Although they only got to play one of their scheduled two games in the McComb Holiday Tournament, the Eagles showed it’s far too early to write off East Marion due to a slow start in its lone game over the break.
The Eagles (3-11, 0-1) tipped off the tournament against Wilkinson County Dec. 27 and rode the hot shooting hands of Cameron Walker, Devin Daniels and Carlos Stubbs in a 59-44 win despite being without star forward Caleb Rawls. Walker scored a game-high 16 points and had three steals, Daniels poured in a career-high 15 points while shooting 67% percent from both the field and behind the arc and Stubbs stuffed the stat sheet with nine points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Daniels also had seven boards and three steals.
It was a very promising sign for the Eagles to get consistent offensive production from someone other than Rawls, who sat out with a bone bruise.
“We definitely need more of that in addition to what Caleb brings to the table once we get into district play,” head coach Calvin Brown said. “I’ve gotten a chance to sniff out our district, and we’re all bunched in there pretty good. It’s anybody’s race.”
Last season, despite being the starting point guard, Daniels scored in double figures just three times and never took more than seven shots in a game. He’s learned he needs to be more assertive in calling his own number, and his nine shot attempts against Wilkinson County were tied for the second most he’s had in his career. Brown said what makes Daniels special is all you have to do is tell him what you need, and he’s going to give it to you. Brown has asked him to be more aggressive hunting his own shot, and Daniels is beginning to answer the call.
East Marion was supposed to play South Pike during the second day of the tournament, but there was an incident that forced South Pike to bow out of the competition.
Brown said Rawls has practiced since suffering the setback Dec. 21, and he believes Rawls will be full go this week.
The Eagles have learned through a tough early-season stretch that their identity has shifted from their title run a year ago. They’re no longer the team that can get up and down the floor at will and suffocate opponents with superior length and athleticism. Instead they need to work hard to do the little things right, according to Brown.
“We just need everybody to bring everything they have to the table,” he said. “We’re more lunch pail and more roll our sleeves up, grit our teeth and do the dirty work. We’re more of a hard hat team now. It took us a while to realize that. We’re not the defending state champ rock star team, whether we admit it or not, that we thought we were going into the season.”
The entire East Marion rotation needs to step up and produce on both ends for the Eagles to compete for a Region 8-2A title, according to Brown. He added there’s still minutes to be had in the rotation, and the bench roles will come down to who produces when their number is called.
District play kicked into full gear Tuesday night as the Eagles traveled to Hattiesburg to take on North Forrest, but results were unavailable at press time. East Marion will return to its home court Friday night to play host to St. Patrick.
Pictured Above: East Marion's Caleb Rawls brings the ball up the floor. | Photo by Joshua Campbell
