The Jemison boys basketball team won all three games as host of the Jemison Thanksgiving Tournament. (Photos by Anthony Richards)

The Jemison boys won its third game in four days on Nov. 22 and swept the Jemison Thanksgiving Tournament with a 66-36 victory over Comer High School.

“We moved the ball well and got set up, which led to some organization and easy baskets,” Jemison head coach Stacy McGehee said. “It was working tonight.”

Ryan Thompson and Will Johns both finished with a team-high 16 points on the night, but went a different way about going about it.

Jemison’s offense was hot from the field early on, as the Panthers scored the first 10 points of the game. They would not be cooled off and opened up a 32-10 halftime lead.

“This was the first time that it felt that we really played as a team,” Thompson said. “It was amazing out there.”

Thompson did the dirty work down low and produced the majority of his points in the paint, while Johns consistently knocked down jump shots.

“Ryan did a real good job of finishing tonight around the hole,” McGehee said. “He didn’t have a good game [against West Blocton], but he responded and did what good players do. He’s our post.”

On several occasions Thompson used various post moves and looked quite comfortable with his back to the basket.

Jemison’s Ty Leachman blocks a Comer shot attempt.

“I just like getting to the goal any way possible,” Thompson said.

The guards kept the ball moving and did an excellent job of involving teammates. six different players scored on the night including Ty Leachman and Wes McGehee in double figures with 13 and 10 points respectively.

“We’ve talked about having a better assist to turnover ratio and it’s starting to come together,” McGehee said. “We can see some improvement, and that’s all we ask. Playing someone that we don’t see often is better than us practicing.”

The winning streak allows Jemison to carry momentum and a positive vibe heading into Thanksgiving.

The Panthers won each game by an average of 19 points, which included a 54-39 victory over West Blocton and a 65-53 final against Jefferson Christian.

Leachman led Jemison with 15 points against West Blocton, while senior Kris Harris grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and McGehee added five assists.

“All three of these wins are really going to help out our confidence,” Thompson said.