32-27 decision.
“After a fantastic start, the second quarter was tough to watch,” Batzer sighed. “We had multiple unforced turnovers that helped Bartlett flip a 2-point deficit into a 10-point half-time lead. But I’m proud of the team for never giving up. We cut it to four but just couldn’t close it out.
“What hurt us tonight was our inability to get defensive rebounds,” he added. “Bartlett had 21 offensive boards and outrebounded us 34-25 overall. This is something we are going to emphasize when we practice over the break.”
Zack Good and Caden Sicka were the main cogs for the Jets. Good and Sicka finished with 13 and 12 points, respectively, and each of them hauled down eight rebounds. Good also dished out three assists.
Destiny Raymond and Broghan Douglas also got in the scorebook for Altoona-Midway, each hitting a free throw.
Zach and Caden are really stepping up as leaders, and even though you don’t see it in the stats, Eliot Ard is our defensive MVP,” Batzer noted. “He just needs some confidence on the offensive end and we’ll have a really good ‘three-headed monster’ to lead this team. I’d like to see more of the kids take shots. We left some open looks on the court tonight that could have made a difference in the outcome.”
In the “B” Game, Altoona-Midway’s Noah Ray had the team’s only point in an 18-1 loss.
AMMS will resume action on Thursday, Jan. 9, when they host Thayer.
“I’d like to give a big shout-out to our crowd tonight. The support from our families and fans has been awesome all year,” Batzer added.