Local Sports
CLAS 5A-AREA 11 BOYS BASKETBALL: Mortimer Jordan 82, Hayden 67
Dozen treys aren’t enough for new-look Cats
PLEASANT GROVE — The Hayden boys basketball team that played in Tuesday night’s Class 5A Area 11 Tournament “play-in” game bore little resemblance to the varsity squad that first took the floor back in November.
But even armed with reinforcements from the JV team that fired at will from the 3-point arc, it was not enough to get past the tenacious defense of Mortimer Jordan, which prevailed by a 82-67 score.
The upstart Wildcats, fresh off chalking up their first win of the season the night before over Fultondale, started the game off with an 8-0 run. But after Jordan coach Daniel Foy called time out, the Blue Devils responded with a 9-0 run of their own.
Jordan then applied defensive pressure that forced 20 Hayden turnovers in the first half, and held a six-point lead at halftime.
Hayden stayed close, largely thanks to a barrage of threes — a dozen, to be exact. But as time wound down, the Cats were forced to foul, and Jordan responded by going 21-for-27 (78 percent) at the line in the fourth quarter.
Cody Mann had a unique double-double for the Devils, with 10 points and 10 steals. Mann had two straight back-court steals in the third quarter that he converted into lay-ups.
“Cody plays best when it’s an up-tempo game,” Foy said. “When we have a game like that, he’s going to excel.”
Jamey Hammock led MoJo with 18 points, and was 8-for-10 in free throws. Tyler Pelkey added 16.
Troy Fines led Hayden with 16 points in his final game. Seth Aderhold, a JV call-up, had 12.
“We didn’t defend well, and we weren’t good on the defensive board,” Wildcats coach Mike Dutton said. “But in 40-some years of coaching, this has been one of the most enjoyable seasons I’ve ever had, even with just one win. These kids just played their hearts out.”
Dutton loses seven seniors from this year’s team.
Jordan will face top-seeded Pleasant Grove Friday night in the area semifinals.
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