Wildcats end Final Four drought

By By Jeff Byrd / sports editor
Feb. 23, 2003
MOBILE, Ala. It's been three long years since the Sumter County Wildcats have advanced to the Alabama High School Final Four Basketball Tournament.
The wait is over.
The Wildcats made the plays with the game hanging in the balance to beat B.B. Comer High of Sylacauga 57-51 for the Class 3A Boys Southwest Regional title at the Mitchell Center on the campus of the University of South Alabama.
The win advances Sumter (25-2) to the 3A Boys Final Four set to begin Wednesday at the Birmingham/Jefferson County Civic Center. B.B. Comer ends its season with a 22-11 record.
Wildcats head coach Johnny Patrick was relieved to be taking another team back to Birmingham.
Two underclassman in junior forward Reaynundo Sturdivant and sophomore point guard Temarris Coleman made sure this Wildcats' senior class would get to Birmingham.
Sturdivant tossed in a game-high 22 points and was named the Southwest Regional's Most Valuable Player.
Coleman, who was plagued with foul problems, came back late in the fourth quarter to score four critical points snapping the game's final tie.
It was Coleman's driving shot off the baseline that broke a 49-point tie, with 2:10 to play.
B.B. Comer missed two chances at getting another draw but missed. Following the rebound, the Wildcats went to the delay which drew a foul sending Coleman to the line.
The sophomore sank both for a 53-49 advantage, with 1:07 to play.
Comer's Cord Robbins, who sank four, three-pointers in the game, fell short on his try for a fifth.
After the two teams missed one-and-one attempts, Coleman split a pair of defenders to find Marko Mitchell for the game-sealing basket, with 15 seconds left.
Coleman finished with 10 points. Fred McCoy had nine, and Mitchell chipped in eight.
Comer came out hot from behind the arc making four treys in the opening quarter to grab a 20-13 lead. Robbins and Chris Wallace each hit a pair.
The lead grew to 29-17 following two free throws from Jeremy Green, with 4:45 left in the second quarter. Sumter County responded with a 15-0 run to close out the half.
Grier thought his team might have had luck on its side when Green banked in a 40-foot shot at the third quarter horn to give Comer a 44-40 lead.
Sumter got two quick baskets to re-tie the game at 44-44. Sturdivant then made two more baskets handing the Wildcats a 48-47 lead with 4:10 to play.
A basket by Comer's Tavarious Winston put his team ahead for the final time at 49-48. A free throw by Fred McCoy tied the game for the last time at 49-all with 2:50 left.
Robbins led Comer with 15 points. Wallace had 12 and Green added nine.