E.A. Sports Today

Inside edition

Jacksonville, McCain dominate the glass, beat White Plains to win area title, host area tournament
 
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
 
JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville basketball coach Cordell Hunt said Donavon McCain played like an animal Friday night in his team’s biggest game to date against White Plains.
 
What type of animal is open for debate.
 
Hunt said his senior post was a tiger. A few moments later when McCain emerged from the locker room and was asked what type of animal he’d like to be, he said without hesitation, “gorilla” because, he said, he was “beastly” on the boards.
 
McCain had 21 points and 15 rebounds as the Golden Eagles handled White Plains 60-48 to clinch the top seed in Class 4A Area 9 for the second year in a row.

“Donavon McCain plays like an animal and he did play like an animal,” Hunt said. “He played about like a tiger tonight. You could see it in his eyes. He played very well.”
 
The way McCain dominated inside, the Golden Eagles’ best play was a missed shot. Seriously, they outrebounded White Plains 39-26 and had 16 second chance points. 
 
“They just dominated us on the glass; they just absolutely killed it,” White Plains coach Chris Randall said.
 
Many of the points McCain scored were on put backs, in transition or at the foul line. He was a 9-for-9 from the field.
 
“He was locked in tonight,” Randall said.
 
“This is a really big game and I really wanted it,” McCain said. “I wanted it bad. Me and my teammates wanted it bad. We all wanted it real bad.
 
“And last game I didn’t play too good against them. I scored like one point (one point, one shot, five rebounds in 18 minutes). I don’t think my mind was in the right place when we played them the first time.”
 
Now, he’s right where he wants to be. The Golden Eagles will host the boys area tournament.
 
“That’s awesome,” Hunt said. “That was one of our goals. Every year we start the season with a couple goals. It’s not just to win a state championship. That’s the ultimate goal. This is the first goal, to host the area and once we host the area then we’re going to (strive to) win our area. After that, we’re going to try to make a showing in the county.
 
“Those are some of our goals. We achieved the first goal today. That’s awesome.”
 
Brody Baker led White Plains with 23 points. 
 
Jacksonville 60, White Plains 48
WHITE PLAINS –
Brody Baker 8-17 4-5 23, Jacob Wheeler 3-6 1-1 8, Quin Wilson 2-9 0-0 5, Henry O’Steen 2-3 0-2 4, Jaden Chatman 1-7 1-2 3, Garrett Wilson 1-2 0-0 3, Coleman Messer 1-2 0-0 2, Landon Senciboy 0-1 0-0 0, Kahlil Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Carson Wright 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-47 6-10 48.
JACKSONVILLE – Donavon McCain 9-9 3-8 21, Kyrie Maynor 5-13 6-8 17, Q Long 5-10 0-0 11, Ron Wiggins 2-5 0-0 4, Caden Johnson 1-2 0-0 2, Jaden Barksdale 1-1 0-0 2, Cam Johnson 1-4 0-0 2, Yessman Green 0-6 1-2 1, Hudson Harvey 0-0 0-0 0, Omarion Adams 0-0 0-0 0, John Broom 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-50 10-18 60.
 
White Plains        10  11 11  16  –  48
Jacksonville         8    23 11  18  –  60
3-point goals: White Plains 6-22 (Baker 3-7, Wheeler 1-2, Q. Wilson 1-6, Chatman 0-4, G. Wilson 1-2, Messer 0-1); Jacksonville 2-12 (Maynor 1-5, Long 1-4, Wiggins 0-1, Cm. Johnson 0-1, Green 0-1). Rebounds: White Plains 26 (Baker 6, Wheeler 6); Jacksonville 39 (McCain 15, Green 7, Maaynor 6). Total fouls: White Plains 14, Jacksonville 8.

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