Moving up from his sixth-man role on last year’s Class AA state-tournament basketball team, senior Calvin James continues to provide a spark for Howard.
The Hustlin’ Tigers improved to 8-1 Monday as James scored 20 points to key a 75-71 home victory over East Hamilton. All 20 came in the first three quarters.
James had several signature moments, which included a half-court buzzer beater as a part of a stretch when he scored 10 straight points. He also stole a pass and turned it into an emphatic two-handed slam for his sixth dunk of the year.
“We came out here looking to lock down on defense and play the way that Hustlin’ Tigers normally play,” said James, whose 16 points helped build a 35-19 halftime lead. “We all feed off each other’s energy, and we did that today.
“Our coach preaches the importance of playing hard defense, hustling, diving on the ground for loose balls and staying in front of your man and not reaching. When we do that well, we can have a lot of fun on the court.”