The Putnam County boys’ basketball team topped rival Morgan County 65-45 behind a solid second-half effort.
The two teams were tied 25-25 at the half, but the War Eagles outscored the Dogs 40-25 in the final two quarters. They clamped down defensively and put on a clinic offensively, helping them cruise to a 20-point win.
Putnam County head coach LaPatrick Marshall was proud of his team’s effort, especially against a tough opponent. He expressed a lot of respect for Morgan County head coach Cody Anderson and the effort from the Dogs.
“I love Coach [Cody] Anderson, man. He’s gonna make them boys play hard. It is a rivalry game,” Marshall said. “It’s gonna be ugly, it’s gonna be emotional, and we weathered the storm. We played really hard.”
Putnam County sophomore Jeremy Banks was instrumental in helping the War Eagles top Morgan County. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard scored a team-high 22 points and hit a career-high six 3-pointers against the Dogs.
Throughout the entirety of the game, Banks got open looks and hit some timely shots. He shot 57 percent from the field.
“Jeremy Banks had some big, big shots for us coming down the stretch,” Marshall said. “Like, I mean, he’s ice cold, man. He’s got no conscience; he just does it.”
Banks’ ability to nail the shots from beyond the arc opened up the lane for Jmari Greene. The junior guard got plenty of opportunities to drive inside and try for contested buckets. Greene added 10 points, six rebounds, three assists, and a pair of steals.
Another huge point of emphasis for Putnam in the victory was its ability to dominate the glass. The War Eagles out-rebounded Morgan, with most of their boards coming from Greene, Zay Hargrove, and Shamar McClendon.
“Did you see Shamar McClendon just rebounding in there, and what about my man Zay Hargrove,” Marshall asked. “Like the length that [Zay] has, he just gives [an advantage down low]. I love watching him.”
McClendon totaled nine points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Hargrove added nine points and 10 boards.
Putnam returned to the court on Saturday with another big road rivalry game at Hancock Central. The War Eagles remained undefeated and are 6-0 after defeating the Bulldogs, 85-71, as Greene led the way with 28 points.
Marshall believes he can get contributions from different players every night. He said the team’s chemistry is tight.
Putnam’s 14-point win over Hancock Central proves his point because the team has multiple players who can score.
“I knew we were gonna have good chemistry from the summer going in,” Marshall said. “They just play good together, man. My thing is to make sure that they don’t have too many highs or too many lows. Try to stay even-keeled; when we do that, I like our chances… We just need to keep playing our brand of ball.”
This week, Putnam will host Greene County on Friday and Hancock Central on Saturday. Both tip-offs are set for 7:30 p.m.