SPRINGFIELD — With Sparta’s Jake Lafferty touted as the best player in SWMO this season, it’s not surprising Trojans guard Rowdy Ball and his teammates have been told they’re simply part of a one-man team.
“Every single day,” Ball said when asked how often he’s heard that affronting assertion.
Perhaps Sparta’s supporting cast of players were able to go all of Tuesday without hearing from their haters.
The Trojans got to 21 points with Lafferty yet to break into the scoring column and he didn’t finish as their leading scorer in a 61-24 Gold Division first-round triumph over Spokane.
Ball topped Sparta with 14 points , while Lafferty scored 12 points and forward Trenton Ingle and guard Walker Loveland both added 10.
Lafferty was glad to be joined in double figures by three of his teammates.
“I hope it's going to take a lot of pressure off of me,” Lafferty said. “When we've got dudes who can get 5-10 points, it's going to relieve pressure off of me to get mine. It's so much nicer when I can look up and we're winning without me having to get 30. This was one of those games other guys could get theirs.”
Lafferty purposely passed up opportunities to shoot and offered encouragement as he made passes.
“Most of our guys who don't shoot, we're trying to break them of that,” he said. “When I pass it to them and I’m telling them to shoot, that's instilling confidence in them. They're going to let it fly with 100 percent intent that it's going in.”
Coach Deric Link was also glad to see multiple players not hesitate to shoot.
“A conversation we've had the past few days is we have more guys capable of scoring than just Jake,” Link said. “A good thing for us also is we can have confidence taking shots because even if we do miss, he’s got a good chance of getting the rebound.”
Sparta (9-1) is trying to make its way back to the finals in its second entry in the Blue & Gold, after the Trojans’ exceptional foray a year ago saw them get to the Blue Division championship game.
Lafferty, Loveland and guard Mason Letterman are Sparta’s only returnees who saw quality minutes at the Blue & Gold last season. For many of this season’s Trojans, Tuesday’s game was their first time stepping on the Great Southern Bank Arena floor with a game still on the line.
Ball saw mop-up duty against Republic in the Blue Division title tilt last year and played a few minutes in Sparta’s opening-round win against Mountain Grove that was held at the Hammons Student Center.
Ball responded well to playing on Missouri State’s home floor. He had seven points in each half.
“The lighting here is way different than every other gym and the (floor) is bigger. You're out of breath faster,” Ball said. “The depth perception is different because there’s nothing behind the baskets. And you feel like you can jump higher here because the quality of the floor is better. You feel more athletic than you usually do. It was all a new feeling for me because I didn't get to do this last year.”
“You give kids an opportunity to play on a college floor that they would never play at. That's what makes this fun,” Link said.
For Sparta and Spokane (3-7), this was their second matchup in three weeks. The first time the teams met, the Trojans held a 21-17 edge after the first quarter en route to a 74-35 win. This time around, the Trojans jumped out on top 21-2.
Sparta went on to up its lead to 32-6 in the second quarter.
Do the math and Sparta outscored Spokane 114-42 over their final seven quarters against each other.
Notable for Spokane was center Ridge Kipper scoring the Owls’ first 10 points. He finished with a dozen points.
Lafferty had his customary double-double, collecting four offensive rebounds among his 11 rebounds. He was 5-of-11 from the field and didn’t play in the fourth quarter.
Sparta was coming off its first loss, a 55-47 setback against Lafayette County (8-1) at the Twelve Courts Of Christmas in Kansas City last week. Lafayette is No. 3 and Sparta No. 5 in this week’s Missouri Basketball Coaches Association’s Class 3 rankings.
“I don't want to sound like what I'm about to sound like, but we felt we were better,” Lafferty said. “We turned the ball over too much toward the end of the game. If we see them again, we beat them. There's no doubt in my mind we beat them.”
Sparta moves on to face Blue & Gold host Greenwood (11-0) in a second-round game at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
“I'm expecting a box-and-one and one guy face-guarding me the whole game,” Lafferty said. “I’m hoping we get multiple dudes pitching in because it's going to be one of those games I probably won't get 30. There's a fine line between being selfish and getting good shots. I'm going to have to realize that.”
Adding to the importance of the matchup is Sparta and Greenwood both being in Class 3 District 11. This will be their only regular-season matchup.
“We're jockeying for District positions,” Link said. “It’s an important one for us to get and an important one for them.
“I think they're better than they were a year ago,” he added. “I feel they share the ball well and play hard defensively.”
