Deck drops 42 points, surging Jackson holds off Charleston 75-67 (OT) on Senior Night

JACKSON — When in doubt, just feed the basketball to Kole Deck.

It’s a formula that has proven to be effective for Jackson most of the season and one that helped the Indians escape with an emphatic overtime victory on Senior Night.

Deck scored a career-high 42 points to lead Jackson past Charleston 75-67 in overtime on Tuesday night at Jackson High School.

The do-it-all senior made 19 of 25 shots from the floor, repeatedly gliding by his defenders for smooth layups and traffic-beating, sinking three 3-pointers on the night and helping the Indians overcome a shaky outing against a motivated Blue Jays squad.

“We really didn't play well as a team tonight, but we do know how to win close games,” Deck said. “At the end of the day, a win is a win. So, I’m glad we got to.

“Each night our team needs different roles for different guys. Tonight they needed me to score and I did that.”

Fellow senior Lee Ivy poured in 10 points, while freshman Jon Ernst added eight. While Jackson (18-3) often found itself in foul trouble — Charleston (10-9) shot 13-of-18 from the line — and gave the Blue Jays too many offensive opportunities in open space, the Indians came through in crunch time to earn a hard-fought win.

“It was really special,” Ivy said. “We had a good game until we stopped playing defense, really, and then we came back and won it. I mean, we bonded together as a team. That's how we won. We had some big plays from people that don't play that much. They came in the game and got some buckets. Jon had a really good game coming off the bench.”

Demarion Lane scored a team-high 19 points for Charleston, while Deshaun Henderson and Treshaun Schandon each added 14 apiece.

After Jackson mounted a 16-10 lead at the end of the first quarter, both teams traded 7-0 runs to close out the opening half. Deck paved the way with 18 first-half points as the Indians entered the locker room with a 31-24 advantage.

Charleston would not shy away, however, as Adrian Rodgers and Lane hit back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the deficit to 48-44 before Ernst answered with a 3-pointer of his own before the end of the third quarter.

The play of the game came on the first sequence of the fourth quarter when Deck leaped high and delivered a powerful two-handed dunk over a Charleston defender’s outstretched arm, setting off the lively and rambunctious home crowd.

But, again, Charleston would find a way to respond.

With just over two minutes remaining in regulation, Lane and Tayshon Clark sunk back-to-back 3s before Schandon stole a Jackson pass and hit a game-tying layup to knot things at 61-61, inducing a Jackson timeout and quieting the crowd.

On their next possession, the Indians wisely used ball movement and chewed up nearly 45 seconds of clock before Ivy dished in a go-ahead second chance layup with 25 seconds to go.

“Usually in that play the ball is meant for Kole,” Ivy said. “But I had a little guard on me and I was wide open. So, I went, took the layup, and got us up.”

The lead only lasted 20 seconds, though, as Charleston sophomore Shilyn Henderson hit a game-tying layup to send the game to overtime.

Then, in extra minutes, Deck took over again — for good.

The All-State forward scored eight of Jackson’s 12 overtime points and helped negate a worn down Blue Jays offense that could only muster four points in the five-minute frame.

“Physically, they're a smaller team, so I knew I had the size advantage over them,” Deck said. “So, I thought if I got in the paint, I could finish over.”

Following an emotional, yet gritty road victory over Ladue Horton Watkins on Saturday, Jackson, who has now won 14 of its last 15 games, did not play its efficient best but did just enough to keep the late-season momentum rolling.

Tuesday also marked the Indians’ ninth single-digit win of the season.

“Throughout the season, we've had tough games,” senior forward Braden Thompson said. “The special thing about this team is we always find a way to win. We don't stop when something goes wrong. We're always ‘next play.’ We're all pretty mature as a team and we just don't give up. Never say never.”

Along with Deck, Ivy, and Thompson, three other seniors — Kolton Thoma, Gavin Alspaugh, and Austin Criddle — were recognized before the game during the Senior Night ceremony.

“Most of us have been playing since first grade,” Thompson said. “Growing up with them and playing ball, especially with Coach (Kory) Thoma as well. He's been coaching me since first grade. We have a special bond that not many other teammates have. We try to share that around in the locker room and make sure everybody's involved and connected with us.”

Jackson will look to carry this momentum over to Friday night when the Indians host Webster Groves (13-4) at 7 p.m. Charleston will host Sikeston (17-3) on Saturday in the opening round of the 6th Man Shootout Tournament at 7 p.m.

“We just keep adding wins,” Deck said. “If those wins keep adding up into districts, we’re going to try to go to the Final Four again.”