The Jefferson City Jays were not feeling sorry for themselves after suffering back-to-back losses in the first two rounds of the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic.
They were just anxious to take the floor again.
Jefferson City got back on the right track in decisive fashion by cruising to a 55-20 win against Battle in the seventh-place game Sunday afternoon at Fleming Fieldhouse.
"I told the guys, "Nobody has played a tougher two games than we have as far as bowing out at the buzzer,'" Jefferson City coach Blair Thompson said. "It hurts a little bit, but you have to come out and play again. It's part of the whole sports experience and it was a good lesson for us."
The Jays opened up the tournament with a 47-45 loss to Oxford (Miss.) before falling to rival Helias 70-68 in double overtime Saturday. Both games came down to the final seconds.
"As disappointed as we were (Saturday), we did get to play basketball and be together again instead of just being at home thinking about everything today," Thompson said. "We played two of the most physically and emotionally draining games of anybody in this tournament. I told the guys before the game, "I couldn't be prouder of how you battled in those games. I wish the outcome would have been a little different for our sake, but now it's time to move on.'"
Evidently, the previous losses didn't affect Jefferson City (5-5) in the final round.
Jake White scored a game-high 18 points, while O.G. Anunoby added eight points, eight rebounds, and recorded four blocks to lead the Jays, who were 22-of-31 from the field and 7-of-14 from behind the arc.
"We were just trying to execute offensively and play hard defensively," said Anunoby, who was named to the all-tournament team. "We were attacking the basket and just being aggressive."
The Spartans opted to double-team the 6-foot-6 Anunoby, who scored 30 points during Saturday's game, but that didn't put a damper on the Jays' offensive production.
"They were trying to take O.G. completely away," Thompson said. "We told him (early in the game) that he now becomes a facilitator - just take what they give you - but everybody else around you is going to benefit from it."
The Jays, who trailed by one with 4:40 left in the opening quarter, were able to take advantage of the open looks they received on the perimeter.
It started when Lucas Theroff hit back-to-back 3-pointers to spark a 23-4 run that gave Jefferson City a 30-12 advantage at halftime and the Jays cruised from there.
"Luke gave us a big spark," Thompson said. "It got people excited, and we started running a little faster and defending a little harder after that."
Anunoby capped off an 11-0 run early in the third quarter with a two-handed dunk and White scored seven points in the period to give the Jays a 46-17 lead entering the final period.
"We were just trying to get back on track," said White, who was also named to the All-Tournament team. "We wanted to get our mindset back."
Tim Nahach scored eight points off the bench, while Harold Robertson Jr. added seven, and Theroff finished with six to help pace Jefferson City, which was 14-of-18 from the field in the second and third quarters.
"I think that is a reflection of us being patient, moving the basketball, and finding holes," Thompson said. "They were mixing it up a little bit between zones and we waited and got high-percentage looks."
Battle freshman Daviante Ostrander, an all-tournament team selection, scored seven points to lead the Spartans, who were 7-of-37 from the field and 2-of-13 from the 3-point line.
The young Battle team set a tournament record for the fewest points scored in a game.
Jefferson City will return to action Jan. 9 against William Chrisman at the Joplin Hall of Fame Classic.