THOMASTON &8212; &8220;It was a hard played game,&8221; A.L. Johnson basketball coach Mose Jones said about his team&8217;s 48-42 home win over area opponent J.F. Shields Tuesday night.

No matter what side of the gym spectators sat on, most would agree Jones&8217; statement. Playing for area tournament seeding, both groups put out tough performances in a come-from-behind win for the hosting Eagles.

A.L. Johnson came out in the first quarter of the game slow, and the group found themselves down 11-5 after the end of the first eight minutes. J.F. Shields remained consistent in the second quarter on offense and posted 11 more points, but the Eagles found their wings and countered with 10 to make it a 22-15 game heading into the half.

Step up and play they did. The Eagles came out hot in the third period, while the Panthers continued their steady offensive march. The Eagles put up 18 points in the third quarter to the Panthers&8217; 12 to come within one point of the tie heading into the fourth.

The Eagles continued to stroll on offense in the fourth with 15 more points, while the Panthers faltered from their pace and only put up eight &8212; losing the lead and the game 48-42.

For the Eagles, Edwin Dennis led scoring with 17 followed by Courtney Patterson with 13 and Kewan McGhee with 11. S. Finklee led the Panthers with 13 and was joined by D. Finklee with 12.