Evans holds off Greenbrier to move above .500

Evans didn't have long to enjoy beating rival Greenbrier on Friday.

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The win avenged an earlier loss to the Wolfpack and pushed the Knights above .500 in Region 3-AAAA. But two more important games this week mean Evans' celebration would only last the weekend.

Coach Kevin Kenny's team played host to Academy of Richmond County on Tuesday. ARC beat Evans 75-64 on Jan. 4 and owned a slight edge in the region standings headed to Tuesday's match-up.

The Knights travel to Statesboro on Saturday to play a Blue Devils team they beat on Jan. 18. Evans won that game by 19, but the foreign venue and the game's importance to the regular-season region race means it's one the Knights probably won't overlook.

Friday's win was key in positioning Kenny's team.

Knights forward Jonathan Nicely began slowly, but heated up in the second quarter to keep Evans close.

Evans didn't grab its first lead, though, until Nicely banked in a jumper with 6:01 left. The Knights held off Greenbrier from there and won, 61-52.

Nicely finished with 20 points after being held scoreless for the first nine minutes.

"He's a big-time player," Kenny said. "We expect him to make big-time plays."

Knights forward Tony Davis matched Nicely's 20 points and made two key plays down the stretch.

The win avenged a 55-49 loss to the 'Pack earlier in the season and gave Evans the edge over Greenbrier in region play. Both teams entered the game with a 2-2 region record.

Greenbrier's Andy Gray crafted a solid performance of his own. He finished with 18 points, and helped the 'Pack hold off the Knights through the third quarter.

But Nicely received some help to close out Greenbrier in the final 8 minutes.

Davis came through with two putbacks to push the Knights' lead to 6, and Troy Griffith's 3-point play with 30 seconds left sent the home crowd toward the exits.

"Everybody played well," Nicely said. "The team came together down the stretch."

The rivals could meet again in next month's region tournament. Until then, Greenbrier and coach Casey Dees are left to hope for a final push.

The Wolfpack traveled to Statesboro on Tuesday and host ARC on Saturday before closing out the season at Lakeside.

"We're definitely not out of it," Dees said. "We got to take care of our business."

Asked if he thought his team might meet Evans again, Dees responded, "I hope so."