3A State Ticket Punched: Stars from Eufaula vs. Chandler

Saturday night saw Eufaula and Chandler go head-to-head with a state berth on the line. The back-and-forth action saw the lead exchange hands a number of times, with neither team stretching the margin too far. The Ironheads made more plays down the stretch, as well as more of the hustle plays that helped determine this one. Let's get to some of the standout performers and dive into the details.    James was the go-to option for Eufaula throughout the evening. His ability to attack defenders off the bounce was on display in the second half, as multiple Lion defenders were unable to keep him in front. James picked up right where he left off to begin the fourth quarter, hitting a left wing 3-pointer to tie the game 32-32. James scored seven in a row for him team to close the game, pushing the lead to 41-38 with just over two minutes remaining. The Lions had no answer for him on both ends, as he forced a steal and went coast to coast for the finish, before hitting two foul shots and another triple, this time from the right wing. Simply put, anytime Chandler went on a run, Jentry was there with an answer to put his club back in front. James hit seven of his final eight from the free throw stripe to salt this one away as the Lions had to foul to give themselves a chance.     Sparks energy was contagious, particularly in the second half when his team needed it the most. After tailing at halftime, the senior provided some influential plays in the third quarter. the first was a steal in the backcourt before dishing to James for an and-one finish to tie the game 20-20. Next, came an offensive rebound and assist to Morrow that put the Ironheads back on top 25-24. Sparks continued to play aggressively in the the final minutes, pushing the ball ahead with a one-handed cross court feed to Morrow for another layup. Sparks is able to have a big impact on games without having to score the basketball. His energy and effort are felt on each possession and his teammates feed off of his play.     Another key in this game for Eufaula was the play of Morrow. The sophomore stuffed the stat sheet with his timely scoring, passing, and rebounding from his guard spot. Rreon battled on the defensive glass and made effort plays to either keep plays alive or grab long rebounds in the second half. In the fourth quarter, he provided a floater in the lane before using his vision on two different occasions to find James for two quality looks.     Brother Jaydan started the game sharp, hitting a right wing 3-pointer that stretched the initial first quarter lead to seven as Chandler jumped out early. With the defense tightening up from the Ironheads, Jordan went to work. The junior finished off a third quarter and-one to cut the lead to one at 29-28. Denson again was on the attack, driving and spinning over his right shoulder before finishing over an outstretched arm in the final quarter. Jordan got ahead of the defense from there and tied the game at 38-38 with another and-one finish. His ability to finish through contact time and time again showed his strength and determination in trying to will his team to victory.     Gregg was in the zone from behind the arc, hitting two from long range before halftime. In the second half, his all-around game began to show when he used his athleticism to grab multiple offensive rebounds. Gregg converted at the rim twice in the final quarter, with his last bucket cutting the lead to a single point at 41-40. Gregg made some big plays passing the ball down the stretch as well. The junior pushed tempo and found teammates behind the defense on two different occasions in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, his effort on both ends was not enough as the Lions came up short, falling 48-42.

Saturday night saw Eufaula and Chandler go head-to-head with a state berth on the line. The back-and-forth action saw the lead exchange hands a number of times, with neither team stretching the margin too far. The Ironheads made more plays down the stretch, as well as more of the hustle plays that helped determine this one. Let's get to some of the standout performers and dive into the details.