Sports Editor

The Goshen boy’s basketball team fell to Georgiana on Friday night in a Class 2A Area 2 contest, 77-75.

GHS head coach Major Lanes points to two things that caused the Eagles to lose their area opener. Goshen (1-1) beat Luverne 72-38 to open the year last Thursday.

"We’re not playing very good defensively right now and the kids understand that," Lane said.

But Lane was also quick to blame the officiating inside the not-so-friendly confines of Panthers’ Gymnasium at Georgiana.

"The officiating was atrocious," he said. "I’m never one that’s going to try and blame the officials, but I think when it gets to a point where the kids don’t decide the game, someone needs to step in and do something."

Looking at the number of times each team went to the foul line, it’s easy to see where Lane is coming from. Georgiana went to the line 36 times, while Goshen stepped up to the charity stripe just six times all evening long.

Also, tied at 69-69 going into the final seconds of the fourth quarter, Lane felt the game should have never went into overtime.

GHS guard Kendaris Pelton took a missed Wesley Wright shot off of the glass and appeared to tip the ball in before the final buzzer sounded. One official called the shot good, but was overuled by another, sending the game into overtime.

"I’ve never seen anything like it," Lane continued concerning the Georgiana fans reaction to the Panthers’ win. "You would have thought those folks had won the World Series are something, the way they were carrying on."

However, Lane realizes that his Eagles, a Class 2A Final Four participant from a year ago, are going to have a target on their back this season.

"We’ve got to be disciplined enough to be able to win on the road and recognize that everybody’s gunning for us," he said. "We don’t play another home game until the first of the year."

Interestingly enough, the Eagles next home game is on Jan. 3 and comes against Georgiana.

Pelton led the Eagles with 25 points. Ge-Vonne Cooper had 19, while Wright had 17 and Averick Rogers added 12 points.

The Lady Eagles also fell on Friday night, losing to the Lady Panthers 38-22.

Goshen plays at Straughn on Tuesday night. Tip-off is at 4:30 p.m.