Jimtown High School

Jimtown loses heart-breaker in conference battle with Bremen By Red Williams Freelance Sportswriter BREMEN - Momentum is an indelible element of high school basketball. If it slips away, it could mean doom. Bremen’s Lions had two momentum shifts in their favor Friday night (2.13.26) as they handed Jimtown a bone-crushing defeat, 61-54, before a good crowd of several hundred. The contest was a “coin-toss,” as Bremen coach Matt Miller said, and the victory gave the Lions the out-right championship of the Indiana Northern State Conference at 5-0. The trophy was presented at mid-court following the game. Jimtown now stands at 11-7 (4-1), having lost three tough games in a row, and the Lions improve to 18-1, their only loss to Elkhart. There’s a good chance these teams will meet again when sectional play rolls around in two weeks (the draw is Feb. 22.) The Lions grabbed the first stretch of momentum midway thru the second period on a 7-0 binge for a nine-point spread, 26-17. But the Jimmies got it back by closing on an 8-3 response, closing the gap to 29-25 at the half. The biggest shift came in the crucial fourth quarter: Jimtown took a 48-45 lead at 4:19 on three straight baskets and maintained the upper hand until 1:50 at 52-51. But the Lions closed with a 10-2 spree to wrest the momentum back in their favor. Eight of those points came with perfect shooting (8-for-8) at the free-throw line. Jimtown coach Ryan Varga pointed out what he called a “huge discrepancy” at the charity stripe. (The statistics sheet shows Bremen shot 21 free tosses to Jimtown’s six.) “They had their hands all over us,” he said, “without getting whistled, but we were called a whole lot.” (The Jimmies were called for 16 personal fouls [and one technical for arguing a call], while the Lions sustained a mere six. Jimtown’s chances were hurt when Tre Baldwin fouled out.) “The game was just as we expected, a fight back and forth,” Varga said. “There are some things we should have done better when we got the lead. “Bremen is an excellent, well-coached team,” he continued. “They put their guys in place to be successful.” Miller described Jimtown as “tough, tenacious.” “The biggest key was when we picked up the momentum with a couple of defensive stops,” he said. Chase Devine, a 6-foot-2 junior, was a wrecking ball against the Jimmies, taking game scoring honors with 31 points. He cashed in on 12-for-12 free tosses. Riley Tener added 10. The Lions shot a blazing 61 percent from the field. Dom Fey, coming back from a strained right knee, led Jimtown with 24, and Will Spurgeon pitched in 14. Bremen also won the junior-varsity contest, 46-26. Score by quarters: Jimtown 13 12 18 11 54 Bremen 13 16 12 20 61 Officials: Christian Cortier, Richard Gunn, Savon Williams.