Oxford, GA – 14 three pointers helped the Eagles defeat the Lions of Piedmont College Reserve Squad 86-72. With this win, the Eagles improve to 3-0, which is their first 3-0 start since the 2015-2016 season.
The Eagles had 4 players in double figures and were led by freshman point guard JJ Halaby who scored 29 points and went 5 of 9 from the three-point line. Sophomore co-captain Zane Patel had a strong night with 19 points and 6 rebounds. Fellow co-captain Ryan Kwong produced another strong shooting night scoring 18 points and shooting 4 of 8 from deep. Sophomore Eric Lee had a productive night scoring 12 points.
The Eagles looked strong in the first half as they hit 9 first half three pointers. The Eagles played great defense forcing 16 turnovers and only allowing 4 second-chance points. Oxford went into halftime with a 17-point lead.
In the second-half, the Lions were able to capitalize on a few Oxford mistakes and cut the lead down to 11. Midway in the second half, the Eagles led 65-54 when Halaby and Kwong started to get hot again. The Eagles made a 14-2 run which extended their lead to 23 points. By then, it seemed too late for the Lions to make a comeback as they were unable to keep Oxford from scoring. Freshman Jermon Clark capped off the night with a higlight reel dunk to secure the victory. Clark also grabbed 12 rebounds.
The Eagles will travel to North Carolina this weekend to compete in the Carolina Classic. The Eagles will play Central Carolina Community College on Friday, November 9th, at 5:00 PM. On Saturday, November 10th, the Eagles will play Sandhills Community College at 3:00 PM. Both games will take place at Sandhills Community College.