The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

The final matchups are all set headed into championship night in the 33rd Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic.

The CC Sweeting Cobras earned a trip to the final to defend their title and claim the fifth championship in school history, but to do so they will have to defeat the GBHSSA title holders or renew a familiar rivalry with the CI Gibson Rattlers.

CC Sweeting

Cobras - 66

Sunland Baptist

Stingers - 50

The Cobras appear to be peaking at the right time and have won every game of the tournament thus far by double figures.

Four Cobras players reached double figures led by a game high 20 from Corey Sands. Anderies Blacks posted a double double with 12 points and 13 rebounds, Adrian Thompson finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.

Romero Cornish led the Stingers with 14 points, Brandon Meadows added 11 points and 14 rebounds while Kaleel Solomon finished with 11.

Leading 32-38 headed into the third quarter Blacks opened with a layup, and a three pointer on the next possession to take an early nine-point lead. The Stingers would go on a run of their own and would eventually come back within a single possession on a Cornish layup, 39-36 at the 4:24 mark.

Blacks’ three-point play put them up 42-36 with just under two minutes left to play in the half. Delmar Hamilton’s halfcourt steal followed by Bethel’s pair of free throws gave the Cobras a 10-point lead headed into the fourth quarter.

“They knew we were coming with a press, so we held up on it in the first half and surprised them with it in the second,” said Cobras coach Mario Bowleg. “We don’t feel there’s a team in the tournament that can handle our press. These guys know what the goal is.

Tied at 7 early in the first quarter at the five minute mark, Thompson and Solomon traded threes to tie it again at 10 before the Cobras

12-10 at the end of the first.

Solomon opened with a three on the opening posession and another two plays later gave the Stingers a 16-12 lead. Tied at 16 with 6:06 left to play, the Cobras began to press and went ahead by eight in the quarter. The Stingers stuggled from the field, but converting at the line to stay in contention.

Leading by ten headed into the fourtj, the Cobras lead grew to as much as seven in the final period.

Blacks’ putback dunk gave Cobras a 15 point lead, 54-39 midway through the period. Sunland eventually cut lead to ten with three minutes left to play but couldnt pull any closer.

Stingers head coach Jay Phillipe said he was confident his team would be able to regroup headed into this morning’s semifinal against the Rattlers.

Hats off to CC sweeting. They wanted the game a bit more than us and it showed. We didn’t play our best basketball out there and they were very effective, especially their guards, in getting to the basket,” he said, “Sometimes a loss is good but we will build on this. We just need to regroup, we didn’t play skilled basketball. When you get to Kendal Isaacs for this next game it’ll be a different story.”

CI Gibson Rattlers - 90

Prince William Falcons - 68

Approxiamately 90 minutes after they eliminated the Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins, the Falcons were back on the court to play for the

final spot in the semifinal The Rattlers opened the game on an 18-0 against an obviously fatigued Falcons squad who were never able to recover.

The Rattlers led 24-12 after the first and nevr relinquished a double figure lead the rest of the way to reach the semifinals.

Stephon Johnson’s corner three gave the Rattlers a 35-14 with 5:08 to play in the quarter and a Scavella layup made it 41-14.

CI Gibson took a 71-52 lead into the fourth quarter.

Rattlers point guard Stephon Johnson nearly finished with a triple double - 17 points, nine assists and seven stelas. Backcourt mate D’Angelo scored a team high 19 points, whie Bradley Altidor and Asher Scavella both finished with 11 points.

Jefferson Oliver led the Falcons with 24 points, Adam Johnson scored 12 and Frantwoin Newton finished with 13.