By GREG MENGELT

RICHMOND, Va. — Kooper Jacobi and the Toledo Rockets looked well on their way to a small road upset Saturday at Richmond.

Jacobi, who helped lead Silver Creek to back-to-back state championships, hit a jumper with 3:58 left in the first half — his only points of the game — to give the Rockets a 34-24 lead and his team led the host Spiders 41-24 at the half. Toledo had a 19-point lead early in the second half before Richmond (6-4) went on a 31-12 run midway through the second half and handed Toledo (7-3) its third loss of the season, 72-69 at the Robins Center.

Toledo’s RayJ Dennis made a pair of free throw with 1:03 left to give Toledo a 69-68 lead. However, Richmond veteran Jacob Gilyard — the All-American candidate who led the nation in steals the last two years — knocked down the game-winning 3-pointer with 34 seconds left.

Dennis missed a free throw attempt that would’ve tied the game late, and when the Rockets got a final chance to tie or win the game, Gilyard stole the chance — literally — with 2 seconds remaining.

Jacobi played 12 minutes off the Toledo bench and went 1 for 3 from the field with 3 rebounds and an assist.

Junior forward Setrick Millner Jr. led all scorers with 25 points. He was 10 for 16 from the field and made 4 of 5 from deep. Junior forward JT Shumate added 18 and Dennis finished with 13.

Richmond junior guard Tyler Burton had 17 points and 9 rebounds and Gilyard, a senior, finished with 13 points, 7 assists, 5 steals and 3 rebounds as the Spiders won their third straight game.

The Rockets host Marshall and super scorer Taevion Kinsey on Tuesday. The tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN Plus.

By GREG MENGELT

MARTIN, Tenn. — Josh Jefferson and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders beat in-state rival UT Martin for the second time in 10 days Saturday with an 84-75 road victory at Skyhawk Arena.

Middle Tennessee (8-2) beat the Skyhawks 73-61 last Wednesday, as well.

Jefferson, a former New Albany standout, struggled from the field, going 2 for 9 overall and 1 for 5 from deep, but he got plenty of help from his teammates. Sophomore guard Eli Lawrence — the team’s leading scorer at 13.3 points per game — had a season-high 21. Senior guard Donovan Sims and junior forward DeAndre Dishman added 15 apiece for the Blue Raiders, who were 9 of 20 from behind the 3-point line (45 percent).

Jefferson was scoreless until two free throw with 1:02 left in the first half that gave Middle Tennessee a 43-37 lead. The Raiders pulled away a bit early in the second half and Jefferson’s 3 — on an assist from Sims — gave the Raiders a 71-56 advantage.

Jefferson’s final basket — on a layup — put Middle Tennessee up 74-63 with 4:25 remaining. The Raider senior also had a rebound, an assist and a blocked shot.

Junior guard KJ Simon led the Skyhawks (3-7) with 21 points.

MIddle Tennessee goes to Ole Miss on Wednesday to take on the 6-3 Rebels. Mississippi lost at home to Western Kentucky 71-48 on Saturday. Jefferson and the Raiders can be seen against Ole Miss at 7:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.

.@Josh_Jefferson1 all the way from New Albany ☄️

2H | 7:40
MT 71. UTM 59#MT pic.twitter.com/omON9vfiSc

— MT Basketball (@MT_MBB) December 12, 2021

By GREG MENGELT

NEW ALBANY — Former Warren Central star Trequan Spivey scored 28 points and IU Kokomo scored an 80-70 road win at IU Southeast on Saturday at the IU Southeast Activities Center.

The Grenadiers led 35-31 at the half and they led 49-47 after a pair of free throws by junior guard Anthony Wales Jr. (Louisville/Mineral Area) gave them a 49-47 lead with 13:53 left. After a layup by former New Albany star Julien Hunter tied the game, a 3-pointer by senior forward Darian Porch (Indianapolis/Pike) gave the Cougars the lead for good.

Spivey’s 3-point play pushed the IUK advantage to 64-55 with 8:16 to go. Spivey then put the game away with back-to-back jumpers and four free throws down the stretch.

Junior guard Glenn Hill Jr., who leads the Grenadiers at 16.2 points per game, had a team-best 17 Saturday. He was one of three IU Southeast players in double figures. Freshman Gabriel Casillas Cruz (Puerto Rico) had 14 points, while senior guard Jared Osborne (Mt. Washington, Ky./Bullitt East) and freshman guard Caleb Brown (Jeffersonville/Charlestown) had 10 apiece in defeat.

IU Southeast shot 37.5 percent from the floor (24 for 64), but the Grenadiers were successful on 13 of their 14 free throw atttempts.

Hunter, an IUK sophomore, had 4 points and 4 rebounds in 23 minutes off the Cougar bench.

The Grenadiers (3-11) host Oakland City at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

By GREG MENGELT

DEFIANCE, Ohio — Defiance star Marell Jordan went the length of the floor and scored the game-winning layup with 4 seconds left to give the Yellow Jackets a 74-73 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference victory over visiting Hanover on Saturday.

The loss was the first this season for Hanover, which took a 73-72 lead on a pair of Max Munoz (Indianapolis/Southport) free throws with 10 seconds left. Jordan, who came in averaging 23.5 points per game, had a cold shooting night but came up big when it mattered Saturday at the Weaner Community Center.

Jordan finished with 19 points — on 6 of 19 shooting. That was one point shy of team lead Andre Edwards’ co-game-high 20 points. Munoz also had 20 for the Panthers, who trailed most of the contest, including 42-36 at the half.

Christian Academy graduate Noah Williams had a big night for the Panthers. He finished with 18 points and was successful on 6 of his 7 field goal attempts. The Jeffersonville resident made all 3 of his 3-point attempts and had 3 assists and 2 rebounds in defeat.

Former New Albany star Isaac Hibbard had 13 points on 5 of 8 shooting. He also had 3 rebounds, a steal and a blocked shots for Hanover, which shot 56.3 percent for the game (27 of 48).

Max Greenmoyer (Zionsville/University) finished with 16 points and 7 rebounds for the Panthers, who go to Rose-Hulman on Wednesday for a 7:30 p.m. tip. The Fightin’ Engineers defeated Mount St. Joseph 60-56 Saturday for their third straight win.

By GREG MENGELT

It hasn’t always been easy or pretty, but the Providence Pioneers are sitting at 4-0 through four games.

Providence stared last year 3-0 in Ryan Miller’s second year as head coach, so Providence is no stranger to fast starts. Last year in a bit of a rebuilding season, the Pioneers went 12-9 and advanced to the sectional championship game at Southwestern.

This year, the Pioneers want to accomplish more. Games like Saturday’s Hoosier Hills Hoops Game of the Night against 3-1 Scottsburg could help that happen, Miller says.

“This Scottsburg game will be a good test,” the third-year Providence head man said. “These are the games we want to play in. They make you better.”

Providence blew away Tell City (0-4) and Austin (1-3) in their first two outings before edging Borden (3-2) and pulling away from Lanesville (0-5) on Friday to improve to 4-0.

“We like our group this year,” Miller said. “They play hard and they play together as a unit. They are balanced and are team oriented. We have a good mixture of upperclassmen along with some newcomers to the varsity level. We have gotten off to a nice start with some good wins.”

Miller said it was obvious watching the Warriors’ young varsity and solid junior varsity that Scottsburg was going to be good pretty fast. None of the teams the Pioneers have played early in the season gave Providence the challenge Miller expects from the Warriors on Saturday evening at the Larkin Center.

“Scottsburg has an abundance of size, talent and skill, from both the perimeter and the interior,” Miller said. “They have balance and the coaching staff does a good job of playing to their personnel. “They are clearly a complete team with all the pieces to compete at a very high level this season and for seasons to come.”

GAME OF THE NIGHT
SCOTTSBURG (3-1) AT PROVIDENCE (4-0)
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Larkin Center, Our Lady of Providence (707 Providence Way, Clarksville)
• Coaches:
Scottsburg — Eric Richardson (9-19 in second season at Scottsburg)
Providence — Ryan Miller (34-16 in third season at Providence)
• Rankings:
Providence — No. 19 AP (Class 2A).
• Most recent game:
Scottsburg — Lost at Brownstown Central 45-41 (Dec. 10)
Providence — Won at Lanesville 52-42 (Dec. 10)
• Last 20 years: Providence 12-8. The Pioneers have won the last 2 meetings with Scottsburg.
• News & notes: The Warriors took their first loss Friday at Brownstown Central. Scottsburg had a season-low 41 points in the defeat. That’s 21 points fewer than their previous season low, 62 points in a 19-point win over Eastern on Nov. 30. … Providence outscored Lanesville 19-11 in the second quarter and 22-11 in the third quarter of Friday’s 10-point win. Senior guard Grant Williams had a game-best 21 points for the Pioneers.
• Most recent meeting: Dec. 12, 2020 — Providence 55, at Scottsburg 45.
• John Harrell prediction: Providence 48, Scottsburg 47.
• Outlook: This is a tough choice. This feels like a game that comes down to the final minute.
• Greg’s pick: Scottsburg 62, Providence 60.

FLOYD CENTRAL (3-0) AT JEFFERSONTOWN (KY.) (2-1)
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Jeffersontown H.S. (9600 Old 6 Mile Ln., Jeffersontown, Ky.)
• Coaches:
Floyd Central — Todd Sturgeon (125-40 in eighth season at Floyd)
Jeffersontown — Richard Duncan Jr. (coaching record unavailable)
• Most recent game:
Floyd Central — Defeated New Albany 57-26 (Dec. 10)
Jeffersontown — Lost at Doss 63-62 (Dec. 7)
• Last 20 years: First meeting.
• News & notes: In their 31-point win over New Albany, the Highlanders pulled away with a 30-3 run that spanned the second and third quarters. The Highlanders led 42-12 with 3 minutes left in the third quarter. … Caleb Washington scored 10 of his team-high 12 points during the 30-3 run. … J-Town’s one loss came Tuesday in a 1-point road loss at Doss. … The Chargers went 5-7 last season.
• Outlook: We’re certainly not going to doubt the Highlanders the day after beating New Albany by 31 points.
• Greg’s pick: Floyd Central 69, Jeffersontown 53.

EASTERN (3-1) AT CLARKSVILLE (2-2)
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Clarksville H.S. Main Gymnasium (800 Dr. Dot Lewis Drive, Clarksville)
• Coaches:
Eastern — Chandler Prible (15-14 in second season at Eastern)
Clarksville — Kyle Hankins (2-2 in first season at Clarksville)
• Most recent game:
Eastern — Defeated Crawford County 56-24 (Dec. 10)
Clarksville — Lost at Charlestown 59-41 (Dec. 10)
• Last 20 years: 13-13. Clarksville has won 8 in a row over the Musketeers.
• Most recent meeting: Dec. 12, 2020 — Clarksville 64, at Eastern 60.
• News & notes: The Musketeers and Generals were Mid-Southern Conference rivals for nearly 20 years until Clarksville league the league last year. … Jacob Cherry finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds and Cade Jones had 18 points and 4 boards in the Musketeers’ win over Crawford County on Friday. Yancey Edlin had 4 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists for Eastern. … Clarksville was led by Jacob Seward’s 14 points in Friday’s loss to Charlestown. Dakota Capps added 13. It was the first time in the Generals’ first four games that Capps didn’t lead them in scoring.
• John Harrell prediction: Eastern 54, Clarksville 50.
• Outlook: Despite the setback against Scottsburg, it appears the Musketeers have a really good team.
• Greg’s pick: Eastern 64, Clarksville 54.

CORYDON CENTRAL (2-2) AT EVANSVILLE MEMORIAL (1-2)
• Time: 8 p.m.
• Location: Robert Kent Athletic Center, Memorial H.S. (1500 Lincoln Ave., Evansville)
• Coaches:
Corydon Central — Joseph Hinton (23-28 in third season at Corydon)
Memorial — Heath Howington (9-13 in second season at Memorial, 92-126 in 10th season overall)
• Most recent game:
Corydon Central — Defeated Madison 76-57 (Dec. 4)
Memorial — Lost at Jasper 46-45 (Dec. 10)
• Last 20 years: First meeting.
• News & notes: Bryce Weber led Corydon with 15 points in Friday’s loss to North Harrison. Trey Wiley had 10. … The Panthers trailed Madison 39-33 at the half before outscoring the Dubs 43-18 in the second half of Saturday’s win.
• John Harrell prediction: Memorial 59, Corydon Central 50.
• Outlook: Corydon’s win Saturday should’t be considered an upset but it will be.
• Greg’s pick: Corydon Central 68, Memorial 63.

JENNINGS COUNTY (3-1) AT AUSTIN (1-3)
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Rigel Gymnasium (401 S. Hwy. 31, Austin)
• Coaches:
Jennings County — Josh Land (55-70 in sixth season at Jennings)
Austin — Randy Edwards (36-65 in fifth season at Austin)
• Most recent game:
Jennings County — Defeated East Central 64-19 (Dec. 10)
Austin — Defeated Henryville 55-48 (Dec. 10)
• Last 20 years: Jennings County 4-0.
• Most recent meeting: Dec. 12, 2020 — At Jennings County 65, Austin 51.
• News & notes: Austin is 1-3 through four games for the second straight season. … The Panthers scored 101 points in their win over Madison on Dec. 3. It was Jennings’ first 100-point output since a 109-69 win over Austin on Feb. 6, 1996. The Panthers reached the regional championship.
• John Harrell prediction: Jennings County 73, Austin 43.
• Outlook: Even on the road, the Panthers should win by plenty.
• Greg’s pick: Jennings County 75, Austin 57.

SALEM (1-2) AT MITCHELL (3-1)
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Mitchell H.S. (1000 West Bishop Blvd., Mitchell)
• Coaches:
Salem — Duane Malloy (1-2 in first season at Salem)
Mitchell — Jackson Ryan (6-15 in second season at Mitchell)
• Most recent game:
Salem — Lost to Henryville 52-51 (Dec. 4)
Mitchell — Lost at Linton-Stockton 57-42 (Dec. 10)
• Last 20 years: Salem 14-6. The two programs have split the last four meetings.
• Most recent meeting: Jan. 19 — Mitchell 76, at Salem 48.
• News & notes: Salem hasn’t played since last Saturday when the Lions dropped a heartbreaker at the buzzer to Henryville. … Mitchell won just three games last season. The Bluejackets have already won three in their first four games this season.
• John Harrell prediction: Mitchell 58, Salem 46.
• Outlook: it’s been quite a turnaround for Mitchell. It continues Saturday.
• Greg’s pick: Mitchell 65, Salem 54.

CANNELTON (1-4) AT ROCK CREEK (2-1)
• Tibme: 3:30 p.m.
• Location: Rock Creek Academy/Restoration Christian Church (8000 Diefenbach Ln., Sellersburg)
• Coaches:
Cannelton — Chris Melton (8-17 in second season at Cannelton)
Rock Creek — Chris Brown (350-282 in 26th season at Rock Creek)
• Most recent game:
Cannelton — Lost to Tecumseh 57-31 (Dec. 10)
Rock Creek — Defeated Christian Academy 66-54 (Dec. 10)
• Last 20 years: 18-3. The Lions have an 11-game winning streak against the Bulldogs.
• Most recent meeting: Dec. 12, 2020 — Rock Creek 70, at Cannelton 43.
• News & notes: Chris Brown won his 350th game as head coach with the Lions’ win over Christian Academy. Brown, who has been the leader of Rock Creek’s program for 24 years, played at Christian Academy when it was known as Graceland Christian. He becomes the 25th active coach with 350 career victories. … Four Lions scored in double figures in Friday’s win over CAI. Senior Gavin Gullion came off the bench to the way with 19 points, junior Marial Diper had 15, junior Memphis Jackson finished with 14 and junior Jaleb Treat contributed 10 points to the triumph. … The Lions snapped a 6-game losing streak to CAI. … Brown has 342 more wins than Saturday’s opponent, Chris Melton.
• John Harrell prediction: Rock Creek 74, Cannelton 30.
• Outlook: Big win for the Lions on Friday night. They get another Saturday.
• Greg’s pick: Rock Creek 67, Cannelton 29.

HENRYVILLE (1-4) AT HAUSER (2-2)
• Time: 6 p.m.
• Location: Hauser Gymnasium, Hauser H.S. (9273 Indiana 9, Hope)
• Coaches:
Henryville — Jared Hill (92-80 in eighth season at Henryville)
Hauser — Brent Keck (10-17 in second season at Hauser, 233-270 in 24th season overall)
• Most recent game:
Henryville — Lost at Austin 55-48 (Dec. 10)
Hauser — Won at Morristown 61-36 (Dec. 4)
• Last 20 years: Hauser 1-0.
• Most recent meeting: March 12, 2005 — Hauser 71, Henryville 44 (Class A Franklin Regional championship)
• John Harrell prediction: Hauser 54, Henryville 53.
• Outlook: Henryville has only one win but Hill has the Hornets competitive. It pays off today.
• Greg’s pick: Henryville 62, Hauser 58.

PERRY CENTRAL (2-0) AT SOUTH CENTRAL (1-3)
• Time: 1 p.m.
• Location: South Central H.S. Main Gym (6675 E. Hwy. 11 S.E., Elizabeth)
• Coaches:
Perry Central — Jeff Litherland (2-0 in first season at Perry Central, 95-46 in seventh season overall)
South Central — Greg Robinson (174-171 in 16th season at South Central, 196-234 in 20th season overall)
• Most recent game:
Perry Central — Won at Cannelton (Nov. 30)
South Central — Lost to Borden 80-60 (Dec. 10)
• Last 20 years: Perry Central 1-0.
• Most recent meeting: Dec. 12, 2020 — At Perry Central 71, South Central 51.
• News & notes: Christian Kiper (19) and Cole Thomas (16) scored 35 of the Rebels’ 60 points in Friday’s loss to visiting Borden. Jack Schmelz added 9 in the defeat. … Litherland was the head coach at Forest Park for six seasons and led the Rangers to the Class A state championship game in 2018. .. Because of Friday’s postponement against Wood Memorial, the Commodores haven’t played in 12 days, since beating Cannelton by 41 points. … This is the home opener for Perry Central.
• John Harrell prediction: Perry Central 66, South Central 51.
• Outlook: We like the Rebels at home in a close one.
• Greg’s pick: South Central 62, Perry Central 58.

SPRINGS VALLEY (2-2) AT LANESVILLE (0-5)
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Lanesville H.S. (2725 Crestview Ave. NE, Lanesville)
• Coaches:
Springs Valley — Jonathon Bowles (12-15 in second season at Springs Valley)
Lanesville — Mikel Miller (287-214 in 22nd season at Lanesville)
• Most recent game:
Springs Valley — Won at Wood Memorial 74-43 (Dec. 8)
Lanesville — Lost to Providence 52-42 (Dec. 10)
• Last 20 years: Lanesville 4-1.
• Most recent meeting: Dec. 12, 2020 — Lanesville 48, at Springs Valley 41.
• News & notes: Jack Crosby scored nine points to lead the Eagles in scoring last Friday’s 52-30 SAC loss to Borden. All nine Crosby points came on a trio of 3-pointers. … The Eagles shot just 28 percent from the floor in the defeat. … There were only 10 total free throws in Lanesville’s loss to Borden. The Eagles were 3 for 4. … Maddox Miller’s 9 points led the Eagles in Friday’s 10-point loss to Providence. … The Eagles led unbeaten Providence 10-5 after one quarter and outscored the Pioneers 10-6 in the fourth quarter Friday. … Springs Valley, which went 10-12 last year, has won its last two games by a combined score of 157-107 over Evansville Day and Wood Memorial.
• John Harrell prediction: Springs Valley 59, Lanesville 50.
• Outlook: Lanesville has a chance to pick up its first win of the season.
• Greg’s pick: Springs Valley 67, Lanesville 59.

TRNITY LUTHERAN (1-2) AT WEST WASHINGTON (0-3)
• Time: 7:30 p.m.
• Location: Tower Gymnasium, West Washington H.S. (8028 W. Batt Rd., Campbellsburg)
• Coaches:
Trinity Lutheran — Brad Dickey (1-2 in first season at Trinity Lutheran, 236-152 in 17th season overall)
West Washington — Clayton Sullivan (39-39 in fourth season at West Washington)
• Most recent game:
Trinity Lutheran — Lost to Southwestern (Shelbyville) 31-28 (Dec. 10)
West Washington — Lost at Paoli 53-41 (Dec. 10)
• Last 20 years: Trinity Lutheran 8-7. West Washington has won three of the last four in the series.
• Most recent meeting: March 6 — Trinity Lutheran 57, West Washington 41.
• News & notes: The two teams split a pair of games last year. West Washington won in Seymour, 59-55 in the regular season, while the Cougars beat the Senators 57-41 to win the sectional championship in March. It was Trinity’s third sectional title in program history. … The Senators have scored between 41 and 46 in all three games this season. … The Cougars scored 79 points in their 8-point season-opening win over South Decatur and 28 points in Friday night’s loss. … Dickey was the head coach at Edgewood, Tipton and Franklin before taking over at Trinity Lutheran. He won three straight regional titles from 2011-2013 at Tipton and won double-digit games 12 years in a row at Tipton and Franklin.
• John Harrell prediction: West Washington 49, Trinity Lutheran 46.
• Outlook: Excellent chance for the Senators to get their first win.
• Greg’s pick: West Washington 55, Trinity Lutheran 52.

By GREG MENGELT

PHOENIX — Romeo Langford scored 6 points but the Boston Celtics took a 111-90 loss in Phoenix at the Footprint Center.

Langford, a former New Albany and Indiana University star, went 3 for 7 from the field and tied for the team lead with seven rebounds — one short of his season high of 8 set exact two weeks ago in a win at Toronto — in 23 minutes off the Celtics bench.

The Celtics trailed Phoenix 25-24 after the first quarter before being outscored 32-17 in the critical second period.

Langford’s floater on an assist from Al Horford with 4:05 left in the first quarter gave Boston a 20-15 lead. With 9:19 remaining in the second quarter, Langford’s offensive putback rebound cut Boston’s deficit to 4 at 32-28. His third basket came off a Jayson Tatum miss with 27 seconds left in the third quarter when the Celtics trailed the defending Western Conference champions by 15.

Tatum, who averages a team-best 25.7 points, led the Celtics with 24 points Friday. Langford had the second-most minutes off the Boston bench behind Grant Williams, who finished with 7 points and 3 rebounds.

The Celtics shot just 37.6 percent from the field (35 of 93) and made just 4 of their 26 3-point attempts (15.4 percent) in defeat.

Phoenix (21-4) has now won 20 of its last 21 games since a 1-3 start. The Suns’ 18-game winning streak was snapped by Golden State last Friday. All five Phoenix starters and two subs scored in double figures Friday, led by Javale McGee’s 21 points and 15 rebounds. Chris Paul had 10 points and 12 assists. Boston had just 13 total assists from the contest.

The Suns were without their top two scorers Devon Booker (hamstring) and Deandre Ayton (illness). Jaylen Brown (hamstring) missed the game for Boston, which is now 13-14 following its third straight loss. Celtics coach Ime Udoka did report before the game that they expect Brown to return soon.

The Celtics will look to get back on track Monday when they host defending World Champion Milwaukee (17-10) at 7:30 p.m. The Bucks have won 10 of their last 12 games.