AMERICUS —
The South Georgia Tech Jets and Lady Jets took on the Georgia Highlands College Chargers on Tuesday, and each school got a victory in the doubleheader. The Jets jumped on the score board early and never surrendered their lead in a 92-73 victory in the Hanger on the campus of South Georgia Tech, while the Lady Jets fell 57-45 to a familiar face leading the Lady Chargers.
Former Lady Jets head coach Brandan Harrell returned to the Hanger for the first time since taking the same position at Georgia Highlands College to lead the Lady Chargers. Just as he did so many times as the Lady Jets coach, Harrell exited the building with a win on Tuesday night, this time over his former team.
The Lady Jets and Lady Chargers exchanged scores to start the game before the Lady Chargers began to build their lead in the first half. After going up 16-11 on a three pointer from former Lady Jet Manon Cherubini, South Georgia Tech battled back and tied the game 16-16 on a shot from freshman DeKoya Mack. The Lady Chargers would gain the lead for good on their next possession, and at the halftime break they had widened their lead to 34-22.
The Lady Jets would get within seven points of the Lady Chargers on a free throw by Shaquaya Daniels with 12:23 left in the second half, but this was as close as South Georgia Tech would come to regaining the lead. The Lady Chargers would come to life in the final 12 minutes, and when the final buzzer sounded Georgia Highlands entered the locker room with a 57-45 win in Americus.
Portia McCray led the Lady Jets with 16 points, including a six-for-seven night from the free throw line. Nikkei Blackburn was second in scoring with seven points and also led the team in rebounds with four. Kadriana Howard and Mack each added six points, and Shaquaya Daniels had three points as the Lady Jets top scorers. Gabriella Kendall had a great night with 23 points to lead the Lady Chargers scoring attack.
The men’s game was much different, however, as the Jets showed total domination on their way to a 92-73 win.
South Georgia Tech began the game with a 10-0 run, including slam dunks by Anthony Ethridge and Stedmon Lemon, and alley-oop to Ethridge. A rebound-turned-putback from Octavious Green made the score 10-0 before a lay-up by Matt Catanzano would end the Jets run.
From that point on the Jets and Chargers would exchange scores, and South Georgia Tech would take a sizable 42-30 lead into the halftime break.
The second half would be much like the first as South Georgia Tech showed total domination and stretched their lead out to finish with a comfortable win to move to 7-0 in 2012. The Jets would stretch their lead to 91-71 late in the second half before finishing with a 92-73 lead to take the impressive victory.
Ethridge finished his impressive performance with 30 points and narrowly missed a a double-double with nine rebounds. Jacob Obande finished eight for 11, including a three for three night from beyond the three-point line to score 20 points, and Green tossed in 17 points to round out the Jets double-digit scorers. Sophomore B.J. Davis narrowly missed double-digits with nine points, Jose Hernandez scored six points, and Houston Cabbell and Lemon finished with four points each.
Femi Ojuolape finished with 23 points to lead the Chargers and Catanzano added 13 points as their only other double-digit scorer.
The Lady Jets and Jets will return to action at 5:30 and 7:30 on Wednesday at home against the Albany Tech Titans as the men try to keep their perfect record intact and the ladies try to get back into the win column.
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Related Photos
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Anthony Ethridge (20) scored two of his 30 points on this powerful dunk in the second half. Scott Phillips
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Nikkei Blackburn (22) tries to get a shot off in the Lady Jets 57-45 loss to Georgia Highlands College on Tuesday. Scott Phillips
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