By Jim Henry
jhenry@joplinglobe.com
CLINTON, Mo. — Chalk one up for the Thomas Jefferson defense.
The Cavaliers limited Drexel to four points in the final 10 1/2 minutes of the first half and decked the Bobcats 54-44 Tuesday night at Clinton High School in a Class 1 boys basketball sectional contest.
The No. 9-ranked Cavaliers (25-1) advanced to the quarterfinals for the second straight year and will battle once-beaten Dadeville at 2:45 p.m. Saturday in Sedalia at State Fair Community College.
Third-ranked Dadeville (28-1) beat Chadwick 75-54 on Tuesday night in Bolivar at Southwest Baptist.
Drexel (20-8) claimed a 12-7 lead with 2:38 left in the first quarter when Austin Allen hit his second 3-point goal to cap a 7-0 run. But the Bobcats’ next basket didn’t come until Blake Hadley hit a 15-footer three minutes into the second quarter.
In between, the Cavs reeled off 12 straight points — all of them in the paint — to take a lead they never relinquished. Alex Oserowsky, Zach Powell and Jordan Stauffer had two baskets apiece for the 12 points.
Thomas Jefferson led 25-16 at halftime as the Bobcats were 2 of 11 from the field and committed seven turnovers in the second stanza.
“I don’t think it was one of our better games this year,” Stauffer said. “We didn’t shoot well as a team, but we picked it up on the defensive end, definitely on rebounds. Defense is what kept us in the game.”
“Defense saved us,” Cavalier head coach Cleo Elbert said. “Defense has been a mainstay all year long, but at times we broke down in it and gave up some pretty easy baskets tonight.”
Jay Powell’s two straight 3-pointers early in the third period helped the Cavaliers extend their lead to 33-18. Baskets by Oserowsky and Stauffer gave Thomas Jefferson a 42-28 lead after three quarters, and the Cavs scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter for a 21-point lead with 5:32 remaining.
The Cavaliers’ frontline of Oserowsky, Jay Powell and Stauffer combined for 48 points and 30 rebounds. Stauffer, 6-foot-5 senior, collected 19 points, 11 rebounds and four blocked shots. Oserowsky, 6-3 sophomore, also notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards, and the 6-1 senior Powell had 14 points and nine rebounds.
The Cavaliers shot 40 percent (14 of 60) from the field and dominated the rebounding by a 44-28 margin.
“We actually executed well on offense,” Elbert said. “You’re going to miss a few but give Drexel credit. They had a lot of steals on passes we normally make that they got deflections on or caught it. They’re one of the quicker teams we’ve played as far as quick hands.”
Allen scored 11 points to lead Drexel.
