Carroll boys basketball nipped again by Coppell

The Carroll boys basketball team lost another close one to Coppell on Friday, but the Dragons are still in good position to grab a postseason spot.

Carroll played Richland on Tuesday night after the press deadline and will host Trinity at 8 p.m. on Friday in a game in which coach Eric McDade said his team will really have to try to control one of the area’s best shooters.

“It will be a great match,” McDade said. “They have one of the most prolific scorers in the DFW area in Jhivvan Jackson. He’s shooting it well and the other guys will come in ready. A lot of guys discount the fact that they are a good defensive team as well. We’ll have to execute our schemes well in order to come out with a win.”

The Dragons lost to Coppell by a score of 44-42 on Friday after losing their district opener to the Cowboys by a score of 43-42 on Jan. 5.

McDade said that his players gave it their all in trying to even up the season vs. Coppell.

“It was battle,” McDade said. “We ended up losing the game by two points and shot 10-21 from the free throw line. Making free throws, we take care of business, and we welt like we really had the opportunity to close the game out, but just came up a little short. But hats off to them, they did a good job of being prepared. We had them down 10 going into the fourth quarter, and it didn’t go our way.”

Joey McCormick scored 10 points in the game against the Cowboys, while Cooper Osburn added eight points for the Dragons.

Lil’Jordan Humphrey, Jack McBride, Tyson Smiter and Sam Bourcy combined for 24 points in the game for Carroll against Coppell.

Despite the close loss on Friday, McDade said he is feeling good about where his team is positioned in terms of the postseason.

“I feel good we’re in a good position chemistry-wise,” McDade said. “Guys are working hard every day in practice. We are trying not to peek ahead, but just take one game and practice at a time.”

This story was originally published February 1, 2016 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Carroll boys basketball nipped again by Coppell."