Golden Eagles finish
- Updated: January 10, 2019
Boys roundup: Jacksonville wins close area game on Maynor’s two free throws with 2.2 seconds left; Piedmont wins sixth straight and more
Thursday’s games
Faith Christian 50, Coosa Christian 39
Anniston 52, Guntersville 35
Jacksonville 53, Hokes Bluff 51
Jacksonville Christian 70, Donoho 49
Piedmont 65, Pleasant Valley 31
Spring Garden 74, Cleburne County 49
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville coach Cordell Hunt was lamenting just the other day how his team needed to win a close game after another one slipped through its grasp.
The Golden Eagles found a way Thursday night. Kyrie Maynor hit a pair of free throws with 2.2 seconds left and Jacksonville rallied from a double-digit deficit in the first half to take an important 53-51 area victory from Hokes Bluff.
“We won a close game,” Hunt said exuberantly. “I’m very proud of the guys for hanging in there.”
The Golden Eagles haven’t had a lot of luck when it’s come to the close ones. They’ve lost four games by three points or fewer this season. Most recently, they lost to Alexandria by two on a 3-pointer with 1:51 to play and to Piedmont by two on a backdoor cut with 4.5 seconds left. They also lost by one to Ashville before their football players joined them and by three to White Plains.
Hokes Bluff was reeling, too, coming off an overtime loss to White Plains on Tuesday.
This wasn’t an easy one to win, either. Playing what Hunt called “probably our worst half of basketball today,” the Golden Eagles trailed by 11 in the second quarter and were down nine at halftime.
But they found a way Thursday by turning up the defensive intensity in the fourth quarter that produced a lot of steals and layups and winning the majority of loose balls. And Omarion Adams clamped down on Eagles leading scorer Braydon Hill. The Golden Eagles outscored Hokes Bluff 16-6 in the fourth quarter.
“I told the kids you have to keep battling,” Hunt said. “I never thought they were hanging their heads. I thought they were playing hard and thought we had a chance because of the way we were playing.”
The Golden Eagles got the ball with 12 seconds left in a tied game and Maynor got fouled driving the lane. They were the only two free throws he shot all game and he finished with nine points.
Donavon McCain led the Golden Eagles with 17 points and seven rebounds. Yessman Green had 13 points and five rebounds. Adams had six points and six boards. Hayden Lipscomb led Hokes Bluff with 18 points, seven rebounds and four blocked shots.
“He brings energy,” Hunt said of Maynor. “When he goes on the court it’s like the energy level goes up a notch or two. I don’t know what it is about him, he just brings energy when he steps on the floor.”
Jacksonville 53, Hokes Bluff 51
HOKES BLUFF – Hayden Lipscomb 8-11 2-3 18, Braydon Hill 4-10 6-7 14, Robert Greaves 4-10 0-0 11, Dylan Teague 2-2 0-0 6, Ashton Gulledge 1-1 0-0 2, Payton Lemons 0-2 0-0 0, Matthew Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Cory Cross 0-0 0-0 0, Tucker Marsh 0-0 0-0 0, Caleb McGinnis 0-0 0-0 0, Ethan Whitcomb 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-36 8-10 51.
JACKSONVILLE (9-8) – Donavon McCain 7-15 3-3 17, Yessman Green 5-13 1-2 13, Kyrie Maynor 3-7 2-2 9, Omarion Adams 3-9 0-0 6, Jay Davis 3-8 0-0 6, Hudson Harvey 0-0 2-2 2, DeMarien Stewart 0-4 0-0 0, Luke Jackson 0-0 0-2 0, Carter Landers 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-56 8-11 53.
Hokes Bluff 14 19 12 6 – 51
Jacksonville 9 15 13 16 – 53
3-point goals: Hokes Bluff 5-13 (Hill 0-3, Greaves 3-8, Teague 2-2); Jacksonville 3-19 (McCain 0-3, Green 2-6, Maynor 1-3, Adams 0-4, Davis 0-1, Stewart 0-2). Rebounds: Hokes Bluff 28 (Lipscomb 7, Hill 7); Jacksonville 28 (McCain 7, Adams 6). Fouled out: Lipscomb. Total fouls: Hokes Bluff 13, Jacksonville 14.
PIEDMONT 65, PLEASANT VALLEY 31
JACKSONVILLE – Delo Foster scored 16 points and Carl Myers had 15 as the Bulldogs won their sixth in a row and fifth in this current 14-day stretch of nine games.
Myers was hot early, scoring 10 points in the first quarter as the Bulldogs opened an 18-8 lead. T.J. Fairs hit all three of his 3-pointers and all 11 of his points in the first half. Foster also grabbed six rebounds and blocked three shots. Alex Odam had 10 points, five rebounds and eight assists.
Piedmont 65, Pleasant Valley 31
PIEDMONT (12-2) – Carl Myers 6 0-2 15, Kaedon Jenkins 3 1-1 7, Delo Foster 7 2-4 16, Silas Thompson 1 2-2 4, Alex Odam 4 0-0 10, T.J. Fairs 4 0-0 11, Malachi Jackson 0 0-0 0, Jakari Foster 1 0-0 2, Sean Smith 0 0-0 0. Totals 26 5-9 65.
PLEASANT VALLEY (3-11) – Austin Johnson 0 0-2 0, Jake Malsy 0 0-0 0, Brayden Wright 1 0-0 2, Josh Ballew 4 0-0 10, Wyatt Ingram 3 0-2 7, Coleman Haynes 4 1-2 9, Garrett Cramner 1 1-1 3, Jackson Almaroad 0 0-3 0, Colby Gaines 0 0-1 0. Totals 13 2-11 31.
Piedmont 18 17 25 5 – 65
Pleasant Valley 8 6 9 8 – 31
3-point goals: Piedmont 8 (Myers 3, Odam 2, Fairs 3); Pleasant Valley 3 (Ballew 2, Ingram). Total fouls: Piedmont 17, Pleasant Valley 7. Officials: Batey, Pratt, Watson.
FAITH CHRISTIAN 50, COOSA CHRISTIAN 39
Freshman Mike McGraw scored 17 points with five 3-pointers and Chase Gibbins hit three 3s to help the Lions overcome a lot of adversity to win. The Lions were forced to play without three starters during the course of the game as Seth Cravens couldn’t go at all and C.J. Gomez and Beau Conley were hurt in the second half; their status for Friday night’s game with Donoho is uncertain.
McGraw hit at least one 3-pointer in each quarter and had 11 points in the first half as the Lions opened a 25-13 lead. Gibbins hit two in a seven-point fourth quarter. in the fourth quarter. “He can do that when he plays with confidence,” Faith coach Justin Kisor said of Gibbins.
To see photos from this game visit www.bjfranklin.smugmug.com
Faith Christian 50, Coosa Christian 39
COOSA CHRISTIAN – Joseph Mooneyham 1 0-1 2, Caleb Cates 1 0-0 2, Malik Woods 0 0-0 0, Clay Waits 7 2-6 17, Evan Delp 4 1-2 9, Noah Davidson 1 0-0 3, Caiden Lipscomb 0 4-4 4. Totals 14 7-13 39.
FAITH CHRISTIAN (7-9) – C.J. Gomez 2 0-2 4, Mike McGraw 6 0-2 17, Chase Gibbins 3 1-5 10, Jacque Prater 1 3-4 6, David Thomas 3 1-2 7, Jacob Cleckler 1 3-4 5, Beau Conley 0 1-2 1. Totals 16 9-21 50.
Coosa Christian 4 9 15 11 – 39
Faith Christian 13 12 9 16 – 50
3-point goals: Coosa 2 (Waits, Davidson); Faith 9 (McGraw 5, Gibbins 3, Prater). Technical fouls: Davidson. Total fouls: Coosa 15, Faith 10. Officials: Robinson, Hall, Brown.
JACKSONVILLE CHRISTIAN 70, DONOHO 49
JACKSONVILLE – Chase Vinson scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Kobe Messer had 21 and seven to lead the Thunder. Nash Messer had 12 points, eight reobunds and five assists, and Eli Fair dealt five assists. Rod Elston and Jacob LeCroy each had 14 points for Donoho.
JCA 70, Donoho 49
DONOHO (5-9) – Seth Ford 1 0-0 3, Amari Smedley 4 3-4 11, Rod Elston 6 1-3 14, Reid Williamon 3 0-0 7, Jacob LeCroy 6 2-2 14. Totals 20 6-9 49.
JCA (13-4) – Tanner Wilson 1 0-0 3, Jeremy Cockrell 0 0-0 0, Chase Vinson 10 2-3 22, Brady Shaddix 1 0-0 2, Eli Fair 1 0-0 2, Nash Messer 5 0-0 12, Jack Harrelson 0 0-0 0, Kobe Messer 8 1-2 21, Jonathan Carter 4 0-0 8. Totals 30 3-5 70.
Donoho 9 14 10 16 – 49
JCA 24 24 22 0 – 70
3-point goals: JCA 7 (Wilson, N. Messer 2, K. Messer 4); Donoho 3 (Ford, Elston, Williamon). Total fouls: JCA 16, Donoho 5. Officials: Calkins, Burroughs, Howell.
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