SPRINGFIELD, Ga. – South Effingham played zone defenses, man-to-man and face-guarding schemes – nothing worked against Statesboro’s high-scoring guard Ja’caiden Cone on Tuesday night in the second round of the Class 5A Region 1 boys basketball tournament at Effingham County High School.
Cone turned in one of the most impressive performances in the state this season, pouring in a career-high 49 points to lead the Blue Devils past the Mustangs, 72-62.
South’s season ended with an 11-15 record.
“(Cone) kept finding ways to get to the basket,” SEHS coach Rico Campbell said. He used multiple defenders throughout the night but couldn’t slow down the 6-foot-3 slasher.
Cone had 16 points in the first quarter and 15 in the second to score 31 of Statesboro’s 34 first-half points. He added 12 points in the third quarter and appeared content to turn the offense over to his teammates as the Devils played with a double-digit lead for much of the final six minutes.
“He’s quick, has long legs, uses a slow step. He’s a good player,” South guard Michael Hall said.
Cone also created contact consistently, nearly singlehandedly putting most of the Mustangs’ defenders in foul trouble. He made 16 of 18 free-throw attempts.
South battles early, foul trouble mounts
Despite Cone’s offensive barrage, South used an 8-0 run to build a 27-21 lead midway through the second quarter. The Mustangs led 33-27 after Hall’s 3-pointer with less than two minutes to go before halftime.
But Cone’s relentless drives drew fouls, forcing Campbell to sit several starters saddled with three fouls. Statesboro capitalized with a 7-0 run to end the second quarter, then opened the third with a 7-2 spurt to take a 41-35 lead.
South’s foul trouble worsened midway through the third quarter, when three starters – point guard Marcus Campbell and forwards Landyn White and Quinton Williams – picked up their fourth fouls.
Statesboro pulls away late
The resilient Mustangs stayed within striking distance. Chris Campbell and Benja Crofts came off the bench for back-to-back baskets to trim Statesboro’s lead to 47-45 with 2:17 left in the third quarter.
It was still a two-point game – 49-47 Statesboro – in the final minute of the quarter.
But the Blue Devils closed the third on a 7-2 run and scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to build a 62-49 lead and put the game out of reach.
South’s inability to score during Statesboro’s two decisive runs proved costly. The Mustangs went more than four minutes with just one field goal during the Devils’ go-ahead spurt and were scoreless for more than three minutes to open the fourth quarter.
“I thought we could handle them, but you have to hit shots,” Coach Campbell said. “Statesboro plays good defense. Every shot is a hard shot. A lot of our looks weren’t clean.”
Despite the loss, the Mustangs’ future looks bright, with four of their top six players returning, including Hall. The junior finished with a team-high 18 points and capped a breakout season in which he averaged about 19 points per game.
“We started the season like we were last year (an eight-win team), but as it went on we progressed,” Hall said. “We were a lot better this season.”
