Hoosier Hills Hoops | Southern Indiana high school basketball

Jacobi, Rockets can’t hang on against Richmond

December 12, 2021

By GREG MENGELT

RICHMOND, Va.Kooper Jacobi and the Toledo Rockets looked well on their way to a small road upset Saturday at Richmond.

Jacobi, who helped lead Silver Creek to back-to-back state championships, hit a jumper with 3:58 left in the first half — his only points of the game — to give the Rockets a 34-24 lead and his team led the host Spiders 41-24 at the half. Toledo had a 19-point lead early in the second half before Richmond (6-4) went on a 31-12 run midway through the second half and handed Toledo (7-3) its third loss of the season, 72-69 at the Robins Center.

Toledo’s RayJ Dennis made a pair of free throw with 1:03 left to give Toledo a 69-68 lead. However, Richmond veteran Jacob Gilyard — the All-American candidate who led the nation in steals the last two years — knocked down the game-winning 3-pointer with 34 seconds left.

Dennis missed a free throw attempt that would’ve tied the game late, and when the Rockets got a final chance to tie or win the game, Gilyard stole the chance — literally — with 2 seconds remaining.

Jacobi played 12 minutes off the Toledo bench and went 1 for 3 from the field with 3 rebounds and an assist.

Junior forward Setrick Millner Jr. led all scorers with 25 points. He was 10 for 16 from the field and made 4 of 5 from deep. Junior forward JT Shumate added 18 and Dennis finished with 13.

Richmond junior guard Tyler Burton had 17 points and 9 rebounds and Gilyard, a senior, finished with 13 points, 7 assists, 5 steals and 3 rebounds as the Spiders won their third straight game.

The Rockets host Marshall and super scorer Taevion Kinsey on Tuesday. The tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and can be seen on ESPN Plus.

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