Momentum builds as Jacks beat Star City by 13 for second road win of the week

STAR CITY, Ark. – Warren moved to 2-2 in 8-4A Conference play Friday night after defeating the Star City Bulldogs in impressive fashion by the final of 71-58.

Taking to the court in a hostile atmosphere, Warren looked to pick up their second Conference win in a row after having beat Crossett Tuesday night of this week. It’s been a tough stretch of games since the start of the season with all road games to date as the orange and black await the official opening of the new Lumberjack Arena on the Warren Schools Campus.

Top photo: Jayden Ridgell and Antonio Jordan trap a Star City Bulldog during Warren’s win Friday evening. Photo by Saline River Chronicle.

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Warren jumped out quickly on the blues of Star City, establishing an early 7-0 lead. The Bulldogs would rally to get back into the thick of things. Warren sophomore stand-out Antonio Jordan found himself in a bit of foul trouble early on and was forced to exit for a chuck of minutes in the first quarter. Star City and Warren took a 13-13 tie into the second.

Senior Lumberjack Jalin Lee knocked down a three in the second to help Warren through a cool spell. Jordan reentered and contributed a trey of his own. However, nothing could separate the two teams before the halftime buzzer. They were knotted up at 29-29 at the midway point.

A tight second half was weathered by Warren. Scrappy play on the boards and tough defense proved to be more than Star City could cope with at times. The Bulldogs did have a few momentum-swinging moments, including three second-half dunks, but every single time the Lumberjacks kept their composure and struck back on the other end.

Lumberjack Jordyn Ingram put in a massive second-half performance, both on the boards and in the scorebook, dropping two clutch three-pointers to help seal the victory for the orange and black.

Malik Day takes on a Star City defender Friday night during Warren’s 71-58 win. Photo by Saline River Chronicle.

Malik Day had perhaps his best game of the season at the point. The senior was cool and collected, took care of the ball, and contributed six important points from the field in the second half, as well as a couple of late free throws to stretch the lead when it mattered.

It was a real team effort as Jayden Ridgell provided a crucial second-half block, Neon’dre Thomas gave a booster of offensive creativity, and Treylon Jackson came off the bench and supplied some quality minutes at point guard.

Warren pulled away late in the fourth, defeating Star City by the final of 71-58.

Although he missed a chunk of the first half due to foul issues, Sophomore Antonio Jordan once again led the Lumberjacks in points with 28. He also pulled down eight rebounds on the night.

Jordyn Ingram was a game-changer for Warren. He posted 18 points and seven rebounds. He scored 14 of those points in the second half to put off Star City. Ingram was named the Saline River Chronicle Player of the Game.

Malik Day also had a big night with 11 points and a rebound. He was a steady hand when Warren needed it, running the press break with great efficiency.

Jalin Lee scored six, but again his biggest contribution was his superb defensive play. The senior also hauled in seven rebounds.

Neon’dre Thomas scored four and Treylon Jackson posted two.

The win improves Warren’s 8-4A Conference record to 2-2 ahead of another big road game against Hamburg Tuesday, January 17. That game will tip off immediately following the Warren Lady Jacks game which starts at 5:30 p.m. The Lumberjacks are now 4-5 overall.