Late free throws push West Lauderdale to title

By By Marty Stamper/EMG sports assistant
December 7, 2003
DECATUR Chris Seaphus knocked down a pair of free throws with nine seconds left and Kolin Boyd picked off a Newton County pass with three seconds remaining as West Lauderdale won the East Central Classic with a 44-43 victory over the Cougars Saturday night.
Seaphus finished with 16 points in earning tournament Most Valuable Player honors in the 12-school event at East Central Community College.
"We missed 12 (free throws) all night, but we made our last four, so I guess that's all that counts," West coach Duran Clark said of the clutch shooting at the end. "The guys put up a good effort.
"For some reason, they felt disrespected being seeded No. 3, which I thought might have been a little high. They wanted it and they took it. I'm just proud of them."
Newton County led 12-6 after one quarter only to have the Knights take a 23-22 lead into halftime.
The Cougars reclaimed the lead at 30-29 by the end of the third quarter.
In the final period, the teams swapped leads seven times and were tied on seven other occasions.
West, 10-2, also got 12 points from Boyd, seven from Daniel Huggins, and six from Lee Nelson.
Newton County, 6-2, got 18 points from Ricardo Alcanter, 10 from Craig Pruitt, nine from James Broach, and six from Jose Alcanter.
Southeast Lauderdale girls 80
Newton 53
Southeast improved to 11-0 in winning the girls' championship, although neither head coach was around for the finish.
Southeast's Joe Miller got his second technical foul with 6:08 to go in the second quarter with Southeast up 20-15. His team scored 16 of the next 21 points to carry a 36-20 lead into halftime.
Newton's Crandal Porter got two technicals in a 30-second span early in the second half to take an early exit. He left the game with Newton trailing 41-20 with 6:35 remaining in the third quarter.
Tournament MVP Stacy Tate led Southeast with 22 points. Shalonda Mitchell scored 18, Ebony Moore had 16, and Tiawana Pringle added 12.
"The kids played well," Miller said. "We've played well since the start of the season. Newton plays a real tough man (defense) and that's the kind of game we needed to play and my girls responded well.
"It's the first time in 14 years I've ever been tossed. I hate it and shouldn't have done it, but the kids responded well.
"Ryan (Miller) knows everything we're doing and he came in and did a good job."
Newton, 7-3, got 16 points from Chotsani Henderson, 11 from Whitney Thames, and 10 from Karmarshea Jones.
Morton boys 50
Southeast Lauderdale 46
Morton used a 29-17 second half advantage to knock off Southeast in the boys' third-place game.
Clinging to a slim 47-46 lead, the Panthers got two free throws from Chris Lloyd with 38.7 seconds left and another from J.D. Ficklin with 19.1 seconds remaining to hold off the Tigers.
Southeast led 29-21 at halftime.
Lloyd led Morton, 4-3, with 19 points. Shay Hodge scored 11 and Randy Bourque had eight.
Chris Gordon led Southeast, 5-6, with 18 points. Lamar Crowell scored 13 and Windham Campbell added six.
Newton boys 50
Forest 40
In a replacement contest for the girls' third-place game, Newton outscored Forest 31-22 in the second half to give the 4-2 Bearcats their second loss in the tournament.
Cornelius Caraway led Newton, 4-5, with 18 points. Kolby Tillman scored 14 for the Tigers with D'Artagan Dawkins adding seven.
Vanario Youngblood led Forest with seven points.
Enterprise girls 53
Morton 52
Enterprise outscored Morton 36-27 in the second half to take the consolation bracket finals game.
The 5-4 Lady Bulldogs got 17 points from Jessica Gray and 16 from Kaccy Jimmerson.
Morton, which led 25-17 at halftime, got 13 points from Jessica McLin and 12 from Kenosha Bowie.
Scott Central boys 64
Union 47
The Rebels jumped out to a 37-23 halftime lead in taking the consolation bracket finals win.
Pierre Barlow led Scott Central with 32 points. Dakari Murray tossed in 14 and Eddie Patrick had 13.
Union, 1-5, got 13 points from Anthony Johnson.
Northeast Lauderdale girls
West Lauderdale
The Lady Trojans and Lady Knights declined the opportunity to play for third place in the girls' division.