When the Jefferson City Lady Jays broke the huddle during a timeout with :05.8 on the clock, Hannah Linthacum took her spot on the right block, awaiting the in-bounds play. The Lady Jays’ 6-foot-4 senior center had a sly smile on her face. She knew exactly what was coming. The only question was, could the St. Joseph Benton Lady Cardinals stop it from happening? They couldn’t.
After an 11-day layoff since their last game, there was rust to be expected Wednesday night for the Jefferson City Lady Jays.
But it did not take long for the Lady Jays to get going, as they jumped out to a big lead early and rode it to a 56-37 victory against the Oxford, Miss., Lady Chargers in the opening round of the Jefferson Bank Holiday Hoops Classic at Capital City High School.
The Rolla Lady Bulldogs double- and triple-teamed Hannah Linthacum all night, but they forgot to when it mattered most. Reagan Nilges was able to find a solo-covered Hannah Linthacum in the post of a one-point game with 15 seconds left, and Linthacum made the key layup to push the Jefferson City Jays to a 39-38 victory against the Lady Bulldogs on Tuesday night at Fleming Fieldhouse.