Jett's Heroics Lead Timberwolves Over Saints
Cam Jett was marred in an 0 for 7 stretch as the Timberwolves watched their lead dissipate and the clock wind down, but he wasn't thinking about those 7 shots as he received a pass at the top of the key and sliced through the lane toward the basket with 60 seconds remaining on the clock. He split two defenders at the elbow, fended off a shot blocker and the laws of physics, got the ball into the cylinder and watched as it split the twine, moments before the scoreboard showed a Timberwolf lead and a North Country called timeout.
The Timberwolves, led by Jett's 4 for 4 performance from the free throw line, extended the lead to 5 by the time the buzzer sounded and gave them a victory over the visiting Saints.
It was a much needed win and sweet revenge as the Saints defeated the green and gold 129 to 76 earlier in the season. That bitter taste certainly added to the intensity of the home team as they defended hard all night and got big performances from key contributors.
Cam Jett stole the show, but the night started off with the return of Demani Smith, who had missed two straight games. Smith certainly lived up to the expectations of having their star back in the lineup, dropping 17 points on 8 for 10 from the floor and swatting 5 shot attempts, including one that sent the crowd scurrying for cover. He also grabbed 7 rebounds.
Shea Irish tied for the team lead in points with 17 and hit several key 3 pointers down the stretch to erase deficits. The house almost came down when he hit a well defended three with under 2 minutes to play to give the Timberwolves a 2 point lead, right before Jett went to Take Over Town, population 1.
Jacquan Thompson was a huge part of the win as his physicality in the final 10 minutes of play was indefensible by the Saints defenders. He muscled down the lane and scored on several trips, grabbed 8 tough rebounds and blocked 3 shots. One that brought the crowd to its feet and scared small children.
Elijah Davis joined the block party late in the game with an aggressive swat and played well in total as he collected 9 points and 7 boards.
Treyshan Bradley led the team with 5 assists and added 6 points.
The Timberwolves next play Tompkins Cortland on Saturday, February 10th.