Jags Basketball Bounces Back; Gets 1st Win of the season vs Tennessee-Martin

After losing the first five games of the 2017-18 season, the performance of the Jaguars’ men’s basketball team thus far could only be described as disappointing.
In a season riddled with injuries, defensive inconsistencies, and an overall lack of communication, it was clear coming into Wednesday night’s game versus Tennessee-Martin that the Jaguars were looking for a change in their season.
To start the first half, a lack of communication on the Jags’ defensive end of the court led to an early lead by Tennessee-Martin. The defense’s inability to make stops led to the Southern offense struggling to put up points in the early goings of the game.
Unlike the past few games, however, the Jaguars refused to fold under the pressure and showed heart on the court that has not been seen by the Jags all season.
The defense of the Jaguars, which had been their achilles heel thus far, led the team to erase an early 12-4 deficit in the early in the 1st half. The team contested shots, fought through picks, and for seemingly the first time this season, showed pride on the defensive end of the court.
Once the defense found its groove and started making stops, the offense followed suit and forced the issue in the paint, led by former Scotlandville standout, senior forward Jared Sam, who led the team in scoring with 27 points. The Jags proceeded to outscore UTM 39-31 at the half.
The second half saw the Jags’ offensive potency starting to fade, but they were sound enough defensively to hang on to the ‘W’.
Interim Head Coach Morris Scott’s message to his boys in the second half prior to their suffocating defensive stretch was clear: “If they hit some tough contested shots against us, then so be it.”
Needless to say, his team went out and did just that; smothered the opposing team, contested every jump shot, and secured rebounds, while protecting the offensive glass. UTM failed to make a single field goal in the final 8 minutes of the game and got many of their points from the free throw line.
“This has been a tough stretch for us,” said Coach Scott as he spoke on the adversity his team has faced early on this season.
“The one thing is that we continue to stand together.”
While it is true that the Jags may not have been as good as they could have been in their first five games of the season, this contest against a good UTM team proved that if they play together, they have a shot against any team that steps in the gym.
If the Jags manage to get healthy and continue to play with a sense of unity on defense, there is no limit to how good they can be. One thing that is for certain is that this team is on the rise, and the rest of the SWAC should be on notice that the Southern Jags are indeed a threat to be taken seriously.