JAMESTOWN – The Jackals’ turned up the intensity when it mattered most on Friday night against the Chautauqua Hurricane in the first game of the Northeast Division Championship Series; mixing brilliant defense with stunning offense, sealing a 118-101 win with the approval of an enthusiastic crowd at Jamestown Community College.
Chautauqua was within striking distance all night facing four point deficits at the end of the first, second, and third quarters.
The Hurricane simply ran out of gas down the stretch.
Jamestown played suffocating defense in the final minutes demoralizing Chautauqua, forcing players to take bad shots.
In the 4th quarter, the crowd erupted when high-flying Guard Brandon McClester went end-to-end for a lay up, pushing the lead to 83-73 with 7:43 left.
The McClester basket prompted a Hurricane timeout.
The Jackals managed several defensive stops keeping the lead above 10 points over the final seven minutes.
Jamestown created a storm for Chautauqua by finishing the game on a 29-16 run thanks to insanely solid perimeter defense.
Jackals’ defenders rotated when the play necessitated but otherwise stayed on task, shutting down an efficient perimeter attack displayed by the Chautauqua Hurricane for the first three quarters.
Game two of the Northeast Division Championship Series between the Jamestown Jackals and the Chautauqua Hurricane will be played on Sunday at 4 pm at JCC.
