Windsor record even at 9-9 after holiday break
The Jaguars will begin their second week of North Bay League Oak Division play in search of their first league win after opening the NBL schedule with losses to Santa Rosa and Montgomery.
In between, the Jags took two of three games played at their own Windsor Holiday Shootout Tournament Dec. 27 through 29, recording a rout over Ukiah before falling in successive games to Healdsburg and Fortuna.
Windsor (0-2, 9-9) will resume league action this week with a pair of home dates against Analy (Jan. 8, after press time) and Cardinal Newman (Jan. 10, 7:30 p.m.).
Holiday shootout
The Jags opened the Holiday Shootout on Dec. 27 with a lopsided, 64-39 rout over Ukiah, riding the hot hands of top scorers Jordan Merical (21 points), Christian Jernigan (15 points, 9 rebounds) and Jack Amormino (13 points, 11 rebounds).
The win set up a semifinal clash with Healdsburg, with the Hounds gaining separation with a 19-5 second-quarter run en route to a 48-30 win. Merical (18 points) and Jernigan (6 points, 8 rebounds) paced the Windsor attack.
It was all Fortuna in the tournament finale on Dec. 29, as the Jaguars struggled to contain the Huskies’ offensive firepower in an eventual 65-45 loss. Merical earned all-tourney honors with 15 points, while Jernigan chipped in 18 points and 12 rebounds.
“Overall, I was happy with how my boys played this tournament,” WHS coach Jared Greninger said. “We had two great wins against Division 2 opponents, and it was a great experience to play two of the top rated teams in the state (Healdsburg and Fortuna), despite the losses.”
Jags fall to Vikings
Windsor got off to a strong start in the Jan. 3 meeting with visiting Montgomery, taking a 14-9 lead at the end of one before settling for a 19-16 edge at the half. The Vikings cranked up their vaunted attack with a 21-13 third-quarter run and held off every Windsor surge down the stretch to notch a 50-44 win.
“We were very focused on defense in the first half, identifying the scoring threats and together doing our best to limit their production,” Greninger said. “Despite the loss, I’m happy that we only had nine turnovers compared to the double-digit turnovers that have plagued us this season.”
Top scorers against Montgomery included Billy Boyle (11), Merical (9) and Jernigan (8 points, 9 boards).
