Jags ground visiting Falcons, 67-57

The Northridge Jaguars boys basketball team put together a great game on Tuesday at The Ridge and walked away with a 10-point victory over a very good Columbus (MS) Falcon team. The game had just about everything you would want to see in a hard earned win. The Jags overcame an early deficit, built a sizable lead, saw that lead dwindle, and then put in some solid work to come away with a double-digit victory.

Columbus jumped out to a small lead early, but saw the Jags close the gap to end the first quarter trailing the Falcons by one point, 14-13. Northridge held onto that momentum and outscored Columbus 14-6 in the second quarter to hold a 27-20 lead at the half.

The two teams had their highest scoring period in the third quarter, with the Jags finishing with a 21-20 advantage. That resulted in a 48-40 lead for Northridge. The Falcons showed no sign of giving up easily in the fourth quarter. The Jags held as much as a 16-point lead that the Falcons reduced to eight, at one point. However, Northridge went to work and re-established a 10-plus point lead that eventually ended with a 67-57 victory.

Northridge shot 48% from the floor for the game. The Jags went 14-for-27 from inside the arc and 10-for-23 from outside the arc. The Jags also hit nine of their 10 free throws. Northridge won the rebound battle by 10, hauling in 34 rebounds to the Falcons’ 24.

Andrew Matthews led the Jags with 15 points. Mize Parker followed with 14 and Tavares Jones totaled 11. Garrett Ingram tallied eight points and Ben Leitner ended with seven points. Adam Hall and Miller James had five points each. Chase Murphy rounded out the scoring with two points.

Jones put in some work on the boards, lead Northridge with 11 rebounds. James followed with six rebounds. Matthews collected four rebounds. Ingram and Hall had three rebounds apiece. Murphy had two boards and Parker and James Walker were credited with one rebound each.

Ingram, Parker and Jones dished out three assists each. Matthews and Hall were credited with two assists each and James had one assist on the evening.