The DeKalb Middle School Saints lost a tough one when they hosted the Upperman Middle School Yellow Jackets on Jan. 7.
The Saints were outlasted in a 33-28 contest. A hard-fought first period saw the Yellow Jackets outscore the Saints 10-6. Michael Elswick scored four points for DMS, and Isaac Cross put in two.
Upperman took a ten-point lead into the half after scoring ten more points in the second and allowing the Saints only four. Cross and Alan Munoz placed a two-pointer each for DeKalb in the second.
The teams hit the court for the second half with Upperman leading the game 20-10, but the Saints fought back, edging up on the Jackets’ lead and outscoring them 8-7 in the third period. Munoz added four points to the Saints’ tally in the third, while Cross and Elswick put in two each. The period ended with Upperman holding a 27-18 lead.
DMS continued their scrap to catch up in the fourth, outscoring the Jackets 10-6, but it was not enough to make up the deficit, and the score stood at 33-28 at the final buzzer. Elswick scored six of the Saints’ fourth period points. Jordan Young put in two, and Cross and Eli Cantrell added a free throw each.
Elswick led the Saints on offense with 14 points in the game. He went 4-for-4 from the foul line, and scored five two-pointers.
Cross put seven points on the board for DMS, while Munoz scored four. Jordan Young helped out with two, and Cantrell added a point.
The Saints traveled to Cookeville to face Avery Trace Middle School Tuesday night with a 7-11 record. Scores for that game were not available at press time.