Jordan brings the energy in conference road victory over Athens Drive
There was no secret formula that led to Jordan High School’s come from behind win over Athens Drive on Friday night.
Energy, according to first-year coach Rasheed Wallace, was the only thing the Falcons were missing. They brought plenty of energy in the second half, leading to a 79-65 road win.
“That was our biggest thing, the energy,” Wallace told the N&O after the game. “Once we gained the lead, that was our main thing, to lock up and come with energy. That’s all it is, it’s energy. We do what we are supposed to do with energy, we are good.”
Jordan improved to 8-8 overall and 4-4 in conference play. The eight wins surpasses their win total from a year ago. The Falcons have now won five of their past six games, but really had to grind it out over the Jaguars (7-9, 2-5).
Athens Drive never trailed in the first half, taking a 36-31 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Jordan did manage to tie the score at 26 on a deep three from Joshua Sampson, but the Jaguars countered with consecutive 3s from Naji Hall and Brandon Poggioli to extend the lead to six.
Falcons guard Elijah Davis cut the lead in half with a 3-point play, but Athens Drive, like they did most of the first half, had an answer, scoring an easy layup for the halftime lead.
The host Jaguars jumped out to an 11-3 lead early in the first quarter, but Jordan outscored Athens Drive 11-2 over the final six minutes of the quarter and trailed by just two heading into the second.
The second quarter would prove to be a series of runs. The Jaguars started on a 6-2 spurt, but Jordan answered with a 5-0 run to pull to within one, 22-21. Sampson’s 3 eventually tied the score, but the Jaguars never surrendered the lead in the opening 16 minutes of play.
The Falcons didn’t take their first lead until midway through the third, 41-40, after a jumper from Sampson, who scored five in a row to start the second half. Jordan went up by as many as nine in the third, but the Jaguars battled back, ending the third on a 10-1 run to tie the score at 54.
But Jordan held the lead the entire fourth quarter, getting production from its entire roster. Sophomore guard Dawson Edwards scored all 11 of his points in the fourth, and the Falcons got a big fourth quarter from Ramses Denis Cooper, who scored six of his nine in the final eight minutes.
Davis led Jordan with 20 points but missed most of the third quarter with an ankle injury. But the deep Falcons roster made up for their missing leader. Sampson scored nine of his 17 in the third quarter. Joaquin Davis scored all eight of his points in the second half.
“Our motto is ‘Team Together,’ ” Wallace said. “How are you going to scout us? If you’re thinking to just focus on Elijah, we have other guys who are coming in off the bench.”
The turnaround the last couple of games, according to Davis, has been an easy fix.
“We started listening to the coaches,” Davis said. “We’re started to compete and it’s generating wins.”
Poggioli led Athens Drive with 16 points. AJ Thompson added 13.
With six games left, Wallace said his team is doing the right things when it counts the most.
“We’re just making basketball plays,” Wallace said. “It’s a great thing, we are peaking at the right time.”
This story was originally published January 17, 2020 at 10:53 PM with the headline "Jordan brings the energy in conference road victory over Athens Drive."
