Liam Cordell has 15 as JH Bluejay Boys Pull Away from Worth County

Liam Cordell went off in the third quarter to give the Northeast Nodaway junior high boys a lead they would not relinquish, and they held off Worth County 25-23 Thursday. Previously, they were struggling with turning the ball over in losses to Stanberry and Platte Valley. But they solved the turnover bug for at least one night, only surrendering the ball nine times Thursday.

Brock Healy knocked down a 3-pointer to start the Tigers off, but then Jace Burns scored from inside, Wyatt Scadden converted a three point play after a putback, and Scadden converted another putback to make it 7-3 after one. Jace Burns and Wyatt Scadden were dominating the rebounding for the Bluejays that period.

But then Maverick Cox started fighting back and grabbing some boards for the Tigers and scored from inside, and Brock Healy turned a drive into a pair of free throws for the Tigers to tie it at 7-7. The game was then tied at 9, 12, and then 14 as neither team could take control. But finally, Liam Cordell went off for the Bluejays, knocking down back to back jacks to give them a lead they would not relinquish at 20-14. Brock Adwell added a putback – off his only rebound of the night -- to made it 22-14 after three.

With the game threatening to get out of hand, Brock Healy started carrying the Tigers on his shoulders, grabbing a putback to start the fourth quarter and then converting a Jordan Dannar steal to make it 23-18. Cole Hardy picked up his fifth foul, but Wes Brown got a steal and Worth County had a chance with just under two minutes left to make it one possession. But two shots went astray and Liam Cordell hit a free throw to make it 24-18 as Worth County had to start fouling.

Northeast was pressing Worth County, but Brock Healy raced it up the court and pulled up and hit a long shot from the right wing with his foot on the line to make it 24-20 with 1:20 left. Bentin Roberts missed two free throws with 1:06 left; Jace Burns kept a possession alive with an offensive board, but Jordan Dannar stripped him. Worth County got a good look at a three to cut it to one, but Jordan Dannar missed it with 45 seconds left.

Wyatt Scadden dribbled the ball up the floor after Northeast got the ball back, but under pressure, he stepped out of bounds. But he stole it right back and Northeast was able to take some more time off the clock. Finally, Worth County got Liam Cordell fouled, and he missed two free throws with 31 seconds left.

But Northeast played stingy defense, and Worth County could not get a shot off for the next 16 seconds, burning their last timeout with 15 seconds left. They got it into Wes Brown, who handed it off to Jordan Dannar, but he missed a runner with 11 seconds left and Jace Burns secured the defensive board, making one of two with 8.9 seconds left. Worth County rushed it up the floor and Brock Healy hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left, but they were out of timeouts, and the clock ran out.

The perplexing thing about Thursday's game is that Worth County outplayed Northeast in the stat column, but the Bluejays still put more points on the board. Worth County outrebounded the Bluejays 24-23, had fewer turnovers (6 vs. 9), more assists (8-6), tips (10-2), and steals (8-3). Worth County's boys are still searching for their first win.

For Worth County, Brock Healy played his best game as a Tiger, getting 16. Jordan Dannar had 3, and Maverick Cox and Hudson Cameron had 2.

Jordan Dannar had 1 block.

Brock Healy nearly had a double double, getting 9 boards. Hudson Cameron had 4, Jordan Dannar, Cole Hardy, and Maverick Cox 3, and Wes Brown 2.

Cole Hardy and Brock Healy had 3 assists, while Jordan Dannar had 2.

Brock Healy had 3 tips. Hudson Cameron and Jordan Dannar had 2, and Cole Hardy, Wes Brown, and Maverick Cox had 1 each.

Jordan Dannar had 3 steals. Brock Healy and Wes Brown had 2 each, and Bentley Frisch had 1.

For Northeast, Liam Cordell had 15, Wyatt Scadden 5, Jace Burns 3, and Brock Adwell 2.

Gracin Runde had 1 block.

Jace Burns had 10 blocks. Wyatt Scadden had 4, Bentin Roberts 3, Liam Cordell and Brady O’Connell 2, and Gracin Runde and Brock Adwell 1.

Wyatt Scadden had 4 assists, while Jace Burns and Bentin Roberts had 1.

Bentin Roberts had 1 tip. Roberts had 2 steals, while Wyatt Scadden had 1.