Wildcats drop three games
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Anna-Jonesboro Community High School boys’ basketball team struggled in last week’s action.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>West Frankfort 62, A-J 57:</strong> The visiting Wildcats couldn’t hold a first quarter lead in the loss Saturday, Jan. 31.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Noah Fuller scored a basket in the opening quarter to give A-J a 10-8 lead and Elijah Smith made a basket to close out the quarter to boost the Wildcats to a 16-13 first quarter advantage.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">But the Redbirds came on in the second quarter to outscore the Wildcats 14-6 to build a 27-22 halftime lead.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J was outscored 22-17 in the third quarter and trailed 49-39 going into the final period.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J’s Derek Harvell made a 3-pointer to pull A-J to 51-49 for as close as they would get in the waning minutes of the game.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Fuller led the way for the Wildcats with 15 points and 5 rebounds. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Zach Parr had 12 points and a rebound. Harvell added 11 points and 5 rebounds. Noah Prater had 7 points and 4 rebounds. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Smith had 4 points and a rebound. Zane DeWitt added 4 points. Dakota Earnhart had 2 points and 2 rebounds. Dallas Marks had a point and 2 rebounds.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats were 17 of 33 in shot attempts from the floor, 4 of 13 from 3-point range and 8 of 11 from the free throw line.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Nashville 65, A-J 41:</strong> The host Hornets took over in the first quarter on their way to the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference Mississippi Division win Friday, Jan. 30.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Nashville raced to a 10- 0 lead before the Wildcats’ Fuller made a rebound and an ensuing basket to get the A-J offense rolling. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Hornets were ahead 18-7 after one quarter and 36-11 at the half. Nashville led 56-29 going into the last period.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Prater, who had six 3-pointers, led the Wildcats with 18 points and 3 rebounds. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Fuller added 12 points and 4 rebounds. Hunter Garver had 5 points. DeWitt had 3 points and 3 rebounds. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Collin Prather had 3 points and a rebound. Earnhart had 2 rebounds and Harvell, Garrett Nimmo, Marks and Smith had a rebound apiece.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats were 7 of 18 from the floor, 8 of 24 from 3-point range and 3 of 4 from the free throw line. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Murphysboro 66, A-J 48: </strong></span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats remained in striking distance until the second half before losing to the host Red Devils in non-conference action Tuesday, Jan. 27.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Red Devils opened the game with a 6-0 run before the Wildcats bounced back to score. A-J fought back to trail 20-16 at the end of one quarter.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats outscored Murphyboro 15-14 in the second quarter to only trail 34-31 at the half. Derek Harvell, who finished 4 of 5 from 3-point range, scored all four of his 3-pointers the first half to keep A-J in striking distance. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Fuller made three free throws to close out the third quarter, but the Wildcats could only score a field goal in the frame and were outscored 14-6 and trailed 48-37 going into the last period.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Red Devils outscored the Wildcats 18-11 in the final period.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Fuller led A-J with 15 points and scored his 1,000th point in his prep career. He also had a rebound.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Harvell added 12 points. DeWitt had 8 points and 3 rebounds, including a pair of 3-pointers. Prater had 2 points and 2 rebounds. Earnhart had 2 rebounds and Marks had a rebound.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats were 10 of 27 in shot attempts from the floor, 7 of 14 from 3-point range and 5 of 9 from the free throw line.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"> A-J, 13-11, is scheduled to play at home Friday against Carterville and competes Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against Mt. Carmel in the Benton Shootout. </span></p>