Eagles top Blue Devils, 61-52
Published 9:16 pm Friday, January 22, 2016
Escambia County’s Triston Knott tries for a 3-pointer earlier tonight. | Andrew Garner/Atmore Advance
Pine Forest (Fla.) pressed from the tip and Escambia County couldn’t hang on as the Eagles topped the Blue Devils 61-52 earlier tonight at Cornell Torrence Gymnasium.
PFHS shot out to an early 6-0 lead in the first period, but the Blue Devils came back to take a 15-14 lead going into the second period.
The Eagles went on to outscore ECHS 22-13 in the second as they led 36-28 at the break.
ECHS coach Jerome Webster, who filled in for Bruce Craig tonight, said free throws killed the boys, but added that Pine Forest is a good team and they beat his team to the ball.
In the second period, Pine Forest’s Devin Peters dropped in a 3-pointer to start, and Roy Jones II added another some 5 minutes later for a 30-20 advantage.
Anthony Fountain dished in a trey to cut it to 32-25 some time later, and Devon Robinson got a three-point play at the buzzer.
The Blue Devils came out firing in the third period, going on a 7-0 run.
However, PFHS took a time out and regrouped, which helped as the Eagles got a one-two combination going on a short run of their own to retake the lead at 38-37 with 3:47 left in the third.
Triston Knott got in a jumper with 33.5 seconds left, but PFHS led 48-39 going into the fourth.
Robinson got in a few early punches in the fourth, and Chillé Ford added a couple good drives to the paint to make it a 52-45 ball game.
ECHS cut it to 54-51 after Robinson attacked the paint, but the Eagles held their lead by eating clock in the end.
In the final 1:14 of the game, the Eagles went on a 6-0 run.
Robinson and Fountain led ECHS with 13 points apiece, and Knott added nine points.
Boxing Champion Roy Jones Jr. watches his son, Roy Jones II, play basketball earlier tonight. | Andrew Garner/Atmore Advance
Jones, the son of Roy Jones Jr. — who garnered multiple world titles in numerous weight divisions — led the Eagles with 11 points. Malaki Wesson had eight points, and Quadell Evens had nine.
“We couldn’t adapt to their press,” Webster said, adding that the Eagles substituted five-and-five throughout.
In junior varsity boys action, the Blue Devils topped PFHS 43-34.
Desmond Dirden led ECHS with nine points. De’Andre Rivers and Justin Johnson had eight each.
In freshman action, PFHS won 45-42.
ECHS will be back in action on Tuesday in an important area contest at Vigor.
