There was a “Blackout” at the Jonesboro-Hodge High School gymnasium this past Friday night. While it wasn’t a situation with the lights going out, the results of the girls and boys basketball contests between JHHS and Lincoln Prep resembled an energy crisis. The evening began with the Lady Tigers electrifying the home faithful by pouncing on Prep for a 13-5 advantage and then locking down on defense to limit the Lady Panthers to single digits in every quarter the rest of the way for a 35-20 victory. The third straight win improved the Lady Tigers record to 9-11 overall and continued the resurgence by JHHS in coach Shan Jackson’s second year. 

The boys game was a complete dichotomy.

For the Tiger boys donning the game as a Blackout was apropo in another way as  JHHS looked like they were shooting in total darkness. The Tigers managed only six baskets all night on the way to scoring only 14 points, the fewest scored by a Tiger team in over a decade, to fall in the District 1-1A opener for both teams. 

Lincoln Prep 55 JHHS 14 (boys) The Lincoln Parish neighbors jumped on JH for a 19-7 first-quarter lead and then allowed the Tigers only 7 more points the rest of the way. Ariy’un Bradford made five points to lead JHHS in scoring with D.J. Palmer scoring four and Tyson Burks hitting a three-pointer. Both Dylan Hayes and C. Gray added a free throw apiece for the Tigers who had won three of their last four coming in. 

JHHS 35 Lincoln Prep 20 (girls): Morgan McGee hit a pair of three-pointers on her way to a team-high 13 points and Neesha Johnson tallied ten points to pace the JHHS offensive attack. Tyya Davis finished with five, and both Jachorille Lard and Sanaa Tatum totaled three points each. Jaylena Jackson added a free throw for J-H.