Jacobs pouring it on for TMP girls
By CONOR NICHOLL
1"Jessa came up to me and said, 'Pretend like we are at our home court shooting for practice,' " Jacobs said. "Once I made the first one, I was more relaxed."
Jacobs made both free throws, sealing a 51-47 victory for TMP-Marian. The Monarchs earned their second trip to the state tournament in school history and first time in Alan Billinger's nine years as coach. The fourth-ranked Monarchs, playing without senior guard Kaylee Hoffman in the last four contests, are 22-1 overall and Class 3A's No. 1 seed. They will face No. 8 seed Riley-Riley County (13-10) in the first round on Thursday. Game time is 6:30 p.m. at Hutchinson Sports Arena.
Jacobs, a 5-foot-8 forward, has played well all season, but has improved even more after Hoffman went out with a knee injury suffered in the penultimate game of the regular season, on Feb. 19 versus Scott City. Jacobs, who leads the Monarchs with 15.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, has averaged 21 points and 12.3 rebounds a contest without Hoffman, who was averaging 15 points per game.
"I had to raise my game," Jacobs said. "I focus more on my shots."
While every player has improved in Hoffman's absence, no one has seen a bigger jump in numbers than Jacobs and senior point guard Sophia Schippers.
"If you have look at the games since Kaylee has gone out, you can just see how (Rachel) has just stepped up her game," Billinger said. "Sophia, running the offense, running the defense, getting the confidence in those 3s. She is just catching and shooting. I told the team down there (at sub-state), 'I don't care what our shooting percentage is, I want them shooting the ball.' If we don't score, we are not going to win."
Schippers made 23 3-pointers in the season's first 19 games and has made 14 in the last four contests, including six against Hutchinson-Trinity, believed to the most in a single game in Billinger's tenure. Schippers averaged 6.4 points before Hoffman was hurt, 14 points a contest since.
Schippers, who has worked on her shot with Billinger throughout the years, has shot 37 percent from behind the arc, the best percentage of her career. Billinger noticed that Schippers -- who, along with freshman Heather Ruder, usually plays the full game -- has played with more confidence and is quicker on both ends of the floor.
"She has really stepped up as our floor general," Billinger said. "Bringing the ball down, breaking the press."
Jacobs has helped in all facets, especially against Southwestern Heights. Led by Schippers' and Jacobs' ball-handling, the Monarchs committed nine turnovers against the Mustangs' press, 11 fewer than Southwestern Heights.
"When we played Southwestern Heights, (Rachel) was going through that press just like butter," Billinger said. "She was behind the back, between the legs and getting some good looks at the bucket and passing off. I think we handled their press very well. When they needed the ball, they couldn't get it, so they had to foul us."
Jacobs finished Saturday's contest with 18 points and nine rebounds. In the final regular-season game, Jacobs collected 14 points and 14 rebounds against Hutchinson-Trinity. Then, in the first round of sub-state, she delivered 27 points and nine rebounds versus Larned. The 27 points set a career-high and is one off the most points scored by a Monarch in Billinger's tenure.
"It really got my confidence up and my team really helped me with everything," she said. "It was just another boost."
Versus Goodland in the semifinals of sub-state, Jacobs finished with 24 points and 17 rebounds, tying her career-high for rebounds in a single game.
Jacobs, who has the two highest single-season rebounding averages in Billinger's era (8.3 and 8.9) is stronger and can jump higher than many opposing frontcourt players.
"I just get position somehow and always blocking off," she said. "Also I get up a lot above everybody."
Jacobs also has continued to shoot the ball well. Overall, she ranks third on the team in 2-point shooting (50 percent, 114-of-229) and second in 3-point shooting at 40 percent (29-of-72) and free throw percentage (84 percent). She is the lone Monarch to rank in the top three in all three statistical categories.
Jacobs, along with Stramel, can score in multiple ways. While Stramel averages 11.1 points and five rebounds and ranks among the Monarchs' career leaders in points and rebounds, Jacobs has moved up the single-season list. Her 351 points this season ranks fourth for the Monarchs in a single season. She is two points from moving into third and could be in second place by year's end. Last year, Hoffman tallied 381 points, second-most in TMP-Marian annals.
"I think what makes them so effective is the fact that either one of them can go inside and either one of them can go outside and shoot the 3 and shoot a short jump shot," Billinger said. "They do a good job of putting the ball off the board. Both of them have got as nice a shot as you are ever going to find. Jacobs is so lethal because she can use that backboard. I have never seen -- and I will include guys -- many people shoot off the backboard and kiss it off the backboard like she does. She has got a golden touch."