Wildcats score three wins
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Anna-Jonesboro Community High School boys’ basketball team posted three wins in recent action.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>A-J 53, West Frankfort 46:</strong> After trailing 10-0, the host Wildcats bounced back to post the come-from-behind win Saturday, Jan. 30.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“We spotted them 10-0 right off,” A-J coach Mike Chamness said. “And, we were down at the end of the first quarter. But we kept playing and came back the second half.”</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“We never could quite put them away,” Chamness aid. “We started a little sluggish, but we did a good job defensively.”</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Starter Dakota Earnhart, who missed the previous game because of a knee injury, played sparingly.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“We hope he’s back and ready to go this week,” Chamness said.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Sheldon MGrath had 11 points and 6 rebounds to lead the Wildcats.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Ryan Stark had 9 points and a rebound. Garrett Nimmo had 8 points and 2 rebounds. Jake Parr had 7 points and 3 rebounds. Hunter Garver had 6 points and 4 rebounds. Earnhart had 4 points and 3 rebounds. Wyatt Smith had 3 points and 5 rebounds. Collin Prather had 2 points and Jake Stark had a point.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats were 14 of 32 in shot attempts from the floor, 4 of 13 from 3-point range and 11 of 20 from the free throw line.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Redbirds were 13 of 24 in shot attempts from the floor, 5 of 14 from 3-point range and 5 of 6 from the charity stripe.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>Nashville 45, A-J 21:</strong> The host Wildcats fell behind early and could never catch up in the Southern Illinois River-to-River Conference Mississippi Division loss Friday, Jan. 29. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Parr had 6 points and 2 rebounds to lead A-J.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Ryan Stark added 6 points. Garver had 3 points and 4 rebounds. Nimmo and McGrath each had 3 points and rebounds apiece. Smith had 7 rebounds. Izzy Markovic, Prather, Michael Hill and Logan Mattingly had a rebound apiece.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats, who went 14 minutes without scoring in the contest, were 2 of 14 in shot attempts from the floor, 6 of 20 from 3-point range and 1 of 4 from the free throw line.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Hornets were 13 of 29 in shot attempts from the floor, 5 of 13 from 3-point range and 4 of 4 from the charity stripe.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>A-J 62, Century 34:</strong> The visiting Wildcats built an early lead on their way to the non-conference win Wednesday, Jan. 27.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Ryan Stark had 15 points and 4 rebounds to lead the Wildcats.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Parr had 12 points and 7 rebounds. Garver had 8 points and 6 rebounds. Smith had 6 points and 8 rebounds. Nimmo had 6 points and 2 rebounds. McGrath had 4 points and 4 rebounds. Jake Stark had 4 points and 2 rebounds. Hill had 3 points and 2 rebounds. Mattingly had 2 points and 2 rebounds. Jade Gillis had 2 points and a rebound</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats were 19 of 35 in shot attempts from the floor, 7 of 18 from 3-point range and 3 of 5 from the free throw line.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Centurions were 11 of 36 in shot attempts from the floor, 2 of 14 from 3-point range and 6 of 8 from the charity stripe.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><strong>A-J 50, Eldorado 42:</strong> Earnhart and Parr had 10 points and 4 rebounds apiece to lead the Wildcats to the win at the West Frankfort Mid-Winter Classic Friday, Jan. 22.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">It was incorrectly reported in last week’s newspaper that the Wildcats had lost the game. The newspaper erred.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Garver had 10 points and 2 rebounds. Ryan Stark added 8 points and McGrath had 7. Nimmo had 4 points and 2 rebounds. Smith had a point and 4 rebounds.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Wildcats were ahead 16-10 after one quarter and 31-19 at the half. A-J was ahead 38-33 going into the final period.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J was 13 of 32 in shot attempts from the floor, 2 of 10 from 3-point range and 18 of 22 from the free throw line.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Eagles were 11 of 22 in shot attempts from the floor, 5 of 13 from 3-point range and 7 of 11 from the charity stripe.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A-J is scheduled to play again Friday at Carterville and Saturday at 3 p.m. against Fairfield in the Benton Shootout.</span></p>