By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
The Jacksonville Red Devils picked up two more wins in 5A-Central Conference play this week, and both were on the road. On Tuesday, Jacksonville made the short trip across town to beat North Pulaski 73-48, then played a makeup game at Little Rock Christian Academy on Wednesday and won 55-46.
The two victories improves Jacksonville to 19-3 overall and 10-0 in conference, and keeps the Red Devils two games ahead of McClellan and Pulaski Academy in the league standings.
In Wednesday’s game in Little Rock, Jacksonville enjoyed an out burst of scoring that lasted about three minutes in the first quarter. Jacksonville’s starting lineup managed just two points for the first 4:30 of the game, but still only trailed by one when Red Devil coach Vic Joyner went to his bench.
The pace picked up at that point. Senior forward Reggie Barnes and freshman guard Tyree Appleby scored seven points each over the final 3:30 of the period, but the Warriors kept up.
Jacksonville led 17-15 at the end of the first quarter, but reverted back to sloppy play in the second as the pace bogged down and offensive production almost ceased.
Jacksonville scored just five points in the second quarter, and went into halftime trailing by one point.
“The kids didn’t come out focused,” said Joyner. “It was one of those games where routine was broken and we just didn’t show up mentally until the second half. You could just tell they were way more intense, way more focused than we were early.
“We subbed out and had some kids come off the bench and provide a little spark, but they outworked us in the first half. That’s what it comes down to.”
Halftime adjustments were made and an express intent to get the ball inside was apparent in the second half. Of the 33 points scored by Jacksonville in the second half, post players Kanaan Jackson and Damarion Freeman scored 25.
“We finally settled in and started going inside,” Joyner said. “First we settled in defensively and kind of wore them down. We were able to get some stops and then the offense started clicking because they didn’t have an answer for Kanaan and Freeman.
“In the first half we were impatient and forcing bad shots, not moving the ball. In the second half we executed the offense, isolated those two on the block and they didn’t have an answer.”
Jackson scored 13 of his game-high 15 in the second half, while Freeman scored all 12 of his points in the final two quarters.
In Tuesday’s game at North Pulaski, the Red Devils jumped out to a 19-4 lead in the first quarter and were never seriously threatened. The Falcons won the second quarter 16-15, but trailed 53-35 after three quarters. The Red Devils started the fourth quarter much like the first, and invoked the mercy a little more than halfway through the period before settling on the 25-point margin.
Appleby, Freeman and Devin Campbell each scored 12 points while Jackson added 10. RaShawn Langston led North Pulaski with nine points.
