January 18, 2022
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Wildcats coach calls strategic time out early in first quarter, team responds with 28 straight points
CALHOUN COUNTY BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
BOYS BRACKET
Monday’s Games
Saks 91, Jacksonville Christian 40
Anniston 74, Piedmont 68
Tuesday, Jan. 18
No. 1 Jacksonville vs. Faith Christian, 4:30 p.m.
No. 2 Oxford vs. White Plains, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 19
No. 4 Alexandria vs. Saks, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 20
No. 3 Anniston vs. Oxford-White Plains winner, 4:30 p.m.
Jacksonville-Faith winner vs. Alexandria-Saks winner,, 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 21
Championship game, 8 p.m.
JACKSONVILLE — It was early in the first quarter and Saks was working on a slim lead. His team had only had a couple trips up the floor, but Saks coach Jonathan Miller didn’t like what he was seeing.
He called time and was as animated as folks can remember seeing him on the bench in a while. The players got the message.
They went into the break lead 7-4 then came out of it and scored 28 straight points propelling them to a 91-40 victory over Jacksonville Christian. They will play fourth-seeded Alexandria in the quarterfinals of the Calhoun County Tournament Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
“I was unhappy with our decision making,” Miller said. “With us being so small we’ve got to make good decisions with the basketball when we get opportunities to score.
“We just went through two or three stretches where we turned the ball over and I was just trying to reiterate we’ve got to make smart decisions and get a shot every time down the floor.”
When they did get a shot after the time out, they usually made it.
The Wildcats got 13 3-pointers from seven players; five hit two apiece. They hit four from Miller’s timeout to the end of the quarter and scored 20 points. Then they scored the first eight of the next quarter before Ethan Fair broke the string with 5:25 left in the half.
“The big thing for us tonight is the ball was going through the basket,” Miller said. “We haven’t shot the ball great at times this year, but we can shoot it better than we have, though. Hopefully tonight will give us the confidence moving forward.”
Sean Parnell, who had 12 of his 17 points in the first quarter, said the message in the time out was a little more pointed than just make better decisions.
“He told us to stop playing around and get them to a lead and then we can play around and have fun,” Parnell said. “He told us take it serious for the first four minutes.”
And the reason they shot so well?
“These rims here are easy to shoot on here at JSU,” Parnell said.
Gavin Doss was the Wildcats’ leading scorer with 18 points.Shon Elston (10), Christian Smith (12) and Anthony Bothwell (10) also scored in double figures for them.
Fair and Tyler Doggrell led JCA with 15 and 12, respectively.
Saks 91, Jacksonville Christian 40
JCA – Emmanuel Kidd 1 0-0 2, Ethan Fair 5 2-2 15, Tyler Doggrell 4 2-2 12, Braxton Brown 1 1-2 4, Cameron Moses 0 0-0 0, Jordan Garner 1 0-0 2, Noah Lee 0 1-2 1, Brodie Clay 2 0-3 4. Totals 14 6-11 40.
SAKS – Braelan Robinson 1 0-0 2, Shon Elston 4 0-0 10, Sean Parnell 6 2-2 17, Jalen McCants 2 0-0 4, Christian Smith 5 0-0 12, Malik Carlisle 4 0-0 9, Rickey Garrett 2 0-0 4, Anthony Bothwell 4 0-0 10, Jamari McBride 2 0-0 5, Gavin Doss 8 0-2 18. Totals 38 2-2 91.
JCA 4 15 7 14 – 40
Saks 27 20 24 20 – 91
3-point goals: JCA 6 (Fair 3, Doggrell 2, Brown); Saks 13 (Robinson, Elston 2, Parnell 2, Smith 2, Carlisle, Bothwell 2, McBride, Doss 2). Total fouls: JCA 3, Saks 15. Officials: Madsen, Corley, Corley. [**read more]
**When you click read more you will be taken to the EA Sports Today website. Please make sure to come back to read more Calhoun County News.
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