The Jackson County Panthers were hoping to use the Jingle Jam tournament at The Pit in Jefferson to turn their season around before the main part of their region schedule got underway.
Instead, they ended up splitting the difference with a win and a loss in the tournament, leaving them 2-8 overall going into the New Year’s break.
Now the region schedule is about to kick into full swing, as the Panthers prepare to travel to Stephens County to face the Indians on Friday. In their most recent meeting on Dec. 16, Stephens came away the victor with a 51-34 final.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m.
The Jingle Jam got off to a good start for the Panthers. They opened with a pairing against Hebron Christian Academy on Dec. 29. A good rebounding game gave Jackson County the edge they needed, as they picked up a 48-42 victory over the Lions.
Joseph Smith led in scoring with 22 points and five steals. Juice Harrison scored eight points and got eight rebounds, while Jonathan Holton scored six and had six rebounds.
“We didn’t shoot well, but we rebounded very well and did not turn the ball over,” said coach Britt Beaver. “We did shoot well from the line 10 of 14 and played better defensively. Those things led to our win.”
The victory sent the Panthers to Tuesday’s championship game against Providence Christian. Despite a strong effort that saw the Panther move to within 10 points of the Stars with six minutes left in the game, Providence moved out for a decisive 54-34 victory.
“They are a pretty good team and should do really well this year,” Beaver said.
Smith and Jonathan Baxter both led in scoring with ten points each, while Baxter had five rebounds. Harrison scored four points and had eight rebounds.
“We threw up some shots early that didn’t fall and then decided not to shoot,” Beaver said. “We have some great shooters that have got to learn to keep shooting. I think the guys look for Joseph to score too often and forget the role they play in scoring. We will continue to work and improve.”
Beaver said his team is continuing to fight injuries. Sophomore Ben Weaver, a varsity starter for the Panthers, was able to return after a serious ankle injury, but was re-injured and will not play. Juice Harrison, another varsity starter, suffered a torn ACL and will have to have surgery.
“The good news is we are young and these younger guys are getting a lot of minutes,” Beaver said. “We will stay positive, keep working and continue to improve.”
The Panthers were scheduled to play host to Johnson on Tuesday. Results of that game were unavailable at press time.
