BASKETBALL: East Laurens teams off to 2-1 starts in sweep of JoCo, splits vs. Tattnall Co., Hancock Central

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After securing two season-opening wins over Johnson County earlier in the week, East Laurens tipped off its home season in a split with Tattnall County last Friday night.

The Falcon boys, who topped JoCo 88-69 Wednesday night in Wrightsville, took the 67-58 win over the Battle Creek Warriors. The East Laurens girls, after rolling 67-17 in Wrightsville, were defeated 45-33.

Both went on to play Hancock Central Saturday at the “Tasha Tough” Basketball Classic at Baldwin High School, where the Lady Falcons bounced back to win 51-22 and the boys suffered their first loss 66-52.

Boys…

In Friday’s first quarter action it was a slow start, with only six points hitting the board for each team.

East Laurens would score the first six points of the game and take an early 6-0 lead before Tatnall hit a 3-pointer by B.J. Sanders at the 3:27 mark.

Senior Kelvion King had two baskets, and Skyler Snead would add two more points in the quarter.

Tattnall County took the opening basket to take a three-point lead, 9-6, before King went to foul line and hit one of two free throws.

Major Floyd added a free throw, and Snead added another to give East Laurens a two-point advantage, 11-9. It was the visitors that took a short lead 14-11 a few minutes later, but the Falcons were able to rebound after several back-and-forth lead changes to take a 24-19 lead into the locker room.

East Laurens would come out of the half and set the tone in the third and fourth quarter, keeping Tattnall at bay.

The Falcons controlled the third quarter and led 48-32. Nineteen points hit the board in the fourth.

Four East Laurens players scored in double digits: Floyd had 16. King and Zion Dixon had 13 and Skyler Snead added 10. Anthony Pounds also had nine.

Dixon added 10 rebounds for his first of two-straight double-doubles. He’d put up 18 points and 15 boards for another Saturday against Hancock, but no other Falcon surpassed 10 in either category.

Josiah Ingram scored 34, and Najee Reynolds 14, to help the Bulldogs dominate the second half.

In Wednesday’s win at JoCo, Dixon was the leading scorer with 18 points. Bryson Hazley (16), Jeremiah Rozier (14), Skyler Snead (13) and Major Floyd also made double figures. Floyd (13) and King (10) led in rebounds.

Girls…

Against Tattnall, the Lady Falcons got off to a hot start, scoring the first six points of a 10-2 run to start the game.

After the Battle Creek Warriors ook a timeout at the one-minute mark, East Laurens hit two free throws and Tattnall hit one to give the home team a 14-5 advantage after one.

The visitors would take the opening basket of the second quarter and claw their way back into the game, to trail by only one, 17-16, at the half.

But Tattnall would take its first lead of the game at the 6:24 mark with a 2-pointer.

Five lead changes took place in a back-and-forth effort by both teams during the third quarter, but Tattnall breezed through the fourth to take the game by 12.

Jameria Bing scored 13 points and Deanna Lowther eight to lead the Lady Falcons. Both players, and Zahmaria Robinson, had nine rebounds apiece. Robinson and the Lowhter sisters combined for 12 of the team’s 15 steals.

Bing and Lowther led the way with 16 and 14 respectively at Johnson County, Lowther with 10 rebounds for the double-double, plus eight steals and four assists. Robinson had eight boards.

DeAndrea Lowther blocked two shots and stole four passes.