By Nick Nunn
Staff Writer

MCHS’ basketball program took on North Oconee on Dec 18 to continue region play. The varsity boys team won 70-32, extending their region record to 3-0, but the girls lost 37-50, making their record 2-1 in the region.

Although there was originally a JV boys game planned, North Oconee cancelled, leaving the JV squad with no games last week.

Morgan County came out with a lead after the first quarter of the girls game, but, by halftime, the score was tied 23-23.

After the break, North Oconee’s defense was able to stifle the Morgan girls, keeping them to only four points in the third quarter and ten in the fourth, whereas North Oconee scored 27 points in the second half.

Stacia McClelland and Carvetta Williams scored twelve points apiece for Morgan County during the game, but the latter was ejected on her fifth foul, a technical foul caused by Williams tripping a North Oconee player, late in the fourth quarter.

Although Coach Charlemagne Gibbons was visibly frustrated during some points of the game, he felt that the team played well against North Oconee, who was 9-0 so far this season.

“We had our chances in the game to pull off a mild upset,” said Gibbons. “I think that this group has a chance to make some noise in the second half of the season and playoff time.”
The varsity boys trampled over their opponents again, beating North Oconee 70-32.

The victory was a welcome sight to the many members of the football team, who had come to see North Oconee, the school that beat them earlier this year get manhandled by the Morgan County basketball teams.

Morgan County started off strong, outscoring North Hall 21-4 in the first quarter and never let up.
North Oconee’s players, while smaller in stature, were quick and confident in their rhythm. However, that didn’t stop Morgan’s players from forcing several turnovers because off shoddy ball handling.
Tookie Brown led the team in scoring with 16 points – a modest figure for Brown this season – and Jailyn Ingram backed him up with ten points of his own.

“The boys came out in the first period and established the pace and tempo of the game,” said Coach Gibbons. “It was encouraging to see, considering we did not do that on Saturday versus GAC. We now have to prepare for a tough Holiday schedule over the break.”

The holiday schedule began last Friday, when the girls varsity played in the East Laurens Tournament, and continues this week; the boys varsity team is traveling to Ocala, FL to compete in the Kingdom of the Sun Tournament, which will take place from yesterday, the 26th, to this Saturday, the 29th.