5A-CENTRAL BOYS

Comets shoot right past Red Devils

— A couple of Comets did more than enough damage to Jacksonville on Tuesday night.

Shaquon Fletcher scored 20 points and Omar Avance added 19 as Mills upset the Red Devils 50-44 in a 5A-Central game.

Their efforts, combined with some tight defensive play, were enough to hand the Red Devils (15-4, 7-1) their first loss in 5A-Central Conference play.

“In the past we’ve gambled and been impatient on both ends of the court,” Mills Coach Raymond Cooper said. “Tonight we were much more patient. We made good passes on offense, and defensivelywe kept Justin McCleary away from the basket and killing us like he did last time.”

The Comets’ guards did their damage in different ways. Avance scored 10 points in the first quarter as the Comets (10-8, 4-3) took a 16-13 lead. He sat on the bench much of the second quarter because of foul trouble, then came back in the third quarter and made 3 three-pointers. Avance finished 5 of 5 from behind the three-point line.

“He’s that kind of streak shooter,” Cooper said. “When he gets hot, he’s hot and makes everything.”

Fletcher scored 12 of his 20 points from the free-throwline, with his final three coming in the final 22 seconds after Jacksonville made it a onepossession game at 47-44.

Jacksonville was on the opposite end, making just 12 of 23 from the line and missing its final three free throw attempts while trailing by five points.

“We didn’t show poise when we passed the ball and we didn’t show poise when we shot it,” Jacksonville Coach Victor Joyner said. “We made fewer turnovers in the second half, but it wasn’t enough. That was the first time all year those guys didn’t follow the game plan.”

The Red Devils’ only lead came during a 9-2 run in the first quarter that made it 13-12. A basket by Fletcher and free throws by Avance gavethe lead back to the Comets for good.

Mills led 26-21 at halftime and extended that to 10 points midway through the third quarter and again early in the fourth quarter.

“We got out to a good start like I wanted and felt we really needed,” Cooper said. “This is the first time all season we’ve put together a full solid four quarters. Hopefully we’ll keep doing that.”

Sports, Pages 22 on 01/30/2013

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