The Jefferson City Jays' roller coaster ride of a season came to a sudden end Friday night.
The Jays, plagued with bouts of inconsistency all season, erased double-digit Rock Bridge leads twice in the championship game of the Class 5 District 9 Tournament at Fleming Fieldhouse.
But it all came crashing down in the first 4 1 /2 minutes of the fourth quarter.
Trailing by only eight points to start the final period, the Jays turned the ball over seven times that helped spark a 17-2 Bruin run.
"It was a game of runs," Jefferson City coach David Fox said after the Bruins handed the Jays a 71-48 loss. "Rock Bridge did a great job getting them, certainly in the second half."
The Jays cut into a 12-point Bruin lead at 44-32 late in the third quarter by going on a little 6-2 run to make it 46-38 after three.
From there, Rock Bridge took advantage of the Jays' turnovers and made the game look like a layup drill at times.
"Unfortunately, we had some critical turnovers during that stretch and we didn't get a shot opportunity," Fox said. "Those lost possessions hurt us.
"You've got to give them credit, they forced us into those turnovers. "
The Jays, who end the season at 12-14, played tough through three quarters against the ninth-ranked Bruins.
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