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Helena fell to Minor 59-38 in the second round of the Jefferson-Shelby Hoops Classic at Calera on Wednesday, Jan. 3. (Reporter Photo/Keith McCoy)

By GRAHAM BROOKS / Staff Writer

CALERA–The Helena Huskies varsity girls basketball team faced a tough Minor team in the second round of the Jefferson-Shelby Hoops Classic and backcourt pressure and traps by the Tigers in the final three quarters became the difference as Helena fell 59-38.

Helena hung tough and found themselves tied with Minor 10-10 at the end of the first quarter as Jordan Jones accounted for eight of the Huskies 10 points. Jones would go on to lead the Huskies with 21 points while shooting 8-of-10 from the free throw line.

Over the next three periods, the game changed as Minor outscored the Huskies 49-28 to place themselves in the quarterfinals.

The Tigers forced the Huskies to commit 28 turnovers in the game which wound up being the difference.

“Jordan had to handle it a lot more tonight than I wanted her to,” Helena head coach Alan Skinner said. “I don’t want her to be our primary ball handler. I want her playing off the ball and go play off the perimeter and things like that. Our guards just needed to be tougher and it’s one of those things that we can practice all the time but when we get in the game we’ve got to have the intensity and the mind to go out and really get after it.”

The two top scorers for Minor were Bria Dent who finished with 24 points to lead all scorers and Arianna Thigpen who added 22 points in the game.

Helena will now open area play on Tuesday, Jan. 9, as the Huskies travel to take on rival Pelham.

Photos available at Shelbycountyphotos.com.

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