Boys win streak snapped

Jeff Davis High’s boys basketball team had its 9-game win streak snapped Saturday night in Hazlehurst as Toombs County took a 52-48 win over the Jackets. Friday night, also in Hazlehurst, Coach Thomas McAboy’s Jackets took an easy 63-26 win over Berrien, their 9th straight victory after losing their first 3 games of the season.
The loss to Toombs was the Jacket’s 2nd against the Bulldogs as, on Dec. 2, Toombs squeaked by the Jackets for a 40-38 win in Lyons.
Saturday in Hazlehurst, the Jackets struggled in the 1st half and found themselves in a 19-10 hole at intermission.
But in the 2nd half, Jeff Davis’ swarming, full-court defense rattled the Bulldogs forcing turnover after turnover and McAboy’s charges chipped away at the lead, finally tying the game in the 4th quarter.
But Toombs’ tall Parker Stanley hit a couple of key buckets late in the game and Toombs survived for the victory.
Jaiden King, the smallest player on the court, drew enthusiastic cheers from the Jacket fans as he played inspired defense in the 2nd half. And freshman Amare Burney entered the game to replace a foul-plagued A.J. Sampson and had an exemplary effort.
The Jackets out-scored Toombs 38-28 in the 2nd half.
J.J. Benjamin topped the Jacket scoring with 15, 11 coming in the 3rd quarter, Mark Durden had 11, J.T. Bryant 8, King, Kolby Jarrell and A.J. Sampson 4 each, and Burney 2.
Toombs was led by Stanley with 18 points.
Against Berrien, JD played poorly in the first half and led only 20-13 at halftime. But a 28-11 blitz in the 3rd quarter turned the game around. Benjamin and Durden both scored 9 points in the 3rd quarter, both hitting shots from beyond the arc.
Benjamin led the Yellow Jacket scoring with 20 points hitting a trio of 3-pt. shots. Durden had 15, Sampson 12, Bryant 7, Jarrell 5 and King 2.
Jay Lyas and Amari Canon had 7 each for the Rebels.
Boys
BHS 5 8 11 2 -26
JDHS 9 11 28 15 -63

TCHS 4 15 15 13 -52
JDHS 5 5 17 21 -48