Call it a split as Hazel Green, Bob Jones each get area wins
Bob Jones reached the halfway point in the regular season Tuesday night at home but it was another tough night for the boy’s team as Hazel Green jumped out to a big lead early and held on in the final quarter for a 68-57 win.
The losing streak for Bob Jones has now hit four and three of them have been Area 15 losses including the loss to Hazel Green. Hazel Green is now 2-1 in area play.
“Early in the first half I thought we played real well,” said Hazel Green coach Todd Jeffers. “We played to our strengths which is transition basketball, trying to establish the inside game, and sharing the basketball.”
Austin Dempsey of Hazel Green scored 24 points Tuesday night against Bob Jones.
Austin Dempsey got going early in the game as he scored the Trojans first seven points to stake Hazel Green to a quick 16-5 lead. Dempsey scored a basket to end the first quarter to put Hazel Green up 21-7.
Hazel Green already has a potent lineup with 6-foot-10 Lewis Sullivan but when Dempsey scores in bunches the Trojans are difficult to defend.
“Everybody wants to key on Lewis but we got a lot of other pieces too,” Jeffers said.
Hazel Green reached the 6A state championship game last season and most of those players are back.
Kishann Lee lit up the scoreboard in the second quarter with a three-point basket and a fast break basket that put Hazel Green up 44-24 at halftime.
Bob Jones held Sullivan to only 2 points in the first half but Dempsey scored 12.
Sullivan, who scored 26 against Sparkman last week in a loss, got his first field goal at the 6:31 mark of the third quarter. Hazel Green had their biggest lead at 46-25 before Bob Jones began whittling away.
Jamarcus Jones heated up for the Patriots and hit a pair of three point baskets and cut the lead to 52-39. Tanner Finley ended the game with a three pointer for Bob Jones.
Austin Dempsey finished with a game high 24 points. Jamarcus Jones had 16 for Bob Jones followed by Dalton Barkley with 11.
In the girl’s game, Bob Jones led all the way and ran their record to 10-1 as they rebounded from the loss to Sparkman by defeating Hazel Green 53-25.
“The girl’s were ready to play tonight. It was a good area win,” said Bob Jones head Coach Danny Petty.
Lindsey Jennings was hot early with eight points in the first quarter and finished with 12 in the game. The game finished under the continuous running clock rule after Bob Jones reached a 30 point lead 48-18 at the end of the third quarter.
Jennings and most of the starters sat out the fourth quarter.
“I’m really playing her out of position because she is a natural point guard,” Petty said of Jennings who has several basketball scholarships offers to play in college but has yet to commit.
“She is our most athletic player. She is our leading rebounder. She can play every position on the team. And she plays a lot of minutes which takes a lot out of her but she is having a real good year,” Petty added.
Chandler Elder had 13 in the game as Bob Jones played without another player for the game when Carly Flores missed the game with an injury.
In January, Petty will get two key players back. Meredith Lovelady and Chloe Long will add some needed size to the team for the second half of the season. The Patriots will need it if they hope to overtake Sparkman. Right now Bob Jones is 2-1 in the area and Petty hopes to hold onto at least second place.
“We’ve got three really good teams in our area,” Petty said.
Petty now turns his attention to the Huntsville Times Ladies Classic. His team opens Thursday against Decatur at 8 p.m. at Bob Jones gym.
Petty said that he was a little worried because he is down to eight players and will faces the likely possibility of playing two games on Friday and one on Saturday if the Patriots advance. The winner’s bracket finals will be at 7:00 and 8:30 p.m. at James Clemens gym on Friday night and the championship game will be at 4:00 p.m. Saturday at James Clemens gym.
The next game with area implications for Bob Jones is a home game January 4 against Sparkman.
