CARTERVILLE- The Carterville girls’ and boys’ basketball teams hosted two home games last night. The girls started the night off against Massac County and took the loss 56-37. On the other hand, the boys followed them up with a 63-55 win over West Frankfort.

The girls started the night off slowly, struggling to get anything going. The first quarter was back and forth, as neither could overtake the other. The Lions trailed 10-8 going into the second quarter. The second quarter started hot for the Patriots as they went on a 7-point run that was broken by a layup by sophomore Khamari Jackson that left the score at 17-10 Patriots. 

Just as the Lions tried to claw their way back, Massac went on another 7-point run, leading them into halftime 27-10. After the half, the Patriots came back out as they started; they hit a first-possession three, making the game seem out of reach for the Lions. The third quarter ended with a score of 41-23 Massac. 

Carterville seemed to get their offense started in the fourth quarter after Khamari Jackson left a scoring precedent, causing her teammates Caidence Phillips, Hillary Siemer, and Amayah Doyle to all score back to back, bringing them closer to the Patriots 46-33. The Lady Lions ended up losing the game 56-37. 

When asked about how she plans on helping her team rebound after this loss, Khamari Jackson said, “I plan on keeping my energy up at practice, along with helping my teammates do the same.”

The Carterville Lions Boys Basketball team defeated the Redbirds 63-55 in a high-energy match-up this Tuesday. The Lions came into the game with high energy, and they showed it.

The first half was all Lions territory. They dominated the floor, scoring 31 in the first half, leading by 4 points. The Lions did not stop and kept going hard during the second half.

During the second half, the Lions doubled their points, ending the game with 63. The highlight of the second half was when Alexander Guthrie made a 3-pointer. The stadium filled with noise after everyone cheered for him. The Lions played an amazing game, dropping 63, with the final score being 63 – 55.

The Girls will continue their season at Murphysboro on Thursday, while the Boy’s Basketball Team will continue their season on Friday at home against Carbondale. For more basketball and sports content, follow @CartervilleATH on Twitter and Instagram.