5A-CENTRAL BOYS

Red Devils roll by Comets

— Jacksonville senior Khaleel Hart scored a game-high 20 points, and the Red Devils outscored Mills 22-4 in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 66-42 victory on Friday night in Jacksonville.

Jacksonville (8-3, 1-0) stayed ahead of Mills for most of a frantic first half, taking a 29-27 halftime lead.

Mills (6-6, 0-1) led 13-12 with 1:25 remaining in the first quarter after a three-pointer from Omar Avance, but the quarter ended with Jacksonville on top 14-13.

Five consecutive points from Hart game Jacksonville the lead, but Mills guard Kaylon Tappin got a steal and a layup that tied it 23-23 with two minutes remaining in the half.

Senior point guard Justin McCleary hit a jumper from the top of the key to give Jacksonville the halftime lead.

“The tempo was where we wanted it to be, but our decision-making was pathetic,” Mills Coach Raymond Cooper said of the fast-paced game. “Tempo is no good if it’s not productive.”

Jacksonville built a 39-32 lead, its largest to that point, with 3:25 remaining in the third quarter. But the Comets responded with three-pointers from Devin Campbell and Tappin on their next two possessions.

Jacksonville led 44-38 heading into the final quarter, and the game started to slip away from Mills. The Comets couldn’t penetrate or get perimeter shots to fall, and Jacksonville cut to the basket and scored on four consecutive drives to help ensure the victory.

“It was a hard, scrappy game,” Jacksonville Coach Victor Joyner said. “We just tried to match their intensity.”

McCleary added 13 points for Jacksonville. Tappin led Mills with 14 points, and Campbell added 12 points. The Comets finished just 15 of 49 from the floor.

Sports, Pages 23 on 01/05/2013

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