Jefferson fights hard, but falls again

CEDAR RAPIDS - It still hurts to lose. That much is evident.

Tyler Konigsmark was nearly inconsolable Tuesday night as he was comforted by his mother and coach after the J-Hawks dropped a 51-43 verdict to Dubuque Hempstead.

His Senior Night was ruined, yet another kick to the chops in a 2014-15 season full of them. When you're 1-19, you'd think you'd want to get this whole thing over with.

But that's not the case with these guys, and that's a compliment to them.

'This whole team just has a lot of heart,” said Jeff's Bryce Cardis. 'We've been through so much, had injuries. We lost one starter (Lucas Larson), he had surgery. I've been out. We've just been dinged up all year. But we don't quit. We keep fighting.”

Had they not gotten so many untimely, unfriendly home rolls, they might have won this one. Jefferson had a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter and still was down only a pair with about three minutes left

But three consecutive possessions ended with shots that either rolled or bounced out, allowing Hempstead (14-6) to extend its edge and end a five-game losing streak.

'We're getting closer,” said Jeff Coach Brandon Horman. 'Unfortunately, we've only got one regular-season game left and then Monday night (in a Class 4A substate) against Prairie. A couple of games to be excited about.”

Horman knew his first season as head coach would be difficult. The J-Hawks were 7-15 a year ago and lost by far their best player, all-stater Jacob Olson, to graduation.

Add in some injuries, as Cardis mentioned, and it's been a struggle to be competitive in games. Jefferson's lone win came in early January against 3A Maquoketa.

'To be honest, going into the season, I thought we had a lot of potential,” said Cardis, who missed five weeks with a broken ankle. 'I still think we can make a run at the end of the season. It's been frustrating, but this team has a lot of heart. We come every day, work hard in practice. We don't give up. Just like tonight. We fight until the very end.”

And Horman appreciates that.

'It's been a blessing to be with the boys,” he said. ' Despite our record, 1-19, they still come every day and work hard. To be in the situation they are in right now ... not finding success in terms of wins and losses, yet still keeping the mentality and the approach that we're still going to come to work every single day and get better. They still truly believe right now that this season is not over. For them to have that mentality, I couldn't ask for any more.”

Adam Van Oort led Jefferson with 12 points, with Konigsmark adding 11. Robert Duax's 22 led Hempstead, which wrapped up at least a share of the MVC Misssissippi Division championship.

It's the Mustangs' first conference title since 1978-79.

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AT C.R. JEFFERSON

DUBUQUE HEMPSTEAD (51): Avery Butler 3-10 1-2 7, Patrick Keleher 0-1 0-0 0, Robert Duax 6-11 9-11 22, Ryan McDonough 5-11 1-2 14, Bailey Paulsen 0-1 1-2 1, Caleb Rindfleisch 1-1 0-0 2, Tommy Bitter 0-1 5-6 5. Totals 16-36 17-23 51.

C.R. JEFFERSON (43): Adam Van Oort 4-11 3-6 12, Tyler Konigsmark 5-10 0-0 10, Jesse Furrow 1-3 0-0 3, Grant Wiederin 0-0 0-0 0, Bryce Cardis 1-11 2-2 4, Royshawn Webb 2-3 0-0 4, Brock Hunt 1-2 0-0 2, Kane Kramer 3-6 0-0 7, Valentino Green 0-0 0-0 0, Zach Szabo 0-2 0-0 0, Blake Galvin 0-0 0-0 0, Davis Hall 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-48 5-8 43.

Halftime - Hempstead 24, Jefferson 18. 3-point goals - Hempstead 4-12 (Butler 0-1, Duax 1-1, McDonough 3-8, Paulsen 0-1, Bitter 0-1), Jefferson 4-18 (Van Oort 1-5, Konigsmark 1-5, Furrow 1-2, Cardis 0-2, Kramer 1-3, Szabo 0-1). Rebounds - Hempstead 25 (Keleher 8), Jefferson 30 (Konigsmark 7). Total fouls - Hempstead 13, Jefferson 22. Fouled out - None. Turnovers - Hempstead 18, Jefferson 19.

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com