The East Jackson Eagles rebounded from a loss to Habersham County on Jan. 15 by going 2-1 last week, with wins against North Oconee and Jackson County that leave the Eagles 8-10 overall and 3-4 in the region.
Up next is a home stand against Elbert County on Friday.
The Blue Devils come off a 56-39 loss to Franklin County Saturday. Elbert is undefeated against region foes and 5-9 overall.
The Blue Devils came away with the 81-25 victory in the last meeting with East Jackson on Jan. 4. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
North Oconee
The Eagles started their week out by hosting to the North Oconee Titans on Tuesday.
The Eagles pulled out to an early lead, 7-3 in a first quarter sluggish for both teams. They extended that to 21-13 at the half and were up 34-27 after three periods before putting the game away 49-38.
Cody Gibbs led the Eagles with 15 points. Jermaine Davis added 13 and Tevin Dowdy scored 10.
“Our offense struggled at times but we made up with it playing tremendous half-court defense,” said coach Brian Turner. “The game stayed around 10 points or less for its entirety but I felt like we were in control the entire time.”
Hart County
Tuesday’s victory set the Eagles up for a showdown with Hart County at home on Friday. A win would have tied the two teams for second in the region.
The game was close from the outset. East Jackson led 12-11 after one quarter, and Hart took a 35-32 halftime lead. The Bulldogs retained the three-point lead after three periods, 47-44 and held on to prevail 70-66.
Davis led in scoring with 20 points, followed by Gibbs with 14 and Jake Grindle with 11.
“Both teams played extremely hard, and that game is what high school athletics is all about,” Turner said. “However Hart County made a couple of big plays late including getting the rebound off a missed free throw to claim the victory. I was very proud of our kids’ effort but we just came up a little short.”
Jackson County
Up next, East Jackson hosted Jackson County making up a Jan. 11 meeting postponed due to the winter storm.
The Eagles outscored their in-county rivals 15-14 after one period, but Jackson County led 26-19 at the half. Jackson County held onto its lead through the third period, taking a 35-29 advantage into the fourth quarter.
Then the Eagles rallied, and a clutch free throw from Jake Grindle gave the Eagles a one-point lead with just nine seconds left on the clock. Brion Youngs added a late steal and a free throw with three seconds left on the clock to give East Jackson a two-point advantage. The Panthers attempted a last-second half-court shot that bounced off the front of the rim, giving East Jackson the 43-41 victory.
Davis led in scoring with 17 points and Gibbs added 12.
For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Commerce News or The Jackson Herald.
