They defeated Jacksonville Christian but lost to Sardis and Westbrook Christian.
Ragland 44, Gaston 41
Ragland held a double-digit lead throughout the second and third quarters but had to rely on a three-pointer at the buzzer by Colton Echols to beat Gaston 44-41.
Ragland was up 13-10 after the first quarter and 25-16 at halftime.
They were ahead 35-25 after three quarters of play but Gaston fought back to tie the game 41-41 with just seconds left. That’s when Echols hit the game winning 3-pointer with one second remaining to win the game for the Purple Devils.
Echols led Ragland with 15 points. Devin Wilson added 13 points and led the team in rebounds with 8. John Arnold netted 9 points while Karson Winn had 5 points. Ethan Burnham scored 3 points.
“We were glad to get another area win, which makes us 3-1 in area play,” Coach Andy Eden said. “We had way too many turnovers toward the end of the game but walked away with the win thanks to the shot by Colton. We have now played each area team. This area is proving to be very competitive.”
Sardis 67, Ragland 32
In the opening round of the Coosa Christmas Tournament, Ragland lost to Sardis 67-32.
The Purple Devils were up 10-8 after the first quarter but things spiraled downhill after that. By halftime, Sardis was in charge 39-15 as they outscored Ragland 31-5 in the second quarter.
Sardis outscored Ragland 28-17 in the second half to make the final score 67-32.
Echols led Ragland with 7 points. Wilson and Jimmy Brock scored 6 points each while Winn added 4 points.
“Sardis completely dismantled us,” Eden said. “Their full-court pressure caused us to turn the ball over numerous times. We will not be a complete basketball team until we learn to deal with pressure. Hopefully, we will learn from this and improve.”
Ragland 62, JCA 51
Ragland rebounded with a 62-51 victory over Jacksonville Christian. The Purple Devils were up 20-13 after the first quarter but the game was all tied at 31-31 at halftime.
Ragland led by one, 40-39 headed into the fourth quarter and that’s where they took charge, outscoring JCA 22-12 to win 62-51.
Brock led Ragland with a double-double scoring 18 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. He also led the team in steals with 5. Echols finished the game with 15 points while Arnold added 11 points. Winn contributed 10 points.
“We were able to jump out to an early first quarter lead,” Eden said. “Although we were tied at halftime, we had a big fourth quarter to win the game. We played good defense in the second half and had very few turnovers.”
Westbrook 48, Ragland 33
In Ragland’s final game of the holiday tournament, they lost to Westbrook Christian 48-33.
They fell behind early trailing 14-5 after the first quarter and 26-9 at the break.
By the end of the third period, Ragland was trailing 41-19. They fought back in the fourth quarter outscoring Westbrook 14-7 but lost the game 48-33.
Arnold led Ragland with 10 points. Echols and Wilson added 7 points each while Brock netted 5 points. John Mark Mintz scored 3 points.
“Our defense was not good in the first half as Westbrook beat us down the court,” Eden said. “It was also our poorest shooting performance of the year. The guys did not quit and fought back in the fourth quarter.”
Contact Gary Hanner at ghanner@thestclairtimes.com.
