Jefferson 80, Wilson 60: Five Takeaways

<p>After losing in the finals of the state championship the past couple of years, the goal this year is obvious for Jefferson. But there are plenty of games to be played to get to the title game again and before a long stretch of some very tough games this month, the Demos opened up the season at Wilson. Jefferson was in control throughout in a 80-60 win but there's no question there are still areas of improvement as the team instantly moves into a tough part of their schedule.</p> <p>"Hopefully we got the jitters out, the old with the new," said Jefferson head coach Pat Strickland. "We have to work some of the kinks out but I like what we've got. There was some intensity here and there, but everyone knows that you've got to go full throttle with the intensity if we're going to go where we're trying to go. But I'm excited and I saw some good things."</p> <p>Jefferson took the reins early on leading 23-13 in the first quarter and quite honestly never looked back. The Demos forced 26 turnovers out of Wilson and utilized their size and strength advantage inside to score a bunch of easy baskets. At the end, five Demos ended up in double figures led by Kam Robinson's 17 points and eight of the ten players that played scored. Wilson was led by Logan Robertson with 14 points, Leo Sewell scored 11, and Xander Hansen added 10.</p> <p>With the opening night win under their belt, Jefferson next plays at the Iolani Classic in Hawaii which is filled with top national teams every year before coming back home to play in the Les Schwab Invitational.</p> <p>"We want all the heat that we can get because we know that will get us better in the end," Strickland said. "It's very exciting to go to the Islands and get away for a little bit and to some better weather, and we'll get better gradually."</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Team Scoring</span></p> <p>Jefferson  23 21 18 18 - 80<br /> Wilson      13 11 11 15 - 60</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Individual Scoring</span></p> <p>Jefferson: Kam Robinson 17, Keshawn Hall 16, Lamar Washington 13, Nate Rawlins-Kibonge 12, Mookie Cook 12, Jalen Adams 6, Trejon Williams 2, Jason Davis 2, Tre Anderson 0, Sanborne Melson 0.</p> <p>Wilson: Logan Robertson 14, Leo Sewell 11, Xander Hansen 10, Colin Anderson 7, Trae Avant 6, Lucas Lommen 5, Jayden Brannan 4, Stephen Kang 3, Henry Fleming 0, Kamir Hodge 0, Mohammed Abdalla 0, Xander Samuelson 0.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Takeaways</span></p> <p><strong>Demos Dominant in the Paint</strong></p> <p>While it's pretty obvious Jefferson has some of the best size in the state, it's all about utilizing that to your advantage and the Demos certainly did that on Friday night. Kam Robinson notched a 17-point, 12-rebound double-double and two others nearly did as well as Nate Rawlins-Kibonge and Marquis "Mookie" Cook both tallied 12 points and nine boards each.</p> <p><strong>Balance is the Key</strong></p> <p>Unlike the previous few years where Marcus Tsohonis would be getting 20+ per game, this edition of the Demos will have a balanced offensive attack. Five Jefferson players scored in double figures and it wouldn't be surprising to see five Demos averaging double figure points per game by the end of the year. There are weapons both inside and out and several of the Jefferson players are capable of doing damage both inside and outside of the paint.</p> <p><strong>Jefferson Intensity Will Improve</strong></p> <p>It was the first game of the season against a physically overmatched opponent, but other than reserve Trey Anderson (three rebounds, four steals) most of the team didn't go as hard as they possibly could have. Even late in the game, the normally motor-filled Nate Rawlins-Kibonge got beat to a couple of rebounds by the scrappy Trojans. But the Demos know that won't cut the cake in the next few weeks with the Iolani Classic and LSI on the schedule. You can bet Strickland will have his guys ready to play.</p> <p><strong>Wilson Will Compete</strong></p> <p>Despite the loss and the manner in which they lost, the Trojans competed hard - and when you consider the margins they lost to Jefferson last season (43 and 42) - to only have lost by 20 is a step forward for head coach Craig Cokley's team. They still have much to learn in terms of taking care of the basketball but Wilson has some decent outside shooting - at the end they ended with seven threes compared to Jefferson's three. The Trojans will certainly surpass last year's four win total, compete for a middle division finish, and will be a tough out every night against the PIL's top-tier squads.</p> <p><strong>Young Trojans to Watch</strong></p> <p>Wilson only has two seniors as the roster is mostly comprised of juniors. One of them, Logan Robertson, was the Trojans' top player of the day as he tallied 14 points and six rebounds. The 6-foot-2 wing played with a great motor on both ends. Sophomore Leo Sewell was the other Trojan in double figures with 11 points. While he didn't shoot particularly well (2-for-11), he does have a nice looking stroke and he handled the ball fairly well against pressure.</p>