Slaughter has 2 double-doubles; Eagles win twice

From Staff Reports

In back-to-back non-region basketball games on the road,

Veterans High’s Jalyn Slaughter had identical numbers in double-double

performances. Those numbers would be 14 points and 11 rebounds, according to

head coach Nicole Miranda.

The results, though, were a split for the champions of the

Veterans Christmas Tournament.

Taking on Jones County High in Gray Friday, the Veterans

girls won 46-25 to sweep the season series. Slaughter was three steals away

from a triple-double in this game as she took the basketball away seven times.

From the guard spots, Kerregan Poe-Cochran scored 10 points and Aspen Coggins

seven.

On Saturday, Northside High’s girls defeated Veterans on a

shot made with just four seconds left. Coggins had nine points to go with

Slaughter’s 14 and 11.

“We played great defensively, just missed key free throws

and lay-ups down the stretch,” said Miranda.

The Veterans boys basketball team also swept Jones County

High, capping the series off with Friday’s win in Gray 62-57.

 

Jonathan

Robertson had 20 points and Mike Leger 17.

Robertson netted 22 points on Saturday at Northside, but it

was the Eagles cruising to a 20-point win 80-60. Jarius Smith led three Eagle

players in double figures with 24 points, and he grabbed six rebounds and made

five steals.

Robert Davis had 11 points and seven boards, and back-up

forward Kahlil Williams scored 10 with six rebounds. Guard Rodney Levine passed

out 11 assists, and center Christian Kennedy was close to a triple double with

nine points, 13 rebounds and seven blocks.

“Very balanced all

around team win,” said Northside coach Ken Price. “Everyone got a chance to

play and contribute. After such an emotional game on Friday night it was huge

to see these seniors provide leadership in not having a let down in a non-region

ball game.

“Smith had a

fantastic all around game. He has been our most consistent player and we lean

on him to get us baskets.”

The “emotional game”

Price referred to was a sub-region home contest in 2-AAAAA with the Houston

County High Bears. Northside won 69-64 after two technical fouls were called at

the beginning, and when Houston led after one quarter 23-17.

The Eagles held the

Bears to seven in the second quarter and went into halftime up 39-30. Price’s

team caught fire in the third quarter with 23 points to lead by 20, but only

had seven in the fourth to Houston’s 22.

“Houston kept

fighting back,” said Price. “It’s a testament to coach (Stephen) Walls and how

he has those guys working. But our guys they faced adversity and closed out the

ball game.

“We are playing

really well right now, but we are nowhere we need to be.”

Four Northside

players had double figures with Smith getting 19 points, Kyle Johnson 12

points, Levine 11 points with seven assists and Justin Burnam 10. Kennedy blocked

nine.

• Coming off its

Veterans Christmas Tournament championship, things did not go well for the

Warner Robins High boys over the weekend. The Demons took on two non-region

foes, falling to Westside-Macon 51-38 at home and 71-68 at Americus-Sumter.

“We came out flat

and missed a lot of easy baskets (vs. Westside),” said assistant coach Mike

Martin. “We played good defense, but Westside shot the ball had a high

percentage.”

Marquez Callaway had

20 points, Juvuan Shine 14 and Nathan Curtis 12 in Americus. The Demons led

most of the way but fell victim to bad breaks towards the end, according to

Martin.

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