Vignery’s big 2nd half lifts Platte County past Central in nonconference action

Opposing defenses keep trying but with little true success.

Platte County senior guard Judah Vignery might struggle to score at times but finds ways to produce, especially in critical moments. Central (St. Joseph) produced some frustration with physical play early in Friday’s nonconference matchup before fouls piled up, and the Pirates pulled away for a 52-43 victory at Pirate Fieldhouse.

Vignery finished with a game-high 25 points — 22 in the second half after being limited just three free throws before the break. His scoring average sits at 23.6 points per game, having posted 20 or more in 15 of 19 contests overall and being held to 10 or fewer just twice — both times in losses to Kearney.

“We know it’s coming so we’ve just got to get him the ball, get him started,” said Platte County junior forward Jaden Peterson, who added 13 points and seven rebounds in the win over Central. “Once he gets started, he’s good

Central held Platte County to only 14 points in the first half and took a three-point lead into the break.

Vignery didn’t score until knocking down all the free throws after drawing a foul on a 3-point attempt with exactly 1 minute left in the second quarter. He finally found his touch with a pair of contested triples in the third quarter — the first near the 4-minute mark to break another long scoreless stretch and the second to put the Pirates back in front at 22-21.

The key moment came when Central fouled Vignery near the basket, and junior forward Marquel Mayfield picked up a technical foul for arguing the call. Vignery hit all four free throws, and on the resulting possession, Platte County sophomore reserve Brennan McLaughlin came open off a flex cut for a layup and converted to put the Pirates ahead 28-22.

“I think that was the turning point,” Platte County coach Rick Hodge said. “It’s a six-point possession and that swung not only the scoreboard but the momentum.”

Platte County (11-8) did not trail again and led by as much as eight late in the fourth quarter, as Vignery, Peterson and junior reserve guard Anthony Morrison (11 points) consistently produced good looks at the basket and free throw opportunities. The trio combined for all but three of the Pirates points with McLaughlin’s key bucket and a split of free throws from senior guard Connor Currence, who added seven rebounds and four assists, in the final minute providing the rest.

Central junior guard Gabe Fields hit 3s on either side of the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth to pull the Indians within 31-29. They were as close as two twice in the final frame but never drew even.

Morrison’s knifing finger roll layup put Platte County up 41-36, and Vignery and Peterson combined for 16 points in the fourth quarter to keep Central at distance. The Pirates 21 of 24 on free throws including 11 of 11 for Vignery and 7 of 8 for Morrison.

Mayfield and senior forward Shade Ndamboma both fouled out with Central increasingly flustered with physical screens set for Vignery in an attempt to keep him involved in the offense.

“All the teams are defending us the same way,” Hodge said. “And with that, they are grabbing, holding. We’ve seen it all season. We talked to the kids at halftime — how to handle it and keep your composure. We’re going to continue to see it for the next month, opponents putting their best defender right in Judah’s hip pocket and try not let him breathe and then pressure everyone else on the perimeter.”

Central utilized Ndamboma’s lengthy frame to defend Vignery, who matched Peterson as the team leader with seven rebounds, for as much of the game as possible.

The strategy worked early with Platte County limited to just four points in the first quarter — all on free throws. The Indians scored the first five points of the game but failed to take full advantage of the early struggles. Morrison hit the Pirates’ first field goal 10 seconds into the second quarter and added two free throws on the next possession during a key and typical stretch.

Hodge regularly rests Vignery and Peterson to start the second quarter, and Platte County ended up completing an 8-0 run to take its first lead with the Pirates’ top scoring duo on the bench.

“We still have a lot of different pieces, and I’m trying to get the right pieces out there at the right time,” Hodge said. “As I told them in the locker room after this game, as long as they continue to be unselfish and continue to buy into team and continue with the mentality of whatever it takes for us to win I’m good with it — even if my minutes get cut a little bit tonight — as long as they stick together with that, it will carry them through.”

Central then forced the second of three long scoreless droughts and answered with an 8-0 run of its own, and the Indians survived two key stretches to end up with the 17-14 halftime lead. Peterson hit a corner 3 on an assist from senior guard Brady Wetzel, and the Pirates held possession with a chance to tie or take the lead back only for one of 10 turnovers to set up a breakaway dunk.

After Vignery’s three free throws cut the deficit to one, Central held for a late bucket, but six points from Morrison and five from Peterson were enough to buy time for Vignery.

“We ran our half-court offense better, and once they were in a set defense, we knew that we could take advantage,” Peterson said.

Platte County bounced back from two straight losses in last week’s Grain Valley Invitational to salvage the third-place game. The Pirates have now won two in a row and go into next week looking to match the longest unbeaten streak of the season (three) when they host Grain Valley on Tuesday.

After going 8-18 in a promising campaign that went awry a year earlier, Platte County also hasn’t lost more than two in a row at any and have been .500 or better for the entire season. The results have been a credit to Vignery’s scoring prowess but also the development of roles for the rest of a deep roster that returned only three players with significant varsity experience.

While the majority of supporting offense comes from Peterson and Morrison, Currence provides steady leadership and defense at point guard, while Wetzel and fellow senior guard Dittrick start but share rotational duties with senior forward Jacob Isaacson and junior forwards Archie Wesley and Hayden Schultz in addition to key cameos for sophomore point guard Jayden Martin and McLaughlin.

“I think a lot of it is not just their character and their makeup, but they enjoy playing together,” Hodge said. “When they go through some tough stretches, they band together. Their DNA is not to drop their heads and point fingers. They haven’t done it all year. They come together and fight, and I think that character trait in the collective team is what has been carrying them all season because I ask myself the same questions a lot of times. And that’s what I come up with.”