With the Howard boys’ basketball team down by a dozen points in the second quarter and needing a spark on its home court Saturday afternoon, senior Jadon Jenkins turned on the heat and never let up.
Jenkins had 25 points and six steals to lead the Hustlin’ Tigers to a 58-48 comeback victory against crosstown rival Tyner.
The electric guard had stretches when he scored eight and nine points in a row for his team in less than two minutes, and his final steal led to Mark Greer’s 3-pointer that made it 51-46 with 3:16 to play. Greer scored Howard’s final seven points, and the home crowd erupted in celebration as the Hustlin’ Tigers (12-4) improved to 7-0 on their own floor this season.
“We were down early, but I kept telling my team to push through and stick together,” said Jenkins, who has averaged close to 20 points per game. “I was able to put the team on my back and lock in, but I couldn’t have done it without my teammates getting me the ball. Our coaches also called great plays, and we all accomplished this together.”
Howard avenged a 42-41 loss to the Rams from last month’s Times Free Best of Preps tournament. This time, a solid defensive effort held Tyner (13-8) to 19 points in the second half after Keelan Jackson scored 12 to help the visitors build a 29-27 halftime lead.