Special to the News-Sun
AVON PARK - The Heartland Eagles of the American Basketball League made their debut Saturday night in the SFSC Gym before a small but boisterous crowd and didn't disappoint.
The Eagles erased an early deficit and soared to a 90-80 win over the visiting Emerald Coast Knights.
With just a handful of practices under their belt, things started out somewhat slow, with the Knights marching out to an 18-10 lead.
But behind a team-high 16 points from David Lawson, 12 apiece from Laron Mann and Da'Ron Sims, and 11 from both Alberto Damour and Quentin Patin, the Eagles quickly turned it around and raced to a 42-29 lead by halftime.
The Knights made a brief run in the second half, but a Lawson three-pointer and a thunderous, rim-rattling dunk from Patin turned the tide, put the lead back to double digits and all but secured the win.
An estimated 250 people were in attendance, including some members of the Boys and Girls Club of Highlands County and the YMCA, courtesy of the Eagles.
The ABL season continues with the Eagles next game Thursday night at 7 p.m., at the South Florida State College Highlands Campus Gym when they will face Panama City Breeze.
Admission is just $7 for adults and only $5 for children.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013 - www.newssun.com/WED-1-23-13-Eagles