The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE much anticipated Grand Bahama versus New Providence matchup will continue with former champions CC Sweeting Cobras taking on Sunland Baptist Stingers for the 38th Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic’s prestigious championship trophy 9pm tonight at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.

The two survived the keenly contested elite eight and final four matches over the weekend and will compete for all the marbles as the week-long tournament comes to a close.

In the most dramatic of all, the Cobras avenged their exit in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association’s playoffs by eliminating the defending champions Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins 62-58 in one half of Sunday’s final four.

The other half of the final four saw the Stingers prevail with a 41-27 rout over the St George’s Jaguars as Sunland Baptist delighted their fans, who made the trek from Grand Bahama to cheer them on. You could hear them loudly as they shouted “defence” and applauded with their efforts.

This year’s tournament was played without two of its iconic teams as the CI Gibson Rattlers and Tabernacle Baptist Academy Falcons opted not to participate this year. The Falcons are owners of eight titles, including back-to-back feats in 2017 and ‘18, earning the most by any team, while the Rattlers have secured five.

• Here’s a summary of the semi-finals:

Doris Johnson, CC Sweeting: The Mystic Marlins, taking advantage of their size inside, were able to contain the pesky Cobras for three quarters.

However, CC Sweeting turned it up a notch in the fourth quarter and will now have a chance to add their sixth title, having won back in 2007, back-to-back in 2012 and ‘13 and again in 2015 and ‘16.

“We haven’t beaten this team in a long time. The first game in the regular season they beat us,” said Cobras’ head coach Wayde Watson.

“In the second game, they swept us in the playoffs, including winning by 20 points in the second game. But we never played them with our full team until now. I know when we are at full strength, we are very good and it showed tonight.”

Now that they are back into the final, Watson said if they can improve on their defence, there’s no reason they can’t hoist the trophy tonight.

Doris Johnson opened a 12-6 lead at the end of the first quarter, but held on for a slim 27-25 advantage at the half.

As they eventually built a 10-point lead in the period, the Mystic Marlins took a 46-37 margin into the fourth. But CC Sweeting stormed back, coming within three, 46-43. With 3:01 on the clock, Christian Manace hit a three-pointer to bring the Cobras within one, 53-52 and at 2:26, Rickey Moxey Jr converted 3-point play to put them ahead 55-53.

CC Sweeting, the winners of pool four, pushed their lead to 58-53 with 1:10 to go and they held on for the win over Doris Johnson, the pool one champions.

Moxey Jr was a tower of strength inside with a game high 17 points, seven rebounds and three steals. Haywood Seymour had 14 points and eight rebounds; Manace had 10 points and both Donnoven Arana (five rebounds, four assists and three steals) and Lashaun Bassett chipped in with eight points.

Despite the loss, Doris Johnson’s head coach Denycko Bowles felt they gave it their best shot.

“We knew it was going to be a close game. To God be the glory, we gave it our best shot,” Bowles said. “Nobody expected us to be in this spot, but we continued to fight. We just have to get ready for Nationals and just go out there and execute. This one is over and done with, but we will be back.”

Sunland Baptist 41, St George’s 27: The Stingers, using their height advantage, stunned the Jaguars as they opened a 10-1 run and held on for a 12-4 margin at the end of the period and they held on for a 25-13 advantage at the half.

Both teams produced eight points in the third as Sunland Baptist stayed ahead 33-21. In the fourth, coach Jay Philippe called for his Stingers to manage the time clock as worked the ball around horn. Unfortunately, they missed some of their shots when they took them, but the Jaguars didn’t capitalized when they should have.

Sunland Baptist, winners of pool three, have never won the title, but after getting to the final last year, Philippe had his Stingers clicking on all cylinders as they get a chance to redeem themselves as they held on for a 14-point win.

“It was a good game. First of all I want to credit St George’s. They played a good game,” said Philippe. “I think we were the better team tonight. We know that St Gorge’s struggle shooting the basketball so we wanted to stick the defense to them and it worked out in our favor.

“Our guard Oswald Meadows was able to control the game for us. That was the difference. We executed our game plan just the way we drew it up.”

Meadows led a 1-2 punch for the Stingers with 12 points, six steals and five rebounds and Deandre Hield had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Rolontae Knowles had six points and fur rebounds, Bijuan Bain chipped in with five points and four rebounds, Martie Davis had four points, 12 rebounds and two block shots and Juvens Loucious also had four points.

Philippe, however, is more eager to play in tonight’s final as he will be facing the Cobras, whom he played for as a player and coached against in the final four years ago. Hopefully the Grand Bahama championship runners-up can take it this year.

“This is a special one for me. Four years ago we lost to them when they were coached by Mario Bowleg and we lost to them again last year,” he said. “I was a little star stuck not being able to pull it off and I think we have learned from that. We have nine seniors, so we hope to pull it off this year.”

The Jaguars got seven points and three rebounds from Dion Storr. Billy Michel had six points and 10 rebounds and Tamiko Beckles added five points.

St George’s assistant coach Calvin McIntosh, who ran the shots from the sideline as head coach Darrel Sears occupied the bench, said it was a tough loss.

“We just couldn’t execute,” he said. “we had second chance shots and they limited us to one shot. I think the game was just too big for some of our players and our bigs just didn’t show up. Hopefully we can live to fight another shot because they are talking about having the nationals. So hopefully we can get another shot at a title.”

Pool championships

CC Sweeting 60, Gateway Christian Academy 55: The Cobras got a 1-2 punch from Haywood Seymour with 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists and Christian Manace with 13 points, five rebounds and five assists as they advanced out of pool four.

The Eagles got a game high 17 points from Lynnardo Bain, who also had eight rebounds and two steals. Valdez Edgecombe had 16 points, five rebounds, five steals and four assists. Jaheel Williams was next with eight points.

Sunland 84, Government High 70: In a high scoring affair, the Stingers used a potent offensive attack to derail Government High as they advanced out of pool three and into the final four.

Sunland had four players in double figures, led by Rolontae Knowles’ 21 points and two assists. Martie Davis had 15 points, 13 rebounds and two bloc shots and both Juvens Lucious (six rebounds and a pair of assists and steals) and Demetrius Douglas (three rebounds, two steals and an assist) chipped in with 11 points.

This one was over from the first quarter as Sunland raced out to an insurmountable 28-12 lead and they never looked back. By the half, they were up 50-32 and cruised to a 69-46 advantage at the end of the third.

Dimargio Taylor’s game high 30 points helped to keep Government High in the game. But coach Theodore Hanna needed a little more help, but only managed to get it from Samuel Gibson with 16 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals and Alexander Alteme with 14 points and nine rebounds.

St George’s 62, Queen’s College 58: Keithwood Stubbs kept the Comets’ hope alive by hitting the last of two free throws to pull even 54-54 with the Comets and forced overall in their pool two final. In the extra three minutes, the score was tied again at 56-56 before the Jaguars went on a 6-0 spurt the rest of the OT to seal the win.

Dre Hudson got it started by canning a pair of free throws to tie it at 56-56 for Queen’s College. From there, Tamiko Beckles closed the door for St George’s with four consecutive points in the minute, the first two on a pair of shots from the charity line and the other on a jumper.

Beckles finished with 16 points, four rebounds and four steals; Billy Michel chipped in with 15 points, 16 rebounds and three steals; Adrian Pinder had 12 points, four rebounds and three steals before fouling out and John McKenzie had 10 points and three rebounds.

For this year’s Cinderella team, Queen’s College and coach Ruben Mounts Jr, it was not the way they wanted to go out as Hudson led their attack with 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two block shots. Kendr Sands added 14 points and three rebounds.

Doris Johnson 63, Anatol Rodgers 61: In a game that was delayed in the third quarter until the rain subsided outside s the roof was leaking inside, the Mystic Marlins prevailed for a 63-59 lead on a pair of free throws from Meleek Pierre with 36 seconds left on the clock.

However, they can thank the Timberwolves for their woes after Nicholas Jones’ jumper cut the deficit to two, the final score at 63-61. Coach Harcourt McCoy could only watch in disbelief as his Anatol Rodgers team fell apart missing two consecutive shots down the stretch as Doris Johnson went on to celebrate.

In advancing out of pool one, Pierre led the Mystic Marlins with 14 points and two rebounds; Matthew Saunders had 13 points, five rebounds, three assists and as many steals; Don Stuart had 11 points and four rebounds and Deion Williamson helped out with eight points.

In a losing effort for the Timberwolves, Kevin Thompson had 17 points, six rebounds and four steals; Davito McIntosh had 11 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals; Randy Blanford had nine points, 11 rebounds and a pair of assists and steals; Nicholas Jones also had nine points, three rebounds and two assists, two steals and two blocks.

In elimination games on Friday, St George’s knocked out Jordan Prince Williams 40-36; Anatol Rodgers sent CR Walker packing 48-44; Gateway Academy ousted Mt Carmel 46-30; Government High eliminated Akephran 62-22 and St George’s got by Eight Mile Rock 31-20.

Queen’s College held off Jordan Prince Williams 45-40 in the other game played.