JEFFERSON–Jefferson defeated visiting Perry, 72-64, on Tuesday behind a strong first half and clutch free throws down the stretch.
The Falcons jumped out to a 37-27 halftime lead and held off Perry in the second half to seal their eighth straight win.
“We know Perry’s never going to give up,” said Jefferson head coach Rob Pisano. “They’re going to fight, and they got hot shooting. We buckled down in the fourth quarter.”
Perry got out to an early 6-2 lead, but the Falcons used a 15-5 run to pull ahead 17-11 after one. Terry Brown and Luis Padilla each scored six points and Anthony Covetta added five.
Jefferson stayed hot in the second quarter with six Covetta and Brown points, with five more from Dylan Shetler for a 37-27 halftime lead.
Kaden Brewster connected on a pair of 3-pointers and Derreon Malone had 12 first-half points to keep the Pirates in it.
Perry opened the second half on a 20-15 run in the third thanks to 12 Vince Tomasic points with Malone adding in eight more, helping the Pirates close the gap to 44-40, but Jefferson held on for a 52-47 lead after three.
Covetta scored five and Brown added four more to keep the Falcons ahead into the fourth.
Padilla went 3-of-3 from the field with a pair of free throws in the final quarter, with Brown accounting for six more to help seal the deal on an eight-point win.
Perry kept it close thanks to a 32-point Derreon Malone outburst, 12 of which came in the final frame.
A season ago, Jefferson was always looking for three players to score in double digits consistently, and this year, it’s been a mainstay.
“As long as one of the secondary guys gets some scoring and the third or fourth guy gets in double-digits, we’re in good shape,” Pisano said.
Brown added, “We had to get the secondary scoring going since we knew they would target Covetta. He can’t win us every game.
The win over Perry is a springboard to Jefferson’s six remaining games down the stretch against quality teams, including two league games, in preparation for the postseason.
The Falcons play conference games against Geneva and Madison before taking on Kirtland, West Geauga, Grand Valley, and Crestwood. To this point, those six programs combined to average 12 wins each.
“These types of games prepare us for the playoffs, and we have six more of them,” Pisano said. “This is a great win. It’s always a battle with Perry, but the big one is Geneva on Friday night because that can determine our part of the (Chagrin Valley Conference).”
Brown led Jefferson with 22 points, Covetta added 21 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, and Padilla rounded out the trio with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting.
Malone led all scorers with 32 points, Tomasic added 17, and Brewster pitched in six.
