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Morristown East B cut a 12-point deficit to one heading to the fourth quarter on Thursday evening against Jeff County B but could not finish things off, falling 64-55.

Jeff County was led in the game by Brody Carr, who finished with 23 points. The Patriots’ Shawn Jackson added 13 points.

For East, Nate Ball hit seven 3-pointers to finish with 21 points. Ball hit three in the first quarter, one in the second, one in the third and two more in the fourth quarter.

Along with Ball for the ‘Canes, Jaxson Archer had 14 points while Nick Dougherty added 13 points. Other scorers for East were Parker Dale with five and Eli Davis with two.

It was a quick start for East as they broke out to a 14-6 lead midway through the first thanks to three 3-pointers by Ball. However, the Patriots responded and ended the quarter on a 15-4 run to lead 21-18. Carr had 11 points in the quarter, including three baskets in the final minute.

In the second, both teams struggled to score as Jeff County led 33-27 going into the half. Four different players scored for East while five scored for the Patriots.

The third quarter looked as if the Patriots were going to pull away as they got up 43-31 with four minutes to go in the quarter. However, East used a full-court press to come alive and create turnovers. Archer had five points during the run while Dougherty scored twice in the final 20 seconds to make it 45-44.

In the fourth, East tied the game at 47 early on a Ball 3-pointer, but the Patriots pulled back ahead with five quick points. Davis stopped the run with a basket, but the Patriots scored seven straight to go up 59-49. That was enough for the victory.

Both varsity teams will be in action tonight at Jeff County for a district matchup. Tip for the girls game is set for 6 p.m. with the boys to follow at 7:30 p.m.