Even though the Jenkins County War Eagles scored an imposing 56 points on Friday, the Portal Panthers still came out on top. Portal sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 59-56 win over Jenkins County. Given Portal's advantage in MaxPreps' Georgia basketball rankings (they are ranked 35th, while Jenkins County is ranked 206th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Portal's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Kj Hunter, who scored five points along with eight rebounds and two steals. Hunter also posted two blocks for the first time this season. Amir Jackson was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with 13 rebounds.
The victory was the fifth in a row for Portal, bringing their record for this year to 16-1. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.8 points per game. As for Jenkins County, their loss ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 11-3.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Portal will take on Screven County at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. As for Jenkins County, they will be playing at home against Burke County at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Burke County knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past six games -- so hopefully Jenkins County likes a good challenge.
