Jimmies Drop 2 Tough Games on the Road

Jamestown College found the going tough during their 67-58 loss to South Dakota School of Mines on Friday. The Jimmies never got a rhythm going, especially on the offensive end of the court. JC was sluggish and never had the energy needed to win on the road, and with the Hardrockers playing solid basketball and executing on both ends, it made it even more difficult for the road team. JC pulled ahead a few times in the second half, but could never distant themselves from Mines. JC was led by Kellie Schuneman with 13 points and Ali Edwards (pictured) with 11. For more on the game, visit: http://www.jamestownsun.com/articles/index.cfm?id=79028&section=sports

On Saturday, JC tried to come back from their disappointing loss on Friday, but new it would not be easy as they faced #9 Black Hills State, who was also coming off a loss to Valley City State. In what turned out to be one of the best games of the season in the DAC, the Yellow jackets prevailed pulling out an 80-77 overtime win. Black Hills controlled the first half on both ends of the court. The Jimmies could never relax and get into a comfort zone on offense and Black Hills had the Jimmies scrambling on defense. Katelynn Lamb had a great first half to help lead the Yellow jackets to a 32-24 halftime advantage. After five minutes of the second half, the Jimmies saw themselves down by 10, but then the tide began to turn. The Jimmies went on a 20-7 run over about 8 minutes and saw their lead grow to 5 points. BH began to battle back, but the Jimmies never lost the lead. With the Jimmies leading 66-63, Black Hills hit a desperation three with 4.8 second left to tie the game and sent it into overtime. The overtime period added more excitement to the game, but the Jimmies came up short 80-77.

Both teams battled hard for 45 minutes and either team could have come up on the winning end. The Jimmies had a lot of great individual efforts throughout the game. Freshman Mara Paulson led the Jimmies with 19 points, followed by Heidi Fiechtner with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Ali Edwards chipped in 10, Amanda Rantapaa ended with 9 points, including 2 big three pointers in the second half, one of which gave the Jimmies their first lead of the game, 44-42. Allison Epping and Jackie Hust also provided some big minutes off the bench.

The Jimmies now prepare for rival Valley City State on Thursday.

#5 Jimmies beat #14 Dickinson State, move into tie for 1st

Jamestown College turned up the defensive intensity in the second half and held Dickinson State to 35% from the field and then heated up shooting 52% from teh field in the second half. JC led 31-27 at half, but out-scored the Bluehawks 43-29 to pull away with a 74-56 win.

The Jimmies had numerous contributions, including great bench play. Freshman Mara Paulson continued her strong play and led the Jimmies with 19 points. Kellie Schuneman (pictured) played a very complete game adding 14 points and 5 assists. Allison Epping provided great help off the bench with 13 points. Jackie Hust also gave the Jimmies some important minutes off the bench with 8 points and some great defense. Ali Edwards chipped in 6 points, Amanda Rantapaa added 5, and Dakota Anderson finished with 3.

For more on the game, go to: http://www.jamestownsun.com/articles/index.cfm?id=78697&section=sports

Jimmies Rally Over Minot State

The Jimmies held MSU without a field goal over the final 5:53, outscored the Beavers 10-1 over the final 2:42, and forced 7 straight turnovers en route to a 70-67 win. The Beavers led 66-60 with 3:11 to go, but could only score one more point as the Jimmies dug in deep on defense and turned the momentum. The Jimmies had great balance again. Ali Edwards (pictured) scored the 7 of the final 8 points of the game. Edwards hit 2 free throws, a long three pointer to tie the game, and then a driving lay-up to give the Jimmies the lead for good. Ali then sealed the win with a steal with under 10 second left.

The game featured 18 lead changes and 11 ties, including 11 changes in the second half alone. JC switched defenses all night and forced Minot State into 20 turnovers. The Jimmies had a season low of 7 turnovers. Ali Edwards led the Jimmies with 22 points, followed by Mara Paulson and Allison Epping, each with 11. Kellie Schuneman (pictured) and Heidi Fiechtner each chipped in 8.

JC plays Dickinson State on Sunday afternoon for the conference lead.

Jimmies Ready for Important Conference Weekend

Jamestown College takes to the court on Thursday and Sunday of this week to play conference opponents Minot State and #14 Dickinson State. The Jimmies have an opportunity to stay in the thick of the conference race and also give them some breathing room if they can find a way to win two games. Both games will come down to limiting mistakes and execution on both ends of the court. Minot State has a very strong inside game along with some veterans in the backcourt while Dickinson brings one of the top posts in the conference in Kia Herbel along with some speed on the perimeter.

The Jimmies look to improve on their game from last weekend and take another step forward. The Jimmies will need all of their players to step up their scoring and defensive intensity. The Jimmies backcourt of Ali Edwards, Amanda Rantapaa, and Kellie Schuneman (Pictured) will continue to adjust on the go without Katie O'Neill who is recovering from season ending knee surgery.

Fiechtner named DAC Player of the Week

Senior Heidi Fiechtner was named the DAC Player of the Week. Heidi returned to action after not playing the last 6 weeks due to a concussion. She looked like she did not miss a step. In the Jimmies win over Mayville State, Heidi led the Jimmies with 16 points, going 6-9 from the field and 4-6 from the line. She also grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 2 assists, and blocked 1 shot.

The next night, in a 2 point loss to Dakota State, Heidi again led the Jimmies in scoring with 24 points, 9-13 from the field and 6-9 from the line. She also grabbed 9 rebounds and added 2 assists. For the weekend, Heidi scored 40 points, added 16 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 blocked shot.

Jimmies Split on the Road

Jamestown College finally hit the court after having a 27 day lay off between games. The Jimmies did have 2 games scheduled during this break. but both games were cancelled.
The Jimmies shook off some rust to take a 59-52 win over Mayville State, but came up two points short, 70-68 against Dakota State. The Jimmies almost broke through to get their first win in a number of years at Madison, but couldn't pull it off.
The Jimmies hit the road again on Thursday as they venture to Minot State for a critical conference game for both teams. JC finally plays at home on Sunday, January 18th. This will be the Jimmies first home game since December 10th.