The Mathews High School varsity boys’ basketball team split a pair of contests this week, losing Friday on the road against Carver Academy, 44-36. The Blue Devils got back in winning form on Tuesday, beating the West Point Pointers, 57-55.

The JV boys, meanwhile, dropped a pair of home contests, opening the season on Friday against Franklin and playing West Point on Tuesday. The JV Devils lost to the Franklin Broncos by a 32-27 margin and fell to West Point, 46-35.Varsity Devils

Tuesday’s West Point contest was a back-and-forth affair, with Mathews pulling out to an early lead. The Pointers overtook Mathews with about three minutes in the half, going into halftime with a 28-24 lead. Mathews came right back to retake the lead in the third quarter and began to dominate in the closing minutes. West Point hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to make the final margin appear closer than the game was.

Jackson Putt scored 19 points to lead the Devil offense. Caleb Thomas added 15 points...