Du Quoin boys basketball Indians back at home tonight to play Carterville

The Du Quoin boys basketball team returns home Friday to face their SIRR Mississippi Division rival Carterville at Anders Gym, after a mixed performance at the inaugural Johnston City Arrowhead Classic last week.

"When we play Carterville it is a very physical game, so we will have to keep our emotions in check," said Du Quoin Coach Jason James. Tipoff is at 7:45 p.m.

The series between the two rivals has gone back and forth since the Indians won both games during the 2017-18 season. Last year Du Quoin lost to the Lions at home in their first game, 42-39, and then knocked them off on their court, 61-50, in the second. This year the Lions won the first meeting at the Lions Den, 54-45.

Du Quoin (8-13, 1-4 Mississippi) split its games at the Arrowhead winning its first game over Johnston City, 63-47, before losing to Christopher, 59-52. The Indians then upset Eldorado, 68-63, before losing to Anna-Jonesboro, 53-46.

"It is just very frustrating ... we really thought that we would be a lot tougher on the defensive end," James said. "We talk about and try to put guys in situations to succeed but I have not done a very good job getting my point across. I take full responsibility and will do a better job going forward."

Carterville (10-13, 2-3 Mississippi) is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Metropolis Superman Classic. After beating Graves County, 42-30, in the opening game the Lions lost to Massac County, 62-53, and to Goreville, 68-57, in the third place game.

Braeden Pursell led the Indians at the Arrowhead averaging 17 points a game. The senior forward surpassed the 1,000 point milestone against Eldorado, when he scored 23 points. Senior guard Kadin Mays was second with 11.5 points a game and along with Pursell was named to the All-Tournament Team.

"We have lost 13 games and of those 13 games nine of them have been by single digits," James said. "We have some guys playing well on the offensive end of the floor (Pursell and Mays) but we have to find some guys that will give us energy on the defensive end."

Junior forward Wade Roberson averaged eight points a game, including 10 points in the games against Eldorado and Anna-Jonesboro. Sophomore guard Trajion Smith averaged 4.75 points a game and senior forward Jacob Green averaged 4.25 points.

Freshman guard Jeremiah Tate and sophomore center Maurice Washington came off the bench to score nine points each.