By Anthony Gorges
JC Post
The Junction City Blue Jays produced another thrilling game inside Blue Jay Event Center when they defeated Blue Valley Northwest 60-53 on Tuesday night.
The Huskies are the defending 6A state champions and had been dominant all season long, but Junction City was up for the challenge and grabbed a quick lead and never looked back.
It was another great performance by junior sharp shooter Jackson Austin with 17 points, both Tre Ruffin and Larkin Turner added 11 points, and sophomore Lovell Autry finished with 10 points.
Despite being much smaller than the Huskies, the Blue Jays battled on both ends of the floor and held a double-digit lead for most of the second and third quarters. The largest lead for Junction City was a 17 point lead in the second quarter.
"Our guys play with so much heart," said head coach Nick Perez. "I am so proud of our guys, this team is special."
Along with great performances on both ends of the court, the home crowd, especially the student section helped fire up Junction City throughout the game. "The crowd was amazing," Perez said. "That student section got loud towards the end, and that is what we need every game."
With the win, the Blue Jays improve to 12-2 on the season. Their next action is Friday night, on the road at Topeka High School.
Junction City Lady Jay results
The Lady Jays were defeated 71-20 by the Topeka Hayden Wildcats.
The leading scores on the night were Morgan Nabus and Sara Rexrode both with six points.
With the loss, the Lady Jays fall to 1-12 on the season and will travel to Topeka High School on Friday night.