The Spain Park Jaguars maintained their winning momentum with a commanding performance against the Helena Huskies on Friday, January 16. The game, held at Spain Park”s home court, concluded with a score of 57-41, allowing the Jaguars to even their season series with the Huskies.
From the very start, the Jaguars asserted their dominance, particularly through their defensive play. The Huskies managed to score only one point in the first quarter, which came from a free throw by Nate Ferguson. Sam Fox contributed significantly to the Jaguars” early scoring, netting four of their nine points in the opening period.
“We talk about it all the time, the first four minutes are key to set the pace,” said DJ Black, head coach of Spain Park. “Our defense set the tone early on. I was a little disappointed coming out of the half. The first four minutes of the second half, we kind of went through the motions offensively a little bit, but our defense was there all night.”
The Jaguars extended their lead in the second quarter, outscoring the Huskies 17-7 and entering halftime with a commanding 26-8 advantage. Fox was a standout during this period, scoring nine points, while Elijah Hudson managed to score five for Helena.
In the third quarter, the Huskies began to show some offensive rhythm, managing to outscore the Jaguars 15-11 and reducing the deficit to 37-23. Ferguson and Hudson each contributed five points during this stretch. For Spain Park, Josh Wilkerson was responsible for five of their points in the third quarter.
The final quarter continued the trend of high scoring, with Spain Park adding 20 points compared to Helena”s 18, resulting in the final score of 57-41. In this period, Fox was particularly effective, contributing eight points, while Kade Garcia added seven for the Huskies. Fox ultimately led all scorers with 21 points, while Hudson was the top scorer for Helena with eight points.
The Jaguars, now with a record of 16-8 and 2-2 in Class 6A, Area 8, are set to face Hillcrest Tuscaloosa on Saturday, January 17, at Brookwood High School at 4 PM. Meanwhile, Helena, holding a record of 9-13 and also 2-2 in Class 6A, Area 8, will compete against Pleasant Grove at Brookwood at 11:30 AM.
