Jimmies overcome slow start to get 63-43 win over Valley

Dec. 8—Please check back for the full story.

JAMESTOWN — The University of Jamestown overcame a slow start in which they started 0-for-11 from three to get a commanding 64-43 win over Valley City State University on Wednesday, Dec. 7, at Harold Newman Arena.

The first quarter started slowly with the game sitting at 4-2, both teams went almost four minutes without scoring before the Jimmies' Audrey Rodakowski hit a layup to make it 6-2 with 5:35 to go in the first quarter. The Vikings ended their drought when JayCee Richter hit the layup to cut the deficit to 3:39 to go in the first quarter.

"We are really struggling to find our niche offensively," Vikings head coach Vanessa Johnson said. "Defensively, I can't be more proud of how we fight how we play defensively. It's strictly to our offensive woes and give credit to Jamestown, they're a really good team. They're solid one through five, their kids that come off the bench, they know their role, they do their stuff. So, it is moreso credit to Jamestown than anything else. But we have to figure out what we're doing offensively."

The Jimmies (8-2) struggled shooting the three ball in the first half as they started 0-for-10 and finished the half 3-for-16.

The second quarter saw the Jimmies stretch the lead out to 17-9 early before the Vikings (8-3) cut into it with a run to tie the game up at 17, behind the Jimmies only scoring three points in the second quarter with 3:30 to go in the first half. The Jimmies responded as Kate Busek was left wide open and splashed the corner three with 3:11 to go in the second quarter to push her team in front 20-17. It was the first three the Jimmies made in the game, ending a 0-11 start from beyond the arc.

The third quarter saw the Jimmies stretch the lead out as they turned to Rodakowski for a bucket to make it 30-26 early in the second half. After the Vikings cut the deficit to 34-31, the Jimmies went on a 10-0 run to end the quarter, punctuated by a Rodakowski turnaround jumper at the third-quarter buzzer to make it 44-31.

"We continued getting stops and that helps," Jimmies head coach Thad Sankey said. "We had maybe four possessions and we went from (up) five to 13. We made great passing decisions, Audrey scores it at the rim, we play slow at the rim and then we get a three from Kate Cordes at the top of the three, and all of a sudden the game is different going into the fourth quarter."

Over the course of the first four and a half minutes of the fourth quarter, the Jimmies went on a 10-2 run. The Jimmies continued to stretch the lead out over the last five minutes to get the 64-43 win.

Rodakowski led all players with 16 points, on eight-for-nine shooting. Rodakowski has now scored in double figures in three of her last four games.

"I was just talking to Hannah (DeMars) the other day and I was like, 'I gotta be more consistent on the offensive end.' I gotta step up for my team and being confident with what I do and playing good defense on the other end just adds to it," Rodakowski said.

The Jimmies are back in action at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, when they go to Mount Marty.

VCSU 43, UJ 64

VCSU: 9 15 7 12—43

UJ: 14 14 16 20 — 64

Points leaders:

VCSU: Adriana Torres 12, Allie Critchley 8, Hailey Roberts 6

UJ: Audrey Rodakowski 16, Kia Tower 13, Hannah DeMars 8, Kate Busek 8, Kate Cordes 8

Assists leaders:

VCSU: Allie Negen 2, Critchley 1, Torres 1, Taryn Dieterle 1, JayCee Richter 1

UJ: DeMars 4, Rodakowski 2, Tower 1, Jailyn Martinson 1, Sarah Lenz 1, Megan Oswald 1

Leading rebounders:

VCSU: Dieterle 4, Diemert 4, Critchley 3, Richter 3

UJ: DeMars 8, Busek 8, Cordes 7