You expect someone named Jett Schanda to be fast.
It just kind of fits.
Fortunately for Forsyth, the senior guard more than lived up to his own billing Tuesday night, erupting for 31 points in an 84-59 road victory over Billings.
Schanda's big night got off to a quick start with 14 points in the first quarter alone. He was joined in double figures by 6'4" Risten Grady, who chipped in 14 of his own in the contest.
Thanks to the huge 28-point quarter, Forsyth was able to build a 10-point lead and put the Wildcats in an early hole.
While Schanda and Grady are certainly well-acquainted with the box score, Billings also has a pair of seniors who know how to get buckets. Forsyth head coach Joshua Hart knew slowing down the duo of Kaleb Clinton and Kyle Kimberling was a priority for the Panthers on defense.
"We want to come after everyone we can and just challenge the kids to step up," Hart said. "Clinton can get to the rim, and he's really strong with his right hand. We wanted to try to force him left and take him out of his game. If we force him left, that usually forced him to pass. The problem with that is he was kicking out to [Kimberling] who was knocking down threes all day, so it's a catch-22."
Clinton scored 15 of his 19 points in the first half, primarily on strong drives to the basket from the right wing. As Forsyth's help-side defenders adjusted in the third quarter and closed down those driving lanes, Clinton began looking for shooters outside the arc.
Kimberling responded with a trio of threes in the second half and 13 of his team-high 20 points; however, it wasn't enough to match the torrid pace set by the Panthers.
Hart talked about Forsyth's depth and praised its resilient nature.
"We've got ten to eleven kids that can play for us at any given time," Hart said. "We put them into the double-bonus one minute into the second quarter. For most teams, that would have been a big-time discouraging factor, but for us, it's next five in … let's go and keep it up."
And keep it up they did.
In the third quarter, Forsyth's transition game got rolling behind Schanda, Grady and Cade Coleman. The Panthers opened the quarter with a 9-2 run and closed it with an 8-0 flurry.
Schanda, in particular, was masterful in the period. After getting a bit frustrated late in the second quarter with defensive adjustments, Forsyth's floor leader looked to quickly regain his composure.
"I realized when I get frustrated, it frustrates my whole team," Schanda said. "I don't want them to look at me and realize I'm getting mad, because it just brings everyone down. I came out, got my head on right and did my thing in the second half."
While Billings didn't quit, the 24-15 third quarter ballooned the Forsyth lead to 20 points.
Coach Kendall Tilley pointed to second-chance opportunities on defense as a key factor in the contest.
"Tonight we came out and focused on getting some stops early and attacking the basket," Tilley said. "Obviously, when you've got a 6'6" kid inside, it's not something you practice against every day. They shot the ball really well, and we didn't close out like we needed to. With our height disadvantage, if we don't get the first rebound; if we don't block somebody out, they're going to get a lot of second shots, and that's what happened tonight."
Despite the tough loss at home, Tilley was pleased with his team's effort against one of the better teams in the SWCL and hopes to get that kind of effort against the rest of the schedule.
"I'm proud of our guys," Tilley said. "We just can't score right now. That's why we've been taking the ball to the basket so much. It worked for us in the first half, then they made their adjustments and made us shoot outside. If we can't get to the lane, it's tough for us sometimes."
Both teams are back in action Friday, Jan. 8. Billings (3-9) travels to New Covenant Academy, while Forsyth (7-4) travels to Pleasant Hope.
Forsyth – 84, Billings – 59
Forsyth 28 16 24 16 — 84
Billings 18 15 15 11 — 59
Forsyth Scoring: Jett Schanda – 31, Risten Grady – 14, Trey Henson – 8, Cade Coleman – 8, Chase Davidson – 8, Micaiah Rocha – 8, Robbie Huggins – 6, Bryce Mann – 1
Billings Scoring: Kyle Kimberling – 20, Kaleb Clinton – 19, Wyatt Wilson – 6, Tyler Essick – 6, Garret Gardner – 4, Luke Johnson – 3, Jacob Smith – 1
JV Score: Forsyth – 54, Billings – 31
