Happy homecoming
- Updated: January 13, 2020
A.J. Brown returns with his new team, helps Anniston beat his old team; Saks wins at hone, Oxford, Talladega win on the road
Monday’s boys scores
Anniston 57, Cleburne County 27
Oxford 58, Bessemer City 48
Saks 70, Clay Central 63
Talladega 68, Coosa Central 42
TCC at Pleasant Valley, ppd.
Woodland 41, Wadley 38
Etowah County Tournament
West End 56, Glencoe 55
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
HEFLIN – A.J. Brown admitted it was fun being back in his old stomping grounds Monday. It wasn’t the least bit awkward and nobody had to direct him to the correct dressing room once he arrived.
The Anniston guard was playing at Cleburne County for the first time since transferring over the summer and helped his new team beat his old team 57-27.
Brown played against his former teammates in football in the fall, but that game was played at Anniston, so Monday was the first time the senior got to play against his old team on their turf. He went for a season-high nine points, but had opportunities for more, and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.
“It was fun, it was a pretty good experience,” Brown said. “Seeing my guys again and being able to play against them it was pretty fun. I knew it was going to be fun coming back to play against my old fans.”
Brown, who said he left to “try something new my senior year,” entered the game with 6:50 left in the first quarter after Malcolm Harvey picked up his second foul. He was going to play lot anyway as he continues to work back into basketball shape after joining the team following a playoff football season and post-season shoulder surgery.
Anniston coach Torry Brown is looking to get two other late comers integrated into the team’s system and both DeMarien Stewart and Daveon Dukes both showed signs of getting closer. Stewart, a transfer from Jacksonville who joined the team in mid-December, hit four 3-pointers and scored a game-high 14 points. Dukes, the first of the football players to join the team, scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
“He’s in a good groove now,” Brown said of Stewart. “Last game he really shot the ball well. He’s just now hitting his stride. So is Dukes. Brown’s got to play a lot of minutes the next three games to get back into basketball mode. He’s only had two practices.
“As the game went on (Brown) got a lot better. I thought his effort the second half really turned around. I thought he was really a man out there the second half effort wise.”
Perhaps the most popular points of the night belonged to Bulldogs’ post Khalil Peoples. The 6-1, 310-pound senior scored seven points, including a 3-pointer – all in the fourth quarter – and brought cheers from the bench each time his shot went through the hoop.
“Khalil is like the team favorite, so anytime he can get in and do good things everybody’s happy for him,” Brown said.
Anniston 57, Cleburne County 27
ANNISTON – Mark Toyer 3 0-0 7, Antonio Kite 2 0-0 4, Kwame Milton 0 0-0 0, Alex Teague 1 0-0 2, DeMarien Stewart 5 0-0 14, Tyree Carmichael 0 0-0 0, Tahj Jones 0 0-0 0, Malcolm Harvey 1 0-0 2, Daveon Dukes 4 2-4 10, A.J. Brown 3 3-4 9, Jakobe Collins 1 0-0 2, Khalil Peoples 3 0-0 7. Totals 23 5-8 57.
CLEBURNE COUNTY – Hudson Miller 1 0-0 2, Josh Miller 0 1-4 1, Rico Jordan 1 1-2 3, Reese Morrison 2 2-2 7, Daleon Brown 2 0-0 4, Manney Rollins 2 0-1 4, Jalen Momon 1 0-0 2, Ben Casey 1 0-0 2, Brody Higgins 1 0-0 2. Totals 11 4-9 27.
Anniston 15 18 11 13 – 57
Cleburne Co. 3 2 7 15 – 27
3-point goals: Anniston 6 (Toyer, Stewart 4, Peoples); Cleburne Co. 1 (Morrison). Total fouls: Anniston 11, Cleburne Co. 7. Officials: Batey, Hinkle, Taylor.
Oxford 58, Bessemer City 48
BESSEMER – Zondrick Garrett led a balanced Oxford scoring attack with 19 points. He scored 11 points in the fourth quarter as Yellow Jackets pulled away from a one-point game. Three other Yellow Jackets scored in double figures, all with 10 points – Rylan Houck, Roc Taylor and Mont McClendon.
Oxford 58, Bessemer City 48
OXFORD – Cordell Chatman 0 0-0 0, Zondrick Garrett 8 2-2 19, Rylan Houck 3 3-4 10, Mont McClendon 2 5-7 10, Kobe Warren 1 0-0 3, Roc Taylor 5 0-1 10, Justin Moore 2 0-0 4, Milas Jackson 1 0-0 2. Totals 22 10-14 58.
BESSEMER CITY – Jeremiah Okai 1 0-2 3, Thaddeus Williams 8 3-5 22, Carloss Sumpter 2 0-0 6, Calvin Townes 1 0-0 2, Eric Horn 0 0-0 0, Ezekiel Spann 4 1-2 9, Jaquan Rollins 3 0-0 6. Totals 19 4-9 48.
Oxford 15 9 16 18 – 58
Bessemer City 17 10 14 7 – 48
3-point goals: Oxford 4 (Garrett, Houck, McClendon, Warren); Bessemer City 6 (Okai, Williams 3, Sumpter 2). Total fouls: Oxford 11, Bessemer City 15.
Saks 70, Clay Central 63
ANNISTON – Four of Saks’ five starters scored in double figures, led by Zay Elston’s 19 points. Elston was 9-of-12 from the free throw line, 8-of-9 in the fourth quarter when the Wildcats rallied from three points down. Zaejuan Johnson scored 17, Kyle Goedde had 14 and Tyler Smith had 11.
Saks 70, Clay Central 63
CLAY CENTRAL – Caden McCain 1 0-0 3, Javon Wood 0 0-0 0, Noah Higgins 4 0-0 12, Clay Yates 2 0-0 6, Tanner Higgins 3 1-2 8, Elisha McNeil 8 1-2 17, Quentin Knight 2 0-0 4, E Jay Simmons 3 1-3 7, Jakheim McLemore 0 0-0 0, Micah Harris 3 0-0 6. Totals 26 3-7 63.
SAKS – Benji Wilson 0 0-0 0, Zaejuan Johnson 7 1-2 17, Will Mixson 0 0-2 0, Leonta Jones 0 0-2 0, Kyle Goedde 6 2-5 14, Myles McLaughlin 0 0-0 0, Patrick Williams 3 1-1 7, Jordan Cosper 1 0-0 2, Zay Elston 5 9-12 19, Tyler Smith 4 3-4 11. Totals 26 16-28 70.
Clay Central 17 15 19 12 – 63
Saks 17 12 19 22 – 70
3-point goals: Clay Central 8 (McCain, N. Higgins 4, Yates 2, T. Higgins); Saks 2 (Johnson 2). Fouled out: Yates, Harris. Total fouls: Clay Central 20, Saks 15.
Talladega 68, Coosa Central 42
ROCKFORD – Kobe Simmons scored 22 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the Tigers. He scored 11 in the first half and 11 in the third quarter. Arron Green had 12 points and seven rebounds, and Michael McGregory pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds. The Tigers return to action Thursday against Lincoln looking to go through their area schedule undefeated.
Talladega 68, Coosa Central 42
TALLADEGA – Nigel Scales 2 0-0 6, LeJamein Castleberry 2 0-0 6, Jay Spratling 2 0-0 4, Arron Green 5 0-1 12, Michael McGregor 3 0-0 6, D’Corian Wilson 1 0-0 2, Roderius Montgomery 2 0-0 4, Kobe Simmons 10 2-2 22, Keontae Funderburg 3 0-0 6. Totals 30 2-3 68.
COOSA CENTRAL – Dequalon Thomas 0 0-0 0, Casson Robbins 0 0-0 0, Noel Jones 8 3-3 21, Xavier Moon 0 1-2 1, Trae Butler 0 0-0 0, Dawson Duncan 1 0-0 2, Quin Brooks 6 0-2 12, TaCoryon Sandlin 3 0-0 6. Totals 18 4-7 42.
Talladega 20 21 20 7 – 68
Coosa Central 8 15 11 8 – 42
3-point goals: Talladega 6 (Scales 2, Castleberry 2, Green 2); Coosa 2 (Jones 2). Total fouls: Talladega 11, Coosa 10. Officials: Caldwell, Parks, Kelly.
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