There were five turnovers between the Jefferson City Jays and the Northmont (Ohio) Thunderbolts in the first two minutes of Friday's first-round game of the Joe Machens Great 8 Classic.
It wasn't the prettiest of sights.
But the Jays cleaned up on the offensive end for the remainder of the first quarter, dominating in a 72-51 win at Fleming Fieldhouse.
"We've played some really good first halves this year," Jays coach Tony Phillips said. "We did it last time out against Bentonville (Ark.). We were up 14 (points) there."
The Jays led by 14 points against Bentonville, only to lose that lead and the game 72-62. This time, they didn't squander the big lead against Northmont.
"We did a better job of handling Northmont's run than we did two weeks ago of handling Bentonville's run," Phillips said. "That's what you expect when you have a bunch of seniors, is to handle runs and to get a good shot.
"I was proud of our leadership and how we handled it."
Jefferson City built a 34-17 lead at halftime, but Northmont began the second half with a 9-2 run. Patrick Ivory's dunk at the 5:37 mark of the third quarter whittled the Jays' lead down to 37-26, and the Thunderbolts had all the momentum.
As Phillips indicated, the third quarter has been problematic for his team in the past, and it was heading in that direction Friday.
But rather than let Ivory's dunk rattle them, the Jays moved the ball quickly up the court, and six seconds later Ben Folz finished with a layup at the other end, ensuring the lead remained in double digits.
"Against Bentonville, it seemed like they would make a 3 or have a big play, and we would take a marginal 3-pointer instead of trying to get a shot at the rim," Phillips said. "I was glad to see that we learned a little bit from that game."
Despite committing 17 turnovers, the Jays shot 52.8 percent from the floor in the win. They were 9-of-16 in the first quarter - with Folz, Sterling DeSha and Kaidyn Johnson taking all the shots - and built a 22-9 lead after the opening eight minutes against Northmont.
"When we take care of the basketball, we can be pretty good," Phillips said. " When we get an extra possession in the game, we have to take extra care of that ball."
Northmont shot just 38.6 percent from the floor, and in the second quarter, the Thunderbolts made just 4-of-14 shots, including 0-of-6 from 3-point range.
DeSha nearly outscored Northmont by himself in the first half, scoring 15 of his game-high 21 points before intermission.
"We did a really good job of feeding Sterling when he was hot," Phillips said. "That's what good teams do."
Northmont had plenty of length at the guard position, but in the second half, the Jays took advantage of their inside presence. Folz scored six of his 13 points inside in the second half and Chris Helming came off the bench and scored all six of his points in the second half.
"Chris Helming, for four years, has showed up, never missed anything, has done everything coaches have asked, and this is his first opportunity to play," Phillips said. "He struggled in the Blue Springs Tournament, but a credit to his character, he's one of the best young men I've ever coached."
The Jays led 55-39 after three quarters and led by as many as 22 points in the fourth quarter.
Jordan Smith led Northmont with 17 points and nine rebounds, while Ivory added 16 points.
Jeffries also reached double figures in scoring for the Jays, recording nine of his 11 points in the second half.
Jefferson City (4-3) advances to the Classic semifinals for the second straight season. The Jays will face Lausanne Collegiate (Tenn.) (8-4), which defeated Blair Oaks 62-50 in Friday's final first-round game, at 8:30 p.m. today.
"A tournament like this gets you ready for the postseason," Phillips said. "We're focused on playing our best basketball come district time."
Northmont (1-3) will take on Blair Oaks (7-1) at 5:30 p.m. today in the loser's bracket semifinals.