A.L. Johnson (3-3, 3-0) charged out to an early lead and held off a Sunshine run to pick up a 61-47 region win Tuesday night. The Eagles used suffocating defense and dominant rebounding in the first quarter to feed a transition game that saw them take a 24-4 lead into the game’s second period.

Sunshine appeared to find its legs in the second quarter, winning the period 13-12 to go into the locker room behind 36-17. In the second half, the Tigers attacked the paint, drawing a rash of foul calls in the process. Adept free throw shooting and the ability to finish around the rim allowed Sunshine to pull within six before the Eagles took the momentum back and ran the lead back to double digits.

Eagle senior shooting guard Kejuan McGhee led all scorers with 35 points, including 21 in the first half. Ronzell Henton added 10 for the Eagles while Deandre Langhorne finished with seven. Thelbert Staten scored four points and grabbed six rebounds for ALJ.

Despite being checked intently all night, John May led the Tigers with 13 points. Zach Briggins added 11 while Uribe Sneed contributed eight.