THOMASTON &045; The Marengo County match up in last night’s basketball game was all that it was hyped up to be.

It was the A L Johnson Eagles that was able to pull away from a tight ball game for three quarters to get a 51-45 victory over the John Essex Hornets.

In the first three quarters of the game there were seven ties and six lead changes. Neither team led by more than three points until the two-minute mark of the third quarter. The Eagles had built an eight point lead, but John Essex came back to score eight unanswered points and tied the game on Darnell Edwards three-pointer with 19 seconds left in the quarter.

Both teams battled back and forth the entire game, but A L Johnson had just enough left to out score 14-8 in the fourth quarter to come away with the win.

The first quarter ended at 13 all after three ties during the first eight minutes of play. A L Johnson opened the second quarter with a three-pointer from senior James Robinson. Hornets’ Jack Rainey, a junior, came right back with a triple of his own. Another John Essex three-pointer by Deonte Edwards, who had just come off the bench, followed.

Robinson then added another three-pointer for the Eagles before the quarter ended. Neither team was able to put points on the board the last 2:35 of the quarter with the game tied at 23.

Robinson had 15 points at the half. He hit three three-pointers in the second quarter.

The Hornets got the early lead to start the second half, but A L Johnson came back to score the next seven points to go up by five with 4:29 left in the quarter. Demetrius Cade would come off the bench and connect on two triples, helping the Eagle to a 37-29 advantage. John Essex, however came back to tie the score at 37.

The Eagle defense held the Hornets to eight points in the final quarter, while dropping in 14 points offensively.

Robinson scored a game high 20 points. Robert Etheridge added 11 points for A L Johnson. Rainey finished with 15 points for the Hornets.

The Hornets will look to get one in the win column on Tuesday when the host the Maplesville Red Devils in an area contest.