Class 4A Bi-district: Shooting woes hurt Indians in 64-51 loss to Center

Feb. 20—CENTRAL HEIGHTS — Tuesday wasn't the evening for the Jacksonville Indians to have an off night in the shooting department.

Center, one of the better shooting teams the Indians have faced this season, took full advantage by grinding out a 64-51 victory over the Tribe in a Class 4A, Region III bi-district game that took place at Russell Gymnasium at Central Heights High School.

Jacksonville, the third place team out of District 18-4A wraps up its season with a 13-17 record while the Roughriders (21-9), the District 17-4A runner-up, advance to take on either Hamshire-Fannett or Vidor in the second round of the playoffs later this week.

Jacksonville fought hard until the final horn and gave a fine effort, but just didn't get many favorable bounces along the way.

The Indians, who found themselves behind, 50-39, to open the fourth quarter, dug and scraped and managed to close the gap to eight, 59-51, following a Jayden Boyd basket from underneath the goal, following a Center turnover, that came with 2:55 left in regulation.

The Center defense stepped up at that point and didn't allow the Tribe to score the rest of the way.

Center closed out the game by sinking 5-6 shots from the charity stripe.

The Indians were forced to play the final 9:34 of the contest without their leading scorer, senior-point guard Karmelo Clayborne, who fouled out of the game. Clayborne finished with nine points.

The 'Riders took the lead for good when Tim Johnson made an old fashioned three-point play with 36 ticks remaining in the first quarter that gave Center a 16-13 lead.

Center extended its margin to 36-30 at halftime.

The Roughriders had the advantage from the free throw line where Center hit 70% (14-20) from the stripe, compared to the Indians going 3-9 (33%) from the charity mark.

Junior Isaiah Hamilton led Jacksonville in scoring by tossing in 15 points, which included four baskets from behind the arc.

Senior Jermaine Taylor poured in 10 points and Brady McCown scored seven.

The top rebounders for Jacksonville were Boyd (10) and McCown (8).

Johnson wound up with a game-high 19 points for the 'Riders, followed by Emonte Cross with 18 and JaKevin Robinson, who added nine.

Playing in their final game as Indians were seniors Clayborne, Taylor, Boyd, William Alexander, Derrion Hamilton and Kenny Grant.