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SAN ANTONIO — Grayson Rigdon got his, but Jayton made it the most difficult 32 points the nation’s leading scorer posted all year.
The Jaybirds threw body after body at Rigdon, and even drew blood, in a 60-53 victory against Benjamin for the Class 1A state championship Saturday at the Alamodome. It’s the first state title in program history.
Benjamin finished the season with a 24-2 record, making its second state tournament appearance in program history. The Mustangs lost in the state semifinals in 2023.
First blood
The game was tied at 52 when Rigdon was hit hard underneath his own basket and stayed down on the court. The action continued on the other end, resulting in a foul called on Benjamin to send Jayton’s Colt Gentry to the line.
Play was stopped after the foul with Rigdon still facedown on the court. He was rolled over to find he had busted his nose for the second time in three games. He also busted his nose and lip in the Region II-1A championship game last weekend.
Rigdon stayed down for several minutes, eventually getting to his feet with cotton swabs shoved up both nostrils. Benjamin called a timeout to allow Rigdon to change out of his bloody No. 1 jersey and replace it with No. 30.
This may have been the decisive sequence of the game. Gentry made both free throws at the other end, giving Jayton the lead for good.
Benjamin scored a single point for the remainder of the game — a free throw by Rigdon with 41 seconds remaining. The Mustangs scored one field goal in the final 4:53 of the game.
“I felt like there were some calls that could have been made, but I don’t think the referees decided the game,” said Rigdon. “We got outplayed. … I just couldn’t finish my shots.”
Gentry steps up
Benjamin focused on taking away Jayton star Sean Stanaland and succeeded at times, holding him to 14 points.
“We were determined to make someone else beat us,” Benjamin coach Aaron Kuehler said. “And someone stepped up and beat us.”
Gentry got hot in the second half, making his final four shots and going 8 of 12 from the field for a team-high 19 points. Ayden Salazar complemented Gentry with a 6 of 8 shooting performance for 14 points.
Gentry was named the game’s Most Valuable Player.
“I really wasn’t expecting it,” Gentry said. “I was just trying to do whatever I needed to help my team win.”
Another medal for France
Foreign exchange student Jules Pugi has been a huge asset for Benjamin throughout the season, and Saturday’s championship game wasn’t any different.
Pugi scored 15 points, including a trio of 3-pointers. He was also a member of the state championship football team, giving him two state medals and one championship ring to take home after the school year.
“I was fortunate to have open shots, and I tried to get them off fast,” Pugi said. “Unfortunately, I missed the last shot, and that was the most important one. … But I’ve created a lot of great memories here.”
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