The East Jackson Eagles had hoped to come home from Philips Arena with a victory over the North Hall Trojans.
While they just missed that win, falling 66-63, it was still a unique opportunity to play at a major venue prior to an Atlanta Hawks game.
Up next for the Eagles is a home stand against region foe Union County. The Eagles have beaten Union County in all three games against them.
Going into tournament play on Saturday, both teams had 1-0 records in region play and 3-4 overall records.
Tip-off on Jan. 6 is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
Last week’s game against North Hall at Philips Arena was a close affair, with neither team able to pull more than eight points away from the other.
The key to the game was free throws. North Hall went 14-18, while the Eagles were 4-8.
“Getting outscored by 10 any night from the free throw line is going to be hard to overcome,” said coach Brian Turner.
The Eagles had a late opportunity to tie the game, but came up short. With four seconds left, North Hall hit one free throw, sealing the win.
Kolby Gilbert led the Eagles in scoring with 24 points, while Brandon Garrett scored 18 and Standrick Stephens scored 10.
“It was a great game and both teams played well for the most part,” Turner said. “It was a great experience for the kids against a very good and well-disciplined team.”
The Eagles next traveled to Oconee County to take part in the Warrior Classic tournament beginning Saturday. They started the tournament out against Athens Academy, and came away with their fourth win of the season, 68-60.
East Jackson carried a 10-point lead into the half, 37-27, but Athens Academy closed the gap in the third quarter to two points.
In the end, the Eagles made the most of its opportunities, making free throws and scoring against the Spartans to pick up the victory.
Kolby Gilbert led the Eagles with a double/double, scoring 21 points and pulling down 10 rebounds, as well as blocking six shots. Brandon Garrett scored 17 points, and Standrick Stephens had 14, and went 6-9 from the free throw line.
“Terry Cox and Kaharie Beasley gave a big lift from the bench on the boards and on defense,” Turner said.
The Eagles were slated to play in the semifinal round on Monday against Apalachee. Results were unavailable at press time.
