Ross Leads Lions With 25; Sturdivant Paces Panthers With 29
by John Hunt
posted November 20, 2008
The prep basketball is still young and most teams are still playing Hall of Fame games to benefit the TSSAA, but the contest at Red Bank’s Susan Ingram Thurman Gymnasium Thursday night between the Brainerd Panthers and host Lions was anything but an early-season battle.
These two teams won’t meet again this year, although they will do battle in the same district next year.
If Thursday’s game is any indication, there will be some classics in the coming years.
Red Bank won for the second time this week, but the Lions had to endure a four-minute overtime before capturing the 66-60 win.
There was a whole lot of energy and plenty of intensity, but both teams made the early-season mistakes as new players get used to each other as they try to find their rhythm.
While there were plenty of silly unforced errors, there were also some highlight material as two teams that are generally better than most battled their hearts out.
The two teams combined for eight 3-pointers and five came during the first quarter as Red Bank raced to a 17-15 lead at the first break.
The Lions extended that lead to 32-26 by intermission.
Brainerd came out firing in the third quarter and scored 10 of the first 12 points to regain the advantage at 36-34 with 2:40 showing on a putback by Spencer Davis.
Red Bank quickly scored five points to go back up, 39-36, before Fred Sturdivant scored four of his game-high 29 points to put the Panthers on top by 40-39 with one quarter remaining.
There were five lead changes in the final stanza as both teams had plenty of chances to take control.
Red Bank hit four of six free throws in the last minute to regain the advantage at 53-50 with 8.9 seconds to play.
Brainerd had the last possession and it seemed like forever before the play materialized, but Anthony Broome hit a long three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
Sturdivant made a three-point play the old-fashioned way with 2:16 left in the extra period to give Brainerd a 58-56 lead, but the Lions scored 10 of the next 12 points to win going away.
Brainerd coach Robert High has been in this business a long time.
He has a young team that will be a force to be reckoned with before all is said and done.
He knew a game with a team like Red Bank would be beneficial for his kids and that’s why he put it on the schedule.
“I’m pleased in spurts, but we have to learn how to take care of the ball when the game is on the line," he said after exiting the Brainerd dressing room.
"We haven’t learned how to finish a game yet. We had the lead and the ball in our hands, but we threw away at least four balls down the stretch,” he said afterward.
“I know that I saw the prettiest shot I’ve ever seen at the end of regulation,” he praised Broome’s last-second heroics.
“We’re young, but this was a good learning experience for us. We’ll eventually grow up, but a game like this will help us on down the road,” High concluded.
Red Bank coach John Cherne had feelings similar to High.
“For a Hall of Fame game that really doesn’t count, it was a phenomenal battle. We still struggled some offensively, but Brainerd’s defense was tenacious. It was a great game to be so early in the season,” he added.
Sturdivant led all scorers with 29 points. He also grabbed 16 rebounds and he blocked six shots.
Davis was Brainerd’s only other player in double figures as he finished with 21.
Nick Ross, who keyed Red Bank’s effort down the final stretch with five of the final seven points, finished with 25 to lead the Lions.
Aaron Wise added 10 for the winners while Bradley Britt finished with nine.
Both teams will be involved in tournaments next week with Red Bank going to Greeneville for the Land Air Classic.
The Panthers will take their annual trip to the Bahamas for a tournament in Freeport.
Brainerd 15 11 14 13 7 -- 60
Red Bank 17 15 7 14 13 -- 66
BRAINERD (60) – Sales, Broome 6, Spencer Davis 21, Williams 4, Fred Sturdivant 29, Hughley, Bennett.
RED BANK (66) – Nick Ross 25, Appleberry 5, C. Davis, A. Davis 4, Clay 6, Britt 9, Crowder 7, Aaron Wise 10, Hicks.
3-POINT GOALS: Brainerd 4 (Broome 2, Davis 2); Red Bank 4 (Ross 3, Britt).
(Email John Hunt at tnmoose2002@aol.com)
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