By Sedrick Bolton III December 10, 2022
JONESBORO Despite Jonesboro not having their star guard Devon Rainey, senior JaQuez Akins steps up and drops 24 points to make a statement in the team's home debut with the 62-36 victory.
Akins played aggressive throughout the game, attacking the basket which resulted in four three-point play opportunities. His relentless drives to the rim was something he thought would help the team.
"I felt like I had to step up on the team," said Akins. " Be a leader, help the team get the win for the night."
The Cardinals played the passing lanes to get out in transition for fast break points. They also got to the line, attempting nine free throws in the first half.
Forest Park started the third quarter with a 10-4 run to give them momentum. They played more physical defense, causing turnovers while scoring inside. Even though the Panthers trailed 42-28 at the end of the period, they outscored Jonesboro 12-10.
But Jonesboro picked it back up, starting with an alley-oop pass from Akins to the cutting junior Montez Redding who threw down the reverse slam. As the home crowd hopped off their feet with amazement, the Cardinals continued to build off the energy. They outscored the Panthers 20-8 to close out the game and get their third straight win.
It seems to be a trend in Cardinals basketball, having a great first but not carrying the same momentum at the start of the third.
"It takes you that whole third quarter to get loose and warmed back up and than the fourth quarter you get back in it," said Cardinals Head Coach Daniel Maehlman. "But you got to find ways to come out of the locker room and be ready to go.
Jonesboro came into this game ranked 3rd in Georgia class AAAAAA. The Cardinals improve to 5-1 on the season and will face regional rivals Mundy's Mill at home December 13.
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