By KEVIN ECKLEBERRY

Daily News

Although Callaway head coach Terry Hayes wasn’t 100 percent pleased with how things went during Tuesday’s game against Temple, he was entirely satisfied with the result.

After taking a 20-4 lead following the first quarter, Callaway ended up hanging on for a 54-49 road win.

It was an important win for Callaway as it looks to keep pace with Spencer in the Region 5-AA standings.

While Spencer is in first place with a 6-0 record, Callaway is close behind at 6-1.

Callaway lost to Spencer at home on Jan. 4, and it has won four straight games since then.

The Cavaliers struggled at times on Tuesday, and they were only 17-of-32 on free-throw attempts, but they won.

“That’s all that matters,” Callaway head coach Terry Hayes said. “A win’s a win.”

Heard County is in third place in the region with a 4-3 record, and it has won four in a row since losing in overtime to Bremen.

Callaway will host Heard County on Friday, and it will be the second and final regular-season meeting between the two rivals.

Callaway won 45-37 at Heard County on Dec. 18.

Bremen and Lamar County are tied for fourth in the region at 3-4, and Temple and Jordan are in last place at 1-6.

On the girls’ side of the region, Lamar County has looked every bit like a team capable of defending its region championship.

Lamar County is 7-0 in the region, and it has only lost two games all season.

Two teams, Callaway and Bremen, are tied for second place in the region at 5-2.

Callaway’s two region losses are to Lamar County and Bremen, and it will play both teams one more time.

Callaway visits Bremen on Jan. 26, and it hosts Lamar County on Feb. 1.

Temple is in fourth place in the region at 4-3, Heard County is 2-5, and Spencer (1-6) and Jordan (0-7) are sixth and seventh, respectively.

The teams that finish first and second in the region will receive byes into the semifinals of the region tournament.

That means those teams, regardless of what happens in the region tournament, will make it to state.

REGION 

STANDINGS

BOYS

Overall record first, followed by region record:

Spencer                15-3, 6-0

Callaway                  7-8, 6-1

Heard County      6-10, 4-3

Bremen                 8-10, 3-4

Lamar County     6-12, 3-4

Temple                  6-13, 1-6

Jordan                   6-12, 1-6

GIRLS

Lamar County      17-2, 7-0

Bremen                 8-10, 5-2

Callaway                 8-8, 5-2

Temple                  10-9, 4-3

Heard County        8-9, 2-5

Spencer                     3-14, 1-6

Jordan                    1-17, 0-7