DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
Tenley Hendricks and the Adams Central Jets looked in good shooting form, especially from the free throw line, as they registered the first 1-0 start to the regular season since 2020 with a 62-40 win over Lakewood Park Saturday in the Hangar.
It was a solid test in the opener for coach Tim Hildebrand and his girls, with the Panthers coming off a decent 9-12 season.
Hendricks led the Jets with a 20-point night. The junior guard knocked down nine shots and was 2-for-2 from the free throw line, where the team finished an outstanding 10-for-12 in the final three quarters.
Adams Central held the visitors to just nine points and took a seven-point lead after the first eight minutes. It was the first chance for the home crowd to get a look at Jentrie Schaefer on the high school team. Schaefer electrified the fall crowds with her play on the volleyball court and she got to the line on two separate occasions in the opening quarter.
Schaefer knocked down three shots in the second and set up Hendricks for three buckets of her own as the Jets kept their lead against the Panthers in their best quarter overall, taking a 33-26 lead into the locker room chats.
The Jets locked down in the second half and allowed just five baskets the rest of the way on the defensive end, while keeping a consistent pace offensively.
Freshman Tenley Kidder led Lakewood with nine points. The Panthers knocked down four three-point shots in the game.
The Jets also got a significant contribution from another ninth grader, with Meg Hildebrand joining Schaefer in double digits in scoring with ten. She knocked down all four of her free throws in the fourth quarter to keep AC in a comfortable lead.
Juniors Demi Landis and Lila Ringger also had solid scoring nights with 15 and 5, respectively. Landis had the only two made threes for the Jets in the contest.
The Jets will now face a tough trio of away games: on the 14th at Fremont, on the 17th at Manchester and on the 18th at Blackford.
They’ll play Wapahani at home on the 21st.
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