A combination of the Tigers’ strongest defensive performance of the season and Jaylin Scott’s 3-point shooting played key roles in the team’s triumph.

“I’m happy for the guys,” MCC head coach Ryan Flack said. “They came out after a tough Saturday night and had two solid days. They had a good day with film and a good day at practice yesterday. They came out and found a way to win.”

Trailing 24-22 midway through the first half, Scott nailed his second of seven 3-pointers on the night to spark a 10-0 run for MCC (3-6). The run helped send the Tigers to the locker room with a 37-28 halftime lead.

In the second half Scott nailed four more 3-pointers, which helped the Tigers build as much as a 20-point lead over Southwestern (3-5) at 76-56 with just more than one minute left in the game.

T-R PHOTO BY ANDREW ABADIE - Marshalltown Community College guard Jaylin Scott (12) flips the ball toward the basket over Southwestern defender Akeen Woods (30) during the first half of Tuesday’s game at MCC.

Scott credited having the hot hand but also stressed the importance of how the team’s defense played as it notably outrebounded an opponent for the first time this season.

“It was pretty much the hot hand,” Scott said. “I make sure to get up a lot of shots every day for moments like this. My teammates found me and I made sure I hit my shots.”

“The team came together and talked on defense,” Scott added. “Once we picked up on defense that’s when everything started picking up on the offensive end.”

Scott had a team-leading 22 points to go with four rebounds and two steals in the win.

“[Defensive is] pretty much our focus right now,” Scott said. “We understand as a team that we don’t have all of our pieces [yet] so we understand that we all have to crash on the glass otherwise we are not going to get any rebounds. We have been focused on that in practice and more so in the game too.

T-R PHOTO BY ANDREW ABADIE

“We are really focused on the defensive end and rebounds because we all can score it. That’s how we are going to win by stopping other people.”

The Tigers outrebounded Southwestern 42-27 and held the Spartans to a 26.7 percent shooting percentage behind the arc.

“It was the first game we have beaten anybody on the glass,” Flack said. “That was an emphasis in the last two days. I do think the guys went out and had a mindset of wanting to rebound and wanting to defend. I think we did that for the majority of the game.”

Jaqwell Wilson also scored 13 points and six rebounds while Derrick Paige had double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Despite the win, the Tigers gave up a 10-1 run in the final minute of the game which according to Flack leaves room for MCC to build on.

T-R PHOTO BY ANDREW ABADIE

“I thought late down the stretch there they drove it on us about anytime they wanted,” Flack said. “We have got to do a better job in all parts of the game especially late in the game and helping each other out. We can’t let up just because were up by 16 or whatever were up by.

“[We have] to continue to build that defensive mindset with rebounding and defending. We do have to clean some stuff up. Offensively, I thought we were stagnant at times. It didn’t feel like we had a flow when at other times in the game the ball just sticks with one or two more guys. But cleaning that up and defensively just getting at being really good on the glass [is a focus].”

The Tigers will return to action on Saturday and go on the road to play Ellsworth CC at 3 p.m.

Marshalltown CC 77, Southwestern CC 68

At Marshalltown

T-R PHOTO BY ANDREW ABADIE

SOUTHWESTERN (3-5) — C. Johnson 3-7 3-6 9, Zehnder 2-5 0-0 6, Kelley 5-11 4-6 14, Woods 8-15 5-6 21, Wugol 1-2 0-0 3, Hawthorne 2-5 0-3 4, Do. Johnson 3-9 0-0 7, De. Johnson 2-4 0-2 4. TOTALS 26-58 12-23 68.

MCC (3-6) — Jacobs 2-7 3-5 7, Scott 7-19 3-3 22, Amandio 3-6 2-2 9, Smith 2-4 0-0 4, Arou 1-3 0-0 2, Broadie 1-1 0-0 2, Wilson 6-11 1-1 13, Blackwood 0-0 0-0 0, Paige 3-9 4-6 10, Keeling 3-8 2-2 8. TOTALS 28-68 15-19 77.

Halftime–MCC 37, Southwestern 28. 3-Point Goals–Southwestern 4-14 (Zehnder 2-4, Wugol 1-1, Do. Johnson 1-6, Woods 0-1, De. Johnson 0-2); MCC 6-22 (Scott 5-11, Amandio 1-1, Arou 0-1, Paige 0-1, Jacobs 0-2, Smith 0-2, Wilson 0-2, Keeling 0-2). Rebounds–Southwestern 27 (C. Johnson, Zehnder 7); MCC 42 (Paige 10). Assists–Southwestern 11 (C. Johnson 5); MCC 14 (Jacobs 5). Total Fouls–Southwestern 19, MCC 20. Fouled Out–Wilson. Technical Fouls–Southwestern coach, Paige.