December 28, 2021
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
Jacksonville, Anniston struggle in Huntsville City Classic openers; includes a roundup of Monday night’s post-Christmas tournament action involving teams in and around Calhoun County
39th Huntsville City Classic
Monday’s Scores
Upper Bracket
Sparkman 93, Columbia 37
Oxford 47, Buckhorn 37
Huntsville 68, Spanish Fort 51
Hazel Green 47, Jacksonville 44
Lower Bracket
Lee-Huntsville 66, Madison Academy, 55
James Clemens 48, Enterprise 47
Grissom 65, Bob Jones 49
Mae Jemison 56, Anniston 41
Tuesday’s Games
Losers Bracket, Aux Gym
(Winners play Wednesday)
Spanish Fort vs. Jacksonville, 9 a.m.
Columbia vs. Buckhorn, 10:30 a.m.
Madison Academy vs. Enterprise, noon
Bob Jones vs. Anniston, 1:30 p.m.
Winners Bracket, Main Gym
Huntsville vs. Hazel Green, 9 a.m.
Sparkman vs. Oxford, 10:30 a.m.
Lee Huntsville vs. James Clemons, noon
Grissom vs. Mae Jemison, 1:30 p.m.
Huntsville-Hazel Green winner vs. Sparkman-Oxford winner, 6 p.m.
Lee-James Clemons winner vs. Grissom-Mae Jemison winner, 7:30 p.m.
HUNTSVILLE – In its first real chance to show it deserves a place alongside some of the best basketball teams in the state this season, things didn’t go well for Jacksonville Monday night.
The Golden Eagles never got out and ran on Mae Jemison the way they wanted to on teams and never generated the scoring it’s capable of and fell to the Jaguars 47-44 in the opening round of the 39th Huntsville City Classic.
The tournament draws some of the best teams in the northern part of the state, and the Golden Eagles certainly qualify as one with its deeply talented collection of star-rated players. But it never happened for them – on this night at least.
They had to rally from nine down early in the fourth quarter to tie the game with 2:44 to play, but never scored again and even after the Jags extended their lead back to three with 7.1 seconds left, they never got the ball into the front court for a potential game-tying 3.
“I just don’t think we played well. I don’t think it was necessarily the stage or who,” Jacksonville coach Shane Morrow said. “I’m not trying to take away from Hazel Green, but it was more of what we didn’t do. We didn’t play our game. I just feel like if we play the way we can play – the way you’ve seen us play – we win this game.
“Every good coach I’ve ever been around they always talk about in big games it ain’t the bigger plays (that make the difference). It’s the little things that you’ve done night in and night out that you don’t make. Those are the ones that get you in these games.”
It was another case getting slowed down and not being to run. All three of the Golden Eagles’ losses this year have now been like that. In their two previous setbacks, they were held to 52 points by Spain Park (13 in the second half) and 56 by Talladega.
“They did a good job of slowing us down,” Morrow said. “We talked and talked about it and we played into their hands. We would not get the ball out and run. We didn’t pressure them enough on defense to try to speed the game up. The few times we did we turned them over. We let them slow us down and that was the name of the game, that’s just point blank what it is.
“We can’t play in the 50s and win. I mean, we can, but that’s not where we want to be. I actually sent them a text today of the scores and how everybody’s playing, low scoring, and I said we can’t fall into that trap, and we did.”
John Broom led Jacksonville with 17 points and 11 rebounds. It was his play that helped the Golden Eagles rally in the fourth quarter.
The Golden Eagles let the Jags run off a 12-2 spurt at the end of the third quarter by, Morrow said, “not doing what we’re supposed to do” and take a 38-31 lead going into the fourth. They stretched it to 42-33 before Jacksonville reinstated its press and started to come back.
Broom had two buckets at the start of Jacksonville’s comeback run, then had the steal that produced Cade Phillips’ put-back slam that tied the game. Phillips was mired in foul trouble most of the night and was held to four points and six rebounds.
“I was just trying to do the best I could to try to help us win the game,” Broom said.
In the end, it just wasn’t enough. The Golden Eagles got the ball on the side with three seconds to play needing a 3 to tie. The only shot they got was Cam Johnson’s heave from just behind the mid-court stripe that didn’t come close and the Trojans had their ninth straight win.
“I don’t think we’re in a bad situation,” Broom said. “We didn’t play our best game and we didn’t end up losing by a lot, but we still ended up losing, so we still have keep working to get better. The teams here are really good, but we’re also a really good team, too.”
Mae Jemison 56, Anniston 41: The Bulldogs got off to a dreadful start and never recovered.
They fell behind 11-4 in the first quarter, 28-16 at halftime and spent the rest of game looking for something to hang their hat on going forward.
That came in the Jamarious Billingsley’s ability to get to the rim in the fourth quarter, Martez Reed hitting two of three 3-pointers off the bench and Jaden Lewis’ nine rebounds. Billingsley was Anniston’s leading scorer with eight points.
The Jaguars, coached by former Oxford player and assistant coach Jeremy Bynum, turned the Bulldogs over 19 times in the game. They got 15 steals and virtually every Bulldog was a victim.
“We just didn’t play well,” Anniston coach Torry Brown said. “You hate that (when) you get on a bigger stage and don’t play well. You have games like that two or three times a year, but we just have to do a better job emotionally getting fired up to play. We’ll come back tomorrow and see if we can take some of that.”
They had a chance to go against former Anniston coach Jack Doss in the second round, but by falling into the loser’s bracket they’ll face Bob Jones Tuesday at 1:30 p.m.
Champions Boys Christmas Classic
Monday’s Scores
Fort Payne 45, White Plains 33
Pell City 62, Cherokee County 58
Tuesday’s Games
Game 3: White Plains vs. Cherokee County, 4:30 p.m.
Game 4: Fort Payne vs. Piedmont, 6 p.m.
Game 5: Pell City vs. Alexandria, 7:30 p.m.
Cleburne County Christmas Classic
Monday’s Scores
Boys Bracket
Ohatchee 48, Pleasant Valley 43
Clay Central 62, Winterboro 57
Vincent 50, Munford 34
Cleburne County 82, Ranburne 22
Girls Bracket
Jacksonville 59, Ohatchee 49
Alexandria 56, Winterboro 25
Glencoe 56, Clay Central 42
Cleburne County 50, Ranburne 43
Tuesday’s Games
Girls bracket
Ohatchee vs. Winterboro, 9 a.m.
Clay Central vs. Ranburne, noon
Jacksonville vs. Alexandria, 3 a.m.
Glencoe vs. Cleburne County, 6 p.m.
Boys bracket
Pleasant Valley vs. Winterboro, 10:30 a.m.
Munford vs. Ranburne, 1:30 p.m.
Ohatchee vs. Clay Central, 4:30 p.m.
Vincent vs. Cleburne County, 7:30 p.m.
BOYS GAMES
Ohatchee 48, Pleasant Valley 43: Kelbe Crook scored 19 of his game-high 29 points in the second half as the Indians pulled away from a one-point halftime lead.
GIRLS GAMES
Jacksonville 59, Ohatchee 49: The Lady Golden Eagles turned up the pressure early in an effort to negate Ohatchee’s Jorda Crook, then got some inspired play from their young players after their lone senior fouled out in the fourth quarter.
Crook led all scorers with 36 points. Ashley Grant led three Jacksonville scorers in double figures with 24. Alexis Phillips had 12 and Amarie Curry had 10. Phillips and Halaina Lozano hit several big buckets in the second half to keep Ohatchee at bay.
“It wasn’t pretty at all, but we fought hard and found a way to win,” Jacksonville coach Tres Buzan said. “Our lone senior fouled out in the fourth and a bunch of very young players kept their composure when things were tough. I’m very proud of that.”
Alexandria 56, Winterboro 25: Speaking of fighting, this one ended a minute early as the official waved off the completion when things got physical after players battled for a loose ball.
“It was a physical game,” Lady Cubs coach Craig Kiker said. “It was one of those things there was a jump ball and both girls were fighting over it too long.
“We did not clear the bench; our girls stayed on the bench. There was more of them out there than there was of us. It was stupid, stupid on our part and stupid on theirs.”
Because there are suspensions involved for leaving the bench area, Winterboro will forfeit Tuesday’s 9 a.m. game with Ohatchee.
Decatur Orthopaedic Clinic Girls Classic
Monday’s Scores
Oxford 58, Grissom 44
Tuesday’s Games
Oxford vs. Hartselle, 3 p.m.
Oxford 58, Grissom 44
OXFORD – Justice Woods 6 0-0 12, Xai Whitfield 8 4-5 21, LaMya McGrue 5 3-7 13, Leah Taylor 3 2-4 8, Jamea Gaston 1 0-0 2, Kaziah Mickler 0 0-0 0, Shaniya Calloway 0 0-0 0, Kaylen Kenney 0 1-2 1, Mikiya Wilson 0 1-2 1. Totals 23 11-20 58.
GRISSOM – D. Moore 4 5-6 15, Jessica Steele 0 0-0 0, Jaden Evans 0 0-0 0, Lamaria Jones 2 0-0 4, 32 Deanna Moore 4 0-0 9, Kayla Johnson 5 0-2 10, Blair 2 2-2 6. Totals 17 7-10 44.
Oxford 10 19 19 10 – 58
Grissom 11 10 11 12 – 44
3-point goals: Oxford 1 (Whitfield); Grissom 3 (D. Moore 2, De. Moore). Total fouls: Oxford 10, Grissom 15.
JCA Thunder Holiday Classic
Monday’s Scores
Girls bracket
Wellborn 25, Donoho 17
Weaver 41, Jacksonville Christian 35
Boys bracket
Donoho 46, Wellborn 33
Weaver 70, Jacksonville Christian 61
Tuesday’s Games
Girls bracket
Consolation game: Donoho vs. JCA, 1 p.m.
Championship game: Wellborn vs. Weaver, 4 p.m.
Boys bracket
Consolation game: Wellborn vs. JCA, 2:30 p.m.
Championship game: Donoho vs. Weaver, 5:30 p.m.
BOYS GAMES
Weaver 70, Jacksonville Christian 61
WEAVER – Tristan Brown 7 0-0 16, Jeffrey Miles 5 1-3 11, Kohl Perry 3 7-8 14, Elijah Smith 1 0-2 3, Buck McGregor 1 3-6 6, Zack Garner 1 0-0 2, Armane Burton 8 2-3 18. Totals 26 13-22 70.
JCA – Emmanuel Kidd 2 0-1 5, Ethan Fair 4 5-6 14, Tyler Doggrell 2 2-4 8, Braxton Brown 3 0-0 8, Cam Moses 4 2-2 12, Brodie Clay 3 2-2 9, Jordan Garner 2 0-0 5. Totals 20 11-15 61.
Weaver 16 14 15 25 – 70
JCA 7 18 9 27 – 61
3-point goals: Weaver 5 (Brown 2, Smith, Perry, McGregor); JCA 10 (Kidd, Fair, Doggrell 2, Brown 2, Moses 2, Clay, Garner). Fouled out: Brown, Fair. Total touls: Weaver 16, JCA 15.
Donoho 46, Wellborn 33
DONOHO – Jordan Cameron 5 1-2 12, Dean Harrell 0 0-0 0, Rick Goad 4 0-0 8, Drew Williamson 1 1-1 3, Sean Keel 0 0-0 0, Nick Goad 1 2-2 4, Jack Wallace 1 0-0 3, Bruce Downey 1 0-2 2, Jack Burgess 3 1-2 7, Eric Tolson 3 1-2 7. Totals 19 6-11 46.
WELLBORN – Messiah Moore 2 0-0 5, Xavier Parker 0 0-0 0, Kameron Jackson 6 0-0 12, Trey Downs 0 0-0 0, Conner Woodard 0 0-0 0, Avery Odom 2 2-3 6, Jeremiah Scarbrough 4 0-0 9. Totals 14 2-3 33.
Donoho 6 14 14 12 – 46
Wellborn 13 4 4 12 – 33
3-point goals: Donoho 2 (Cameron, Wallace); Wellborn 3 (Moore 2, Scarbrough). Fouled out: Odom. Total fouls: Donoho 13, Wellborn 12. [**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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