By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

CARROLLTON – The Troup Tigers needed overtime to dispatch Heard County 48-45 on Saturday in their final game in the Carrollton Christmas Tournament.

The Braves were down by three late when they connected for a game-tying 3-pointer.

In the four-minute extra period, the Tigers (7-4) outscored the Braves 5-2 to secure the win after dropping their first two tournament games.

While Troup struggled to put away a winless Heard County team, head coach Blake Craft was proud of the effort.

It was the team’s third game in three days, and the Tigers played on a Saturday morning before a small crowd.

Troup finished with a 1-2 record in the tournament after losing to Gainesville and Marietta the previous two days.

“The one thing I loved, the kids brought the energy,” Craft said. “Last year in this game, we were extremely flat.

“(On Saturday), we weren’t flat, we were just making bone-head plays, because of being a little tired. But the kids brought the effort. I couldn’t get mad at the effort.”

JaQuavo McFarland led Troup with 21 points, and he made three 3-pointers.

Andy Boykin added nine points, and he was 6-of-6 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.

The Braves are still seeking their first win, but Craft doesn’t believe the record is a reflection on the quality of the team.

Many of Heard County’s top players were late arrivals after helping the school’s football team win a state championship.

“You’ve got to give Heard credit. They did a good job on us,” Craft said. “When you play a team that hasn’t won a game, they’re striving to win one. It’s a 10:30 game, where nobody wants to be there, but our guys came ready to play.”