The second half of the J.Z. George basketball season gets started Friday with a home game against Coffeeville High School.
The Lady Jaguars and Jaguars will also be at home Saturday as they take on Kosciusko High School at 2 p.m.
The Lady Jaguars only managed to go 3-12 through the first 15 games of the season. They picked up their third win at the Humphreys County Tournament during the Christmas break as they beat South Delta 45-33.
Sophomore center Allyson Anderson led the way in that victory with 10 points. Senior guard Tyeshia Grant tacked on nine points, and senior guard Jasmine Newman and junior forward Jakyla Winters had seven each. Sophomore forward Natijah Basin had six points.
The Lady Jags followed up that win with a 62-25 loss to Simmons High School.
"We are getting to where I want them to be. We've been in the dark, but they are beginning to see the light," said J.Z. George head coach LeQuell Allen. "We've surpassed the number of wins they've had the last two years. They are starting to get it. They know what I expect of them."
The Jaguars came through the first half of the season with a 6-9 mark after losing back-to-back games to South Delta and Simmons at the Humphreys tournament.
"Our biggest problem is finishing games. We have played well in spurts, and we've had opportunities to win a few other games, but we've let them slip away," said Allen. "The leadership is there. Malik (Branch) is our point guard, but when I take him out, I move Yogi (D'Anthony McGlothan) over to point. It's something new to him, but I want him to see the entire floor and become the general."
The Jaguars lost 70-33 to South Delta, but dropped a hard-fought 59-56 decision in overtime to Simmons. Branch, a senior, led the way with 22 points, and McGlothan tacked on 16 against Simmons.
J.Z. George, which only has eight games remaining on its regular-season schedule, begins Region 2-2A play Jan. 17 at Eupora High School.
