photos by Charlie McDonald (charlie.mcdonald@surewestsports.com)
by Mike Finnerty (mike.finnerty@surewestsports.com)
With the 5th annual Common Good Classic basketball showcase back at Antelope High School for the second straight year, there was no better way to end the 10-game, two-day event than with a Monday match up between No. 11 Center and No. 5 Antelope.
These two Antelope schools are just 2.6 miles apart, so the game was more about bragging rights, and with a 60-46 Antelope victory, those rights now belong to the Titans.
"Great atmosphere, at a great event. It was unbelievable to see a game this early in January sold out. Packed house. Two great rivalries, two great programs. We're up and coming and Center has had a great run these last few years with Ray (Center head coach Ray Gagnon), so we knew it was going to be a battle."
In front of a near capacity crowd that had playoff atmosphere written all over it, Center held a lead for most the first half until Antelope caught fire with a 16-2 run that took the score from 16-11 Center to 27-18 Antelope with 3:20 left to play in the half.
After the big first half run, the Titans never relinquished the lead, but Center didn't go away quietly. The Cougars trimmed the margin to 29-28 by halftime, and then later in the fourth getting to as close as six at 47-41 midway through the quarter.
Each time Center looked to get back in the game, Gabe Bealer (20 points), Jarvis Watkins (16 points), or Isaiah Ellis would hit a big shot to stem the run.
"It was tight throughout the first half, Chris Smith (of Center) shooting incredibly well. My big guys inside helped keep us in the game with some good offensive board with Isaiah and Gabe, and then we just kind of started doing our thing in the second half. Hitting our shots, working inside out, and stepping up the defense and really just trying to put the locks down on what they were doing and just gradually chipping away and build that lead up to to where we finished it off and close it out."
In the fourth, Antelope outscored Center 16-9 highlighted by an early three by Watkins, inside scoring from Ellis and Kei'Shaun Sinclair, and a thunderous two hand jam by Ellis with under a minute to play that brought the crowd to their feet for a 13-point advantage.
"We thought this was a great atmosphere, especially for our new guys coming up from JV that weren't with us in that run last year," said Richards. "Just to kind of get an idea of what playoff atmosphere is like. We needed our younger guys to get a little bit of that experience."
For the junior Bealer, the big stage was something new.
"At the beginning I was a little nervous, I started out a little slow, but as the game progressed I started hitting some shots and playing my game."
As for Watkins, the veteran three-year varsity standout for the Titans, he new this was the type of game his team needed.
"It was a good win for us," said Watkins. "We hadn't really been pushed since the Franklin game 10 days ago, so this was a really good game for us to kind of come down to the wire in the third and fourth quarter. Our chemistry is really good on the court, and I just love playing with these guys. I feel like this is really a good year where we can make a run for State."