The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN an epic battle right to the end, the St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine rolled past the CV Bethel Stingrays 46-41 behind the stellar leadership of Antonia Moultrie to win the senior girls’ title of the Providence Basketball Club’s Holiday Classic.

Moultrie, the game’s most valuable player, finished with a game high 27 points, including 13 in the second half, while Dior- Rae Scott and Arianna Gomez both provided all of their seven and six points respectively in the second half. Teanna Gibson contributed four.

“Most of these girls are just juniors and so I’ve been teaching and coaching the game at the same time,” said SAC’s coach Anastacia Moultrie. “So it’s always back to fundamentals when it comes to these players, that’s why it’s so good to be able to play in tournaments like this so they can get better at it.”

Moultrie, however, was particularly impressed with the way her daughter stepped up and controlled the tempo for the Big Red Machine. She said she advised her that as a 12th grader, she has to perform at her best because she will have to do the same thing when she heads off to college.

The Stingrays, coached by Shantelle Rolle, got a solid game from Trinity Bodie with 17, including 12 in the second half. Danielle McCoy had 10, but her older sister Terrell McCoy got in foul trouble and didn’t score. Geraniqua Bethel added eight and Maquell Hall chipped in with four. In what started out as a real defensive battle, SAC ran into a problem after Scott picked up her third foul in the first quarter and had to sit down the rest of the period. Gibson also picked up her third foul, but she stayed in.

For CV Bethel, Terrell McCoy got her fourth foul and Crishae Kemp had to help off the court with a slight left ankle injury before she would return, but only for a brief period. McCoy also came back, but she didn’t last long before she fouled out.

In what turned out to be a real defensive battle, most of the points for both teams in the period were generated in the paint and from the foul line until Bethel hit a three-pointer for a 15-11 lead for the Stingrays, who went on to post a 19-17 margin at the half.

With McCoy on the bench, SAC picked up their intensity as they ran the ball and went up 23-19. A pair of three-pointers from Sands and Scott extended their lead to 30-25. Up 32-27, McCoy fouled out.

Down the stretch, Moultrie took over on both ends of the court, but Bodie hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to three, 38-35. From there, Moultrie directed the show, either getting a block or rebound to start the offensive fast break.

• Here’s how they got out of the semifinals:

CV Bethel 15, Freedom Baptist 12: Danielle McCoy scored 13 points and Geranque Bethel had 10 as the Stingrays pulled away from a 17-10 first quarter lead to win their senior girls semi-final match-up.

Shanika Darins had six in the loss.

St Augustine’s College 37, CI Gibson 30: Antonicia Moultrie drove in for a game high 17 points, including 13 in the second half for the Big Red Machine, who rolled out to a 18-10 lead at the half. Teanna Gibson had 11 and Ananna Gomez five and Dior-Ray Scott chipped in with four.

Jada Francis had 16, including 14 in the second half and Trenea Greene and Philippa Ferguson helped out with six and four respectively in the loss for the Rattlers.

Named to the All-Tournament team for the senior girls are the following players:

Freedom Baptist – Weddslinnesi Alexis and Shanika Darins; CV Bethel – Geraniqua Bethel, Trinity Bodie and Danielle McCoy; St Augustine’s College – Teanna Gibson, Antonicia Moultrie and Dior-Rae Scott and CI Gibson – Jada Wilson and Trenae Greene.

Winning the individual awards were the following players:

Most rebounds- Antonicia Moultrie – St Augustine’s College; most assists – Dior-Rae Scott – St Augustine’s College; most blocks – Antonicia Moultrie – St Augustine’s College; defensive player – Antonicia Moultrie; offensive player – Danielle McCoy – CV Bethel and tournament MVP – Antonicia Moultrie.