Natyiah Ewing News Today

It was won on the defensive end. “My kids have defensively been playing like this all year long,” Jefferson City Lady Jays coach Kay Foster said after Monday night’s 53-31 victory against the Helias Lady Crusaders at Fleming Fieldhouse.

The Nixa Lady Eagles never trailed Wednesday and used a big second half to run away with a 68-47 victory against the Jefferson City Lady Jays in a state-ranked battle.

The Jefferson City Lady Jays knew they would need to win the 50/50 balls Friday night if they were going to knock off the six-time defending Kansas 5A state champion Saint Thomas Aquinas Saints. That’s exactly what the Lady Jays did down the stretch, as they outhustled the Saints to pick up a 55-51 victory at Fleming Fieldhouse.

UNION — Jefferson City senior Hannah Linthacum reached a career milestone Monday in the Lady Jays’ 64-19 victory against the St. Clair Lady Bulldogs in the first round of the Union Invitational.

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.