Yellow Jackets show off versatility in pair of wins at Hoops for Hope event

MORRISTOWN – Morristown’s revamped roster is starting to gain traction.

The Yellow Jackets won both its games Saturday in its Hoops for Hope event against very differing opponents.

The Yellow Jackets scored 29 points in the first quarter Saturday morning against Indianapolis Herron and kept pushing to a 66-51 victory over the Achaeans.

Against a physical Salem squad in the nightcap, Morristown took every advantage it could during fast-break opportunities and showed good balance to triumph over the Lions, 50-36.

“It was a really good day for us here,” said Morristown head coach Cory Kreiger. “To play two in a day and win two in a day is not very easy to do. … We had plays made by every single player that stepped on the floor. We had great depth and rotation today and great contributions from all seven or eight guys that played and I couldn’t be prouder of them.”

After a long first possession for Salem yielded no points, Kellen Crim splashed a three-pointer that sparked a 5-0 run to start the game. A 9-0 run followed later in the quarter and the Yellow Jackets led 18-7 at the first break.

The Lions settled in and had 5-0 and 6-0 runs in the second quarter that cut the lead to 22-18 but newcomer Brayden Anderson sank a wing 3 and Crim hit a free throw to keep Morristown ahead 26-18 at halftime.

Salem got the deficit back to four early in the third quarter, but Morristown always had a response. A 6-0 run of four consecutive points from Jake Miesse, another player new to the roster, and a close-range score from Dalton McMichael pushed the lead to 32-22.

Carter Reardon hit a late 3 in the third quarter and Carson Albertson connected on a baseline 8-footer to cut the lead to 36-30 early in the fourth but that was as close as the Lions got to the lead.

“You have to be able to respond throughout the course of a game and I thought our guys did just that,” said Kreiger. “Whenever Salem made a run we were able to step back up and hit one back to them.”

Anderson hit a corner 3 and Brody Smith, the third newcomer to the roster this season, converted a fast break lay in to push the lead to 11 and take any doubt out of who would prevail.

Crim was the only Yellow Jacket to score in double digits. The junior point guard had 12 points, three rebounds, five assists and two steals.

McMichael, one of two seniors on the roster, had nine points. Anderson and senior Owen Rinzel each finished with eight points.

Albertson hit a pair of 3s and finished with a team-high 10 points for Salem (4-3). Ethan Campbell had nine points and five rebounds.

In its opener Saturday morning, Morristown led 29-11 after one quarter against a Herron team that had no problem running up and down the court. The Achaeans outscored the Yellow Jackets in the next two quarters but could not cut deep enough into the deficit to make Morristown worry.

“Good teams have to be able to win in different ways and be able to step up against who they are playing,” said Kreiger. “I think our guys did that today. We have to keep working and we have a long way to go but today was a good day.”

McMichael hit a trio of 3s for a game-high 18 points. Anderson followed with 17 and Smith finished with 10.

C.J. Stephens led Herron with 14 points. Josiah Clarke and Jaden Parker each finished with 11.

Morristown (5-2) hosts potential sectional foe Tri (6-1) Tuesday.

The Shelby County Post is a digital newspaper producing news, sports, obituaries and more without a pay wall or subscription needed.