By Jennifer Tavlian/sports@trcle.com

Cleburne couldn’t find the basket until the 1:18 mark in the first quarter when Ricky Aly hit a 3-pointer and was unable to rebound from Crowley’s 17-7 lead in the first frame as the Jackets fell 49-34 in District 8-4A play.

The game marked the Jackets’ first game back from an 0-4 showing in the Mineral Wells Holiday Hoops Tournament.

“The thing I was disappointed with in Mineral Wells was I didn’t think we played as hard as we could,” Cleburne head coach Jeff Cody said. “I wanted the kids to play hard tonight. I don’t like losing, but if we play hard, we will live with what happens.

“Another thing I always believe is a lot of times you might not be playing as bad as you think you are, but if the ball isn’t going in the hole, it makes you look like you’re playing bad. I thought the only negative was early in the ball game when we couldn’t make any shots.”

DeSean Thomas hit a 3-pointer to open the second quarter to pull the Jackets within seven points, but Crowley (17-3, 3-0) added two points with a layup by Tim Meadows.

Almost four minutes elapsed with neither team scoring, but Crowley secured six rebounds and two steals.

Jared Hance broke the scoreless drought with a free throw with 2:22 on the clock before Jamail Thompson scored on a layup 17 seconds later.

Thompson hit two more shots to end the first half, and Cleburne (11-10, 2-1) trailed 25-13 at halftime.

Ethan Anderson hit three jumpers to begin the second half, and a layup from Hance pulled the Jackets within four points with 4:55 left in the third quarter.

Crowley’s Kevin Ray scored on a layup before Damien Thorne and Thompson each scored a layup to extend the Eagles’ lead to 10 points.

Thomas hit a jumper before Colby Ray scored on a layup. Mikel Boston’s two free throws and a layup by Thomas pulled the Jackets within six points, but Meadows hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Crowley a 36-27 lead at the end of the third quarter.

“For the most part, I thought we battled,” Cody said. “We cut it to four, but I told the kids when you’re playing teams that are district champions or picked to win the district, if you give up a layup because we weren’t matched up and they hit another one, then No. 41 hits a three at the buzzer and it’s over.”

Thomas scored on a finger roll with 6:44 left on the fourth quarter clock before Chi Chi Onyekanne hit one of two fourth quarter layups for his only points of the game.

Meadows followed two consecutive rebounds with a layup with 4:19 on the clock, then pulled down another rebound and scored a layup along with a free throw 1:16 later.

Boston scored on a layup for the Jackets with 2:13 on the clock, and Thomas hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds.

Colby Ray’s four free throws in the game’s final 27 seconds capped the win for the Eagles.

“They’re well-coached and very good,” Cody said. “I thought we had a chance to beat them if we could just get some shots to fall.”

Thomas led the Jackets with 14 points, six rebounds and two steals, and Anderson scored eight points and secured four rebounds.

Hance led the team with a dozen rebounds and scored five points to go along with two blocked shots.

Boston scored four points and Aly scored three points for Cleburne.

Meadows led Crowley with 19 points and eight rebounds to go along with four steals.

Colby Ray scored nine points and recorded 10 rebounds, and Thompson scored eight points and blocked two shots.

Thorne scored seven points to go along with five rebounds while Kevin Ray scored two points and pulled down three rebounds.

Cleburne will travel to Stephenville for an 8 p.m. tipoff Tuesday. The Jackets are still searching for a win to give Cody No. 800 for his career.