By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

East St. John played its first home game in over a month on Wednesday night, and gave its home fans something to cheer: a 63-59 win over Glen Oaks.

Jamaan Kenner led the way for East St. John (7-12) with 20 points. Malcom Lago added 12, and Kelth Cameron scored six.

Glen Oaks (17-7) led 19-10 after the first quarter, but East St. John started to chip away at the lead. It was a five-point lead at halftime, and the Wildcats led by four entering the fourth, a lead it maintained.

East St. John Coach Yussef Jasmine credited the team’s guard play, something that had plagued them for much of the early part of the season, as making a major turnaround in the game.

“Our guards pressured them, made them turn it over,” said Jasmine. “We got very good production there tonight, and that was the determining factor.”

It also allowed Kenner to get into a comfort zone offensively.

“He was a lot more comfortable tonight,” Jasmine said. “I thought our guards did a better job getting him the ball, and handling it. He didn’t have to do much of that, so he was able to take one or two dribbles and score.”

The win got East St. John back in the winning track after a pair of losses over the weekend at the St. Martinsville tournament.

The Wildcats fell last Thursday to Peabody, 75-56, then again on Friday to West St. Mary’s, 48-43.

Peabody made a second quarter surge and got out to a 37-20 lead at halftime. The Wildcats never recovered from.

“I thought we played really well, and actually outplayed them for three quarters, the first, third and fourth,” said Jasmine. “We turned it over too many times in that spot though. One little two minute spurt was really where we lost the game.”

Kenner led the Wildcats with 14. Henderson scored 13 and Gregory Albert, Jr. scored nine.

East St. John led after each of the first three quarters against West St. Mary, but couldn’t hold on. West St. Mary’s outscored the Wildcats 13-7 in the fourth quarter to take the win.

“We didn’t come out expecting to win. It looked like we were playing not to lose,” said Jasmine. “They had a lot more enthusiasm than we did.”

Lago scored 15 to lead the team. Kenner scored 11.