The Jones Trojans's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their third straight loss. Their tough 70-49 defeat to Northside - Pinetown might stick with them for a while. The result was an unpleasant reminder to Jones of the 71-42 loss they experienced in the two teams' previous head-to-head fixture back in January.
Several Trojans players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Gabriel Butler, who scored 17 points along with seven rebounds and two steals. Butler hasn't dropped below two steals for seven straight games. Keonte' Roberts was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with six rebounds and four steals.
Northside - Pinetown's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tate Gibbs, who scored 20 points along with six rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Gibbs has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Griffin Johnson, who scored 15 points along with five assists and five rebounds.
Jones has not been sharp recently as the team's lost seven of their last nine matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 10-11 record this season. As for Northside - Pinetown, the victory makes it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 16-6.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Jones will challenge the Hurricanes at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Pamlico County's favor is that they have posted big point totals in their last 11 games. As for Northside - Pinetown, they will head out on the road to take on the Devil Pups at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully Lejeune focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up eight on Friday.
