The Pike Patriots boy’s basketball team began the 2017 season in fine fashion on Monday afternoon when they defeated Macon East 65-57 on day one of the Lee-Scott Tournament in Auburn.

The Patriots stormed out to a comfortable 18-7 lead and never looked back.

“It was a great start,” said head coach Allen Ponder. “I was extremely proud of the effort.”

The Patriots had seven players get on the scoreboard.

“I guess the surprising part of the game was how well we shot the ball,” Ponder said. “We did exactly what we said we were going to do. We went out and played as hard as we possibly could for 30 minutes. Our intensity and our effort was great on defense. We did a good job at containing their guards. The kids played with unbelievable effort. I am really proud.”

The Patriots had three players score in double figures, led by Reed Jinright’s 17 points. Cole McWhorters finished with 16 and Ethan Green had 12. Max Copeland flirted with double figures, but finished with 8

“It’s hard to point to anyone that stood out,” Ponder said. “It was a great team effort basketball game. We played very well together. Max Copeland did a great job on the block and rebounding the ball. Reed and Wood Jinright played really well. It was an absolute team effort.”

The Lady Patriots also began their season against Macon East, but unlike the boys they fell to the Knights 52-31.

The Patriots had two players score in double figures. Ansley Adams finished with 14 points, while Tiffany Johnson had 10.

Both teams will be back in action on Tuesday when they take on Evangel. The boys will tip off at 10:30 a.m.