The East Marion Eagles rode a massive wave of momentum into postseason play, with a month-long winning streak that began Jan. 24. On Friday their run finally reached its end in the Class 2A quarterfinals at Clinton High School, with a 68-62 loss to the Newton Tigers.
The Eagles struggled to find their rhythm early in the contest, falling behind 16-9 in the first quarter before settling in and making a big run of their own. LaDarien Haynes and LJ Andrews finished the first half with 10 points apiece as East Marion stormed back to take a 41-35 lead into the locker room.
East Marion maintained its lead throughout the third, capitalizing on an advantage under the rim with Andrews, Haynes and Lozavious Armstrong sinking high-percentage shots from inside the paint to carry a 56-49 lead into the final quarter of action.
Fatigue began setting in during the fourth, however, as scoring opportunities came much fewer and further in between for the Eagles. With roughly four and a half minutes remaining, the Tigers brought the score to 59-59, tying the game for the first time since the second quarter. Their fourth-quarter surge continued throughout the final stretch as they slowly pulled ahead, ultimately ending the Eagles' season with a 68-62 loss.
Head coach Calvin Brown said there was no mistaking what ultimately made the largest impact on the outcome of the contest. That would be turnovers, particular down the stretch when the Tigers took over the game by turning those turnovers into points on the other end.
"Turnovers definitely made the biggest difference. We ended the game with 17 assists and 22 turnovers," Brown recalled. "That's not necessarily too bad. We've won other games with similar numbers. If the ratio is close, we usually have a pretty good chance. But unfortunately, six of those turnovers came in the fourth quarter, and that's just difficult to overcome against a really good team on a stage like this."
It was all hands on deck for East Marion, with eight different Eagles scoring in the contest. Haynes led the way with 17 points and six rebounds, followed by Andrews with 14 points, five rebounds and a pair of assists. Caden Mingo chipped in six points, five rebounds and five assists, and Donny Anderson tacked on three points, six rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block.
Brown commended East Marion's fans for their showing of support, not only on Friday night in Clinton but throughout the season, constantly pushing the Eagles to soar higher on the court.
"The attendance was as good or better than it's ever been during my time here," he said. "The regular-season attendance and the attendance at those early home playoff games were phenomenal.
"We've always had pretty great crowds whenever we've managed to make it to Jackson, but I've done this long enough to truly understand how difficult it is to make it that far. That being said, I was really proud of the support our fans showed us throughout the whole journey rather than just at the very end. That was what impressed me the most."
The Eagles' memorable run ended with a 19-5 overall record. They finished 7-2 in district play, with two regular-season losses to Bogue Chitto, but they got their revenge in the district tournament, upending the Bobcats 63-60 to win the district championship. Brown said he'll ultimately remember this year's team for the great things they accomplished, along with the competitive spirit that drove them all the way to the Class 2A quarterfinals.
"This team will always have a special place in my heart. In a nutshell, what I'll remember most about this group is that the team was better than the roster," Brown said. "In a small school, you're usually able to identify talents early, and around junior high or so, we start making projections. There are a lot of success stories on this team, ranging from different kids who were cut in middle school or the fact that our starters in the backcourt were only 5-foot-5. I could just go on and on about all the things these kids overcame just to get here and perform at this level. For them to come this close to reaching the coliseum is nothing short of remarkable.
"I'm really proud of what this group has accomplished together and all the great memories we've made along the way. We'll be ready to roll again come October."
