TIPTON - Against Tipton on Tuesday, Jamestown came out like a team that had been waiting all day.
In the final first round game of the Tipton Tournament, the Eagles unleashed a blistering press on the Cardinals to take a 10-point first quarter lead on their way to a comfortable 79-60 win.
"Our athleticism is a big key for us and we really try to take advantage of that," Jamestown coach Seth Thomas said. "These guys are in really good shape, they buy in and they give it all they got. Playing hard is not a skill, it's a mental makeup."
The Eagles fed versatile forward Trenton Barbour to begin the game. The 6-foot-5 junior racked up 12 points in the first en route to a game-high 27. Barbour carved up the Cardinals in a variety of ways, scoring on the block, from the mid-range and netting a pair of 3-pointers.
"Trenton can impact the game in numerous different ways," Thomas said. "With that blend of size and athleticism, he just has to take what teams give him. He did that tonight and he set the tone on the defensive interior by grabbing rebounds and blocking shots."
Tipton struggled to get in its offensive sets as Jamestown guards Garrett Wolfe and Austin Flippin made it tough for the Cardinals to simply get the ball across halfcourt, particularly in the first half.
Wolfe also proved to be a handful for Tipton on the other end of the floor, as he tallied 26 points, most of which came on from lay-ups and free throws. Flippin chipped in with a dozen points for Jamestown.
"Garrett is a heck of an athlete," Thomas said. "He takes contact, he gets fouled and he just keeps coming back at you. That's tough to do. He's fun to watch, maybe not for other coaches, but for me and the fans it is."
The Cardinals got a balanced scoring output, particularly from their guards, but were unable to get the stops at the other to ever seriously challenge Jamestown's lead.
Dylan Becker led Tipton with 14 points while Braydon Renfro had 12 and Trenton Pace added 11. Kodie Dick had nine points for the Cardinals and Brock Bookout chipped in with eight.