The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Clement Howell Eagles out of the Turks and Caicos Islands have brought diversity to the Hugh Campbell Tournament for the past four years.

The Eagles won their first tournament game in three years when they topped the Hope Academy Eagles 54-46 in yesterday’s opener.

CHE head coach Kevin Harvey, a former student at Eight Mile Rock High in Grand Bahama, said the idea to enter his team into the tournament has been about much more than basketball.

“We’ve been coming here for the last four years and honestly we come with a new team every year. This is about experience and manhood more than it is about winning the games. These guys are all 11th graders so they’re a young team, but if you want to build a real man you have to start from then. When you live on an island where everyone thinks they are the boss this is the perfect tournament to come to and test that, you can see where your game really is matched up against these teams.”

Sormora Fedlor led CHE with a tournament high 30 points on 12-18 shooting from the field. He also added six rebounds and six steals. Randy Jean-Guy also scored 13 points.

Anthony Penn led Hope Academy with 14 points, Timothy Grant added 10 while Jeffery Tucker added eight points and a game high 14 rebounds.

It was a high scoring first quarter for both teams as they played to an even 13. Hope opened a six-point lead late in the second quarter but Jean-Guy’s layup trimmed the lead to just one for Clement Howell, 19-18. He would go on his own seven-point run to give his team an eventual 23-19 lead at the half.

Howell maintained a six-point lead for much of the third, but missed several opportunities to take control until Fedlor took over.

Their lead reached as much as nine in the quarter on a Fedlor runner. Hope made a run at the end of the period and an Admiral Ferguson layup brought them within four.

Clement’s Wilnardo Cenera made a buzzer-beating three pointer to go ahead 40-33. In the fourth, Hope made one final run when a Penn three pointer brought Hope within two (40-38) at the 4:45 mark. Clement went on a quick 6-0 run to stay ahead. Feldor eventually put the game out of reach with a midrange jumper that regained a nine-point lead, 51-42. His layup on the following possession gave them their first double-digit lead of the game.

Harvey’s Eagles made their first appearance in 2012 when they also won their opener, but have gone winless since. With an increased depth chart, Harvey said he expects better performances as the tournament progresses.

“We can get better moving forward. Layups killed us, free throws killed us, but this is my first time fielding a 12-man team, usually I come with seven. But today we were able to field a 12-man team so I was able to make some subs,” Harvey said.

“The game here is much faster than we play so that depth comes into play. Even though they are conditioned for it, the adrenaline rush and playing under this spotlight is a whole different ball game.”

Clement Howell will advance to take on CI Gibson 7pm tonight in the opening game of session three. Hope Academy faces Temple Christian in an elimination game 1pm today.