Jackson upends Lake, remains unbeaten in Federal League girls basketball play

Senior guard Meg Campbell led the Polar Bears with 20 points as Jackson moves to 4-0 in Federal League play

MASSILLON, Ohio - Meg Campbell wasn't going to let a little blood stop her.

With a small cut on her knee and just 15.8 seconds left on Saturday afternoon, the Jackson senior had the trainer clean up the blood and then stepped up to the free throw line to knock down a pair of free throws to ice the game. 

The two free throws provided the final margin in a 47-40 win for the Polar Bears over Lake in a game between the only two undefeated teams remaining in the Federal League.

"I knew we had to finish through," Campbell said when asked stepping to the line after the cut. "We came in and gave it our all to win the game."

Campbell led the Polar Bears with 20 points, but none bigger than a layup where she drew a foul (and made the free throw) midway through the fourth when Lake (6-1, 2-1) was making a comeback and then she made all four of her free throws in the final minute.

After losing players like Leena Patibandla and Lauren Pallotta as seniors from last year's team, Campbell has stepped into the leadership role for Jackson this season and has helped guide the Polar Bears to a 5-1 start and 4-0 in the Federal League.

"We lose a tremendous senior group, maybe one of the best senior groups the school's ever had," Jackson head coach Anthony Butch said. "And we talked to Meg in the offseason, going into your senior year and made it very clear that this is not a rebuild situation and you're stepping in and you're going to be our leader and engine and motor and she does it all.

"She leads us literally in every statistical category. It's pretty remarkable everything that she does. She wants to have a successful winning senior year in the worst way. And you can see it on the court to the point of total exhaustion because probably at times that I should give her a break and I let her kind of play through it and I'm not sure she'd want it any other way."

On the other end of the spectrum, it was a freshman who knocked down two huge shots for Jackson to start the third quarter, as Ashley Helle hit a pair of 3-pointers to take what had been a 9-point lead at the half and extend it to 15.

"She knocks down big shots when we need it," Campbell said. "She plays with all of her heart and gives it her all. She has not played like a freshman and it's great to see her step up and be a big part of our team."

Jackson's head coach knew his freshman wouldn't be rattled by the pressure, but not because of something he saw on the basketball court.

"She's a varsity tennis player so we went to several of her varsity tennis matches," Butch said. "And the poise and composure that she had as a freshman playing against seniors, we kind of had a thought that she would be able to handle the bright lights of varsity basketball.

"Most freshmen, it's not the skill that they lack when making the transition. It's the intensity and pressure of Federal League basketball that you can't simulate. You can talk about but until you're actually in it, it's an adjustment and it takes reps and it takes time. But from day one, the poise and composure was always there for her. And the moment is not too big for her."

Jackson head coach Anthony Butch talks to his team during a win over Lake on December 16, 2023. Photo credit: Ryan Isley, SBLive Sports  / Ryan Isley, SBLive Sports

The Jackson defense stifled Lake in the second and third quarters, allowing just a single field goal in the second and seven points in the third as they went from tied 11-11 after one quarter to a 38-22 lead after three.

"We've been relying on our defense a lot this year," Butch said. "Like today, in the second half, especially when the game got a little tight there we got huge stops in our man-to-man and then also in our zone, which has been really good this year." 

Jackson scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to go up 40-22 but Lake made a run, outscoring the Polar Bears 18-7 to end the game, led by Emma Anderson who scored nine of her team-high 17 points in the fourth.

But with Lake within five points late in the game twice, Jackson found a way to get the ball to Campbell, who calmly hit the pair of free throws each time. 

"That's a no brainer if we can get the ball in her hands," Butch said.

Ashley Lahmers added eight points for Jackson, Madison Lepley had seven and Helle had six.

When the dust settled, Jackson was the only team left without a blemish in league play just a few weeks into the season. 

"Being undefeated in the Fed is the best feeling in Stark County," Campbell said.

-- Ryan Isley | ryan@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveoh