The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Tabernacle Baptist Falcons carried the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic title for senior boys back to Grand Bahama after pulling off a 58-52 victory over the CI Gibson Rattlers.

They clinched it in the final on Monday night at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium as Franco Miller proved why he’s considered the top player in the country, scoring a game high 27 points in the victory.

“I felt like I came out and I played a little bit better than I played in the other games in the tournament,” said Miller, who finished with four rebounds and four steals. “This was one of the toughest games we played in the tournament.

“They weren’t backing down. They fought hard. I’m just thankful that we came out on top.”

Although CI Gibson ran a box-and-one and even double-teamed Miller, the talented forward who followed in the footsteps of his father Franco Miller Sr, who also won the title with the Falcons, said it was all about using his head.

“You just have to play smart, make smart decisions, knowing when to get the ball and when not to get the ball,” he insisted. “This is a mind thing. I was really determined. I wanted to go up by 20 in the fourth quarter.”

Miller came up with a pair of free throws with nine seconds to push the Falcons’ lead to 56-52. Then on a steal, Desmond Butler was fouled and he went to the charity stripes and canned his pair of shots to seal the deal with 0.8 seconds left.

“I feel like we came out a little too sluggish and we kept them in the game too long,” said Butler, the pesky guard, who had five rebounds, four assists and four steals. “But we played hard and we won the game.”

It was the seventh victory for Tabernacle and the first for coach Kevin Clarke, who was a member of the team when they won their first two crowns back-to-back in 1995-96 under coach Norris Bain.

Clarke was also on the bench as an assistant when Bain picked up his second two straight feat in 2009-10. Bain, the most successful coach in the history of the tournament, also win the title in 1998 and again in 2000.

“I’m happy for him,” said Bain as he hugged Clarke during their team celebrations. “Great coaching. He’s the best coach in the Bahamas. That’s my son.”

Clarke accepted the accolades. “I’m happy that my dad is very proud of me,” he responded. “Hey, we’re going to have a hell of time when we get back to Grand Bahama. He does things big. Marco City. Remember that.”

Clarke was referring to the fact that Bain has turned the coaching reigns over him so that he can continue to pursue his dream of being the Member of Parliament for Marco City.

Bain, who had an unsuccessful bid in 2013, has switched from the Free National Movement and has been awarded the candidacy to run for the Progressive Liberal Party in the upcoming general elections.

On the flip side of the coin, CI Gibson’s coach Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson was gracious in defeat, saying they just simply ran out of steam down the stream, coming of playing three grueling games on Sunday to get into the final.

“Tabernacle made some big baskets down the stretch. We made a run for it, but I think the pass that got intercepted, if we had gotten it, we would have had some more momentum,” Johnson stated.

“Tabernacle is a seasoned team. They are very experienced and they knew exactly what they wanted to do,” Johnson stressed. “But we are a young team, so hopefully we will be back next year, ready to give another run at it.”

If they had won, Johnson would have tied Bain for the most championships won in the tournament. He remains in second place with five after winning in 2002, 2004-06 and 2014.

The Rattlers had to play the game without Asher Scavella, who was ruled ineligible for the game after it was discovered that he had previously played four years in the tournament.

That was one of the rules implemented by the organising committee, but it was one that wasn’t properly adhered to after many questioned why a more stern punishment wasn’t meted to the Rattlers, who was involved in a big bench clearing brawl against the Anatol Timberwolves on Saturday night.

• At the end of the tournment, the folllwing individual awards were presented:

Most points scored - Frantwion Newton, Jordan Prince Williams.

Most assists - Dominic Bridgewater, Anatol Rodgers.

Most rebounds - Deon Gibson, Clement Howell.

Most block shots - Deangelo Elise - CR Walker.

Most steals - Saheed Sanusi, Akapheran Academy.

MVP - Franco Miller.

• Named to the All-Tournment team were the following:

Frantwion Newton, Jordan Prince Williams; Dominic Bridgewater, Anatol Rodgers; Deon Gibson, Clement Howell; Deangelo Elise, CR Walker; Saheed Saheed Sanusi, Akepheran Academy; Derrio Saunders, CI Gibson; Brandon Strachan, CC Sweeting; Mateo King, St George’s; Troy Trembley, Doris Johnson; Chosen Levarity, Sunland; Terrance Storr, CI Gibson; Tiarie Pinder, Sir Jack Hayward; Franco Miller, Tabernacle Academy; Triston Isaacs, St John’s College and Trayvarus Bain, Eight Mile Rock.