The Jackson County Panthers were hoping to ride some momentum off of their Dec. 19 victory over East Jackson into some post-Christmas play this week.
But it didn’t work out that way, as the Panthers found themselves on the losing end against Commerce Monday night.
The Panthers will return to regular season play on Jan. 5, when they play host to the Raiders of Habersham Central. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
With a solid victory over East Jackson in their pocket, Jackson County was looking to try to continue their successful run when they hosted Commerce Monday night.
The 4-3 Tigers came to town off of a Dec. 21 loss to Chestatee.
Commerce took charge early, and by the time the game had reached the third quarter, the Panthers trailed 35-25. Things didn’t improve much by the time they reached the fourth quarter, as the Tigers held a 43-29 advantage at the end of the third.
The Panthers continued to try to catch up to Commerce, and by the time they had reached the four minute mark, they had cut the lead to 11, 46-35. They would get as close as nine points, trailing 49-40 with just over three minutes left to play.
But Commerce held them at bay, blocking shots and rebounding well, and in the end, the Tigers came away with the 56-43 victory.
Among the leading scorers for Jackson County were Joseph Smith with 10 points and Juice Harrison with seven.
For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Jackson Herald or The Braselton News.
