By Tommy Wells
Isaiah Hays found the perfect way to help the Eastland Mavericks put a 6-game losing streak to rest last Tuesday. He simply bombed the Dublin Lions. Hays powered the Mavericks to an impressive 75-62 victory over Dublin last week by turning in a career performance. En route to scoring a seasonhigh 34 points, the EHS standout pumped in 10 three-pointers, including six in the third quarter that helped rally the Mavs from a halftime deficit. Hays' 10 treys were part of 14 three-pointers Eastland pumped in against Dublin The win marked the Mavericks' first win on the court since January 12 - when they beat Dublin by a 58-36 clip on the road. The Lions held their own early on. Dublin garnered a late bucket in the first quarter and tied the Mavs 11-11 in the opening frame. Dublin continued to push the issue in the second. The Lions opened the frame with a 4-0 run and took a 15-11 lead before Hays pumped life into the EHS offense. He nailed his first threepoint shot moments later and spearheaded a 14-point outburst by the Mavericks. Hezacia Patel and Jackson Hicks also knocked down longrange shots in the period to aid the Mavs' efforts. Dublin held a slim 25-24 lead at the half. Hays blew the wheels off the Lions' wagon in the third. He accounted for 18 of the Mavs' 27 third-quarter points by pushing home six treys. His efforts enabled Eastland to grab a 52- 44 lead at the start of the fourth quarter. He didn't slow down in the final eight minutes. In addition to knocking down four free throws, Hays sank two more long-range bombs in the final frame. Hays continued to wield the hot hand for the Mavericks on Friday - although not with the same outcome. He sank five three-pointers in Eastland's tough 51-48 loss to Early. For the week, Hays averaged 25.5 points per game and buried 15 three-pointers. After fighting to an 8-8 deadlock in the first quarter, Early got its offense going in the second. The Longhorns outscored the Mavs by a 16-9 clip in the frame and carried a 24-17 lead into the break. Cameron Wilson also finished in double figures for the Mavs against Eastland. He chipped in 11 points, including two treys.
