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By DAVE DOMESCIK | Staff Writer

VINCENT – The Vincent Yellow Jackets finished with a 2-1 record in the Craft Burger Jag Challenge hosted by Spain Park, good enough for fifth place in the tournament.

The girls struggled against the John Carroll Cavaliers, losing 61-30, before bouncing back with consecutive wins over the Montevallo Bulldogs and West Blocton Tigers.

The game against John Carroll was closer than the score showed, with Vincent hanging tough for the first three quarters of the game.

John Carroll got off to a strong start in the first quarter, closing the period up 12-4. Vincent counterpunched in the second quarter, outscoring the Cavaliers 14-11 behind three shots from beyond the arc.

The Yellow Jackets could not score more than six points in each period of the second half, as John Carroll played tight, physical defense that led to a 13-6 margin in the third and a 25-6 margin in the fourth, leading to the 61-30 final.

Emily Williams shined for John Carroll, scoring 27 points, a majority coming in the painted area. Williams nearly outscored Vincent entirely, as no player from the Yellow Jackets cracked double-figures.

Head coach Tyler Coppock had his team ready to rebound in the next matchup against Montevallo, as the Yellow Jackets claimed the win by a score of 41-24.

This time the Yellow Jackets had more prolific scoring, with KK McGinnis and Kinsley Perkins each crossing the double-digit threshold with 16 and 12 points, respectively.

Vincent outscored Montevallo in all but one period, using a stout defense and capable offense to put away the Bulldogs. Vincent won the first quarter 9-5, the second quarter 13-7 and the final quarter 11-3. The third quarter was won by Montevallo, as the Bulldogs eked out a 9-8 margin in the period.

The final game in the Jag Challenge for Vincent was a drubbing, as the Yellow Jackets beat West Blocton 54-16.

The Tigers were simply no match for McGinnis, who added to her stellar tournament by scoring 22. The rest of the Vincent scoring attack was balanced, with three different players scoring at least five points.

West Blocton scored no more than six points in a quarter the entire game, and struggled against a Vincent team motivated to finish the tournament strong.

Next up for Vincent is a return to homecourt, as the Yellow Jackets will play host to B.B. Comer on Friday, Jan. 3 at 3 p.m.