It’s nice when the first Region test is at home. 

It looked like a runaway in the early going.  But it turned into a nail-biter at the end.

Having led by double digits most of the last three quarters, Carrollton watched East Coweta hang around until late in the fourth.

That’s when the Indians got as close as one on three-pointer from the right wing from Austen Colton, capping an 11-0 run cutting the gap to 57-56 with 1:30 to go.

But O’Brien Watkins stepped up.

Watkins answered with a three at the top of the key on the Trojans’ next possession.

That led to a 60-58 win for Carrollton.

Watkins finished with 14 points to lead the Trojans.

Carrollton’s Caleb Odom’s slam dunk capped an 11-2 run in the game’s first four minutes, but after a timeout, the Indians cut the gap to three.

But a three by Eli Pippin, who hit the game’s first from beyond the arc, and a jumper by O’Brien Watkins put Carrollton back up by nine.

Pippin scored 10 points.

The Trojans led 20-13 after the first eight minutes.

A right-wing three by Hudson Blackmon and a breakaway slam by Odom put Carrollton up by 10 at the six-minute mark at 25-15.

The Trojans weren’t finished. Watkins’ acrobatic finish at the rim with just over a minute to go in the half capped a 9-0 run that East Coweta broke at the foul line on their next offensive trip.

The Indians were able to score another field goal before the Trojans held for the final shot which was a Pippins missed three from the right wing.

Carrollton still went into the break with a 34-18 cushion.

While the Trojans were not able to build upon that 16-point cushion in the early minutes of the third, they were able to maintain the margin leading 41-25 at the four-minute mark.

Odom had a chance to electrify the crowd a minute later, but missed a breakaway dunk opportunity. Pippin’s jumper put Carrollton up by 18 before the Indians scored five straight.

Odom finished with 12 points.

The Trojans (12-2, 1-0) led 48-33 going into the fourth quarter.

The Indians (6-7, 0-1) came into the fourth with oe more run in them. They opened the period with fullcourt pressure and a quick four points.

It was Odom that kept the Indians at bay.

Odom’s layups on back-to-back trips, the first with 6:30 to play allowed for a bit of exhale.

Payton Waters and Kameron McClure got layups on consecutive possessions, including Waters dribbling nearly the entire length of the floor for a finger roll.

With 3:55 to go, not only did the Trojans keep the Indians from slicing into their lead, they kept that lead at double digits.

It wasn’t until two foul shots with 2:37 to go that East Coweta got to within eight points of the Trojans.

Carrollton travels to Westlake next week.