Before each free-throw attempt Friday at Panther Creek, Athens Drive’s Keanan Mims bounced the ball once, then spun it around in his hands once before slightly bending his knees and softly releasing the shot.

This routine yielded results that were anything but.

The junior guard converted 15-of-15 free throws en route to a game-high 23 points and an 80-77 win for the Jaguars, who with the win kept pace with Middle Creek as the only Tri-Eight teams unbeaten through five conference games.

“It came down to protecting the ball and making our free throws,” said Athens coach Robert Clemons. “That’s what Keanan did. He was on a roll. I had confidence in him. That’s why I kept telling the kids to get the ball to him. I didn’t want anybody else to touch it. Keanan was making those plays, and we go to whoever’s hot.”

Over the final 3:18, Mims made 12-of-12 from the line, almost single-handedly holding off Panther Creek’s comeback from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit.

“They kept dropping; I kept shooting,” Mims said.

Athens carved up Panther Creek’s 2-3 zone for three quarters and built a comfortable 56-39 lead heading into the fourth. The Jaguars moved the ball swiftly, found the open man and made the open jump shot possession after possession. Guard Quentin Edmundson knocked down four 3-pointers en route to 19 points and kept the defense honest by shooting 7-of-11 from the field.

“Quentin is a great 3-point shooter,” Mims said. “He catches and he shoots. We get him the ball behind the 3-point line [and] we expect him to knock them down night in and night out.”

Edmundson’s outside touch forced the zone to extend out to the 3-point arc, opening up the inside for forwards Josh Davis (18 points) and Ulysses Watkins (14 points). The Jaguars finished the night shooting 53.8 percent from the floor.

Defensively, the Jaguars locked up Panther Creek guard Earnest Ross, who had more fouls in the first half (three) than points (two). Forward Aaron Toney filled the offensive void with 16 points, while Marques Oliver and Brandon Oliver scored 11 points apiece.

Edmundson and Mims were also integral on the defensive end of the floor, combining for six steals that translated into 10 points for the Jags.

At the start of the fourth quarter, all that Athens had done to build the 17-point lead, and all that Panther Creek had done to dig itself into that hole, flipped around.

Needing to up the defensive pressure, Panther Creek switched to a full-court man press, which caused the Jags to panic. They had more turnovers in the first three minutes of the fourth (three) than they had in the previous three quarters (two).

“It started getting away because we started losing our composure,” Edumndson said. “Coach said in a timeout, keep your head and get the ball to Kenny because he’s making all the free throws.”

The Catamounts scored on five of their first seven fourth-quarter possessions and cut the lead to 62-52 with 4:38 to play. Ross, who finished with 17 points, whittled the lead to 70-67 with a four-point play with 2:25 left, but Panther Creek couldn’t get any closer. The Catamounts cut it to three two more times in the final minute, but each time, Mims answered with free throws to push the lead back to five.

“Sure we like to win,” said Panther Creek coach L.J. Hepp. “But it’s about a lot more than that. For them to believe they can come back, down 17 going into the fourth, and get darn close to it … it wasn’t a bad deal.”

While the Cats got close, it was good for the Jaguars that they kept sending Mims to line. While Mims was perfect, the rest of the team shot a mere 50 percent.

Said Edmundson about Mims, “Mr. Clutch is all I can say.”