Smith makes statement with 28 in Tipp win

He was literally unstoppable, and when Jackson Smith has a game like he did at Fairborn, good things usually follow for the Tippecanoe boys’ basketball team.

The Tipp senior scored at will, dropping 28 points with an array of moves around the rim, leading the Red Devils to a 62-42 win over the Skyhawks right before Christmas.

“They have some good players at Fairborn and they just beat Sidney,” said Tipp coach Brock Moon. “I challenged the kids to come in here and be physical and we had a slow start. We also didn’t shoot the ball well tonight, but thank goodness for Smitty, he had a huge night on the glass and inside.”

Fairborn came out in the opening five minutes and rode the hot hand of Taiyou Williams, who scored the team’s first ten points for the Skyhawks to give the host squad a 10-5 lead before Tipp battled back. The Red Devils used a three from Jackson Davis to end the run, then another three from Larkyn Thomas and a pair of free throws from Smith, giving the Red Devils a 16-13 lead in the final seconds of the opening quarter. Achiel Dunwiddie buried a three as the buzzer sounded to send Fairborn into the second quarter with a slim two-point lead.

The Skyhawks remained a challenge heading into the half, building a 23-20 lead with 2:14 left in the half. Tipp then reeled off eight straight points to end the quarter, as Smith scored an old-fashioned three point play and Thomas dropped his second three of the game as the half ended and Tipp was up 28-23.

Fairborn went scoreless in the first four and a half minutes of the second half, but Tipp could only push their lead to nine before the Skyhawks finally scored. With an eight-point lead at the 2:18 mark of the third period, Smith went to work for Tipp. He scored four points and AJ Jergens buried a big three to increase their lead to 42-27.

Smith added 11 points in the fourth period as Tipp controlled the final eight minutes and earned their sixth win in the Miami Valley League, maintaining their lead in the league.

“I told the kids they get a couple days off for Christmas, but with the late start due to football, we never really got in shape as a team, so it will be a fun week of conditioning for the kids,” Moon said. “From there, it will just be cleaning up a few things.”

Smith’s 28 points was the only player in double figures for Tipp, but eight players scored between three and six points in the win.