Sumter headed to Final Four
By By Tony Krausz
assistant sports editor
The Sumter County boys basketball team, which is ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, punched its ticket to the Final Four in Birmingham with a 54-51 win over Francis Marion to win the AHSAA Southwest Regional Championship on Saturday.
The Wildcats of York, Ala, moved to 29-2 on the season with the win over Francis Marion (22-10).
Temoriss Coleman lead Sumter County's offense with 13 points and five rebounds, and Jamie Sturdivant, who was named to the All-Tournament team, scored 12.
Wildcats forward Marko Mitchell, who was named the tournament's MVP, tallied 12 points and grabbed five rebounds.
Julius Allgood scored 17 points for Francis Marion, and Kelvin Curry tallied 12. Jeremy Arrington added 11 points.
Sturdivant sank a pair of free throws with 16 seconds left in the game to give Sumter County a three-point lead, as the Wildcats held off a late-game rally by Francis Marion.
The Wildcats entered the final quarter holding a 39-30 advantage, and Francis Marion posted 21 points to Sumter County's 15 in the game's final eight minutes.
Livingston (boys) 73
Choctaw County 52
Livingston won the battle of Tigers in the Class 4A Southwest finals against Choctaw County on Saturday at the University of South Alabama.
Livingston, which improved its season record to 20-12, will play in the 4A Final Four in Birmingham, and Choctaw County finished its season with a 24-8 record.
Corey Speights, the tournament's MVP, tallied 33 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Livingston.
Livingston center Roland Finch, who was named to the All-Tournament team, posted a double-double scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, and Derrick Harris added 13.
Choctaw County's Hasim Dixon, who was named the All-Tournament team, was limited to nine points in the Regional championship game.
Deon President scored a team-high 14 points for Choctaw County, and Clinton Thomas added 11.
T.R. Miller (girls) 33
Sumter County 22
The Sumter County girls' basketball team finished its season with a 16-9 mark, after falling to T.R. Miller in the Class 3A Southwest finals on Saturday.
The Lady Wildcats' Felicia Drummond and Jessica Delaine, who were both named to the All-Tournament team, were held to a combined four points, as Sumter County tallied just 12 points in the first three quarters.
Endya Burton scored a team-high eight points for Sumter County, and Rekina Crawford scored four and pulled down 13 rebounds.
T.R. Miller's Ashley Samuel, the tournament's MVP, scored a game-high 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for a double-double, and Jasmine Samford added 10.
Joy McCorvey, who was named to the All-Tournament team, scored four points and had seven rebounds for T.R. Miller, which advanced to the 3A Final Four in Birmingham, Ala.
Philadelphia (girls) 48
St. Andrews 32
The Philadelphia girls' basketball team qualified for the Class 2A State tournament with a win over St. Andrews in the South State consolation game.
Dominetrix and Shanese Hunter each scored eight points for Philadelphia.
Heidelberg (boys) 81
Bassfield 49
The Heidelberg boys' basketball team earned a spot in the big house with a victory over Bassfield in the Class 2A South State consolation game on Saturday.
Jordan Payne tallied a team-high 24 points for Heidelberg, and Jujuan Williams added 17. Travis Stevens scored 14 points for Heidelberg, and Andre Stevens notched 12.
