Prep Notebook

Matchup loses zip as Brandon tires

The showdown between two of the county's best teams fizzles as Tampa Bay Tech wins 62-49.

By ROD GIPSON
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 31, 2003

BRANDON -- When Tampa Bay Tech and Brandon's girls' basketball teams squared off Jan. 23, not only was it a showdown of two eastern Hillsborough County powers. It also was a matchup of two of the best teams in the county.

Coming into the game, the teams had 24 collective wins, two of the area's top two scorers, the area's top rebounder and one of the county's assists leaders. If that wasn't enough potential build up, it was a Class 4A, District 9 contest.

The game, however, didn't live up to its billing as a tired Brandon team ran out of gas on its way to a 62-49 loss to Tech. Playing its third game in three nights, the Eagles fell behind 9-0 and needed another period and a 12-0 run to eventually take a 24-22 lead. But Tech junior forward Chi Chi Okpaleke, who leads the county in scoring with a 19 points per game average, scored 14 of her 33 points in the fourth period as the Titans went on to the 13 point win.

Brandon, meanwhile, was led by Ebani Williams' 22 points. Williams is the number two scorer in the county, averaging 17 points a game, and is the top rebounder with 12 per game. She got Brandon within six points in the fourth period before the Titans pulled away.

Brandon dropped to 9-8 while Tech improved to 16-2.

-- MORE GIRLS BASKETBALL: The 33 points Okpaleke scored was the fourth time in as many games she scored 20 or more points. Okpaleke notched 21 against both Hillsborough and Armwood and had 20 against Plant.

But Okpaleke isn't the only prolific scorer in the area.

Durant's Shay Mackey and Danielle Herndon have each passed the 1,000-point plateau this season. Mackey, a junior, scored 15 points against Haines City to pass 1,000 points in her career. Herndon, a senior, passed the milestone in December during the Keeler Tournament.

-- WRESTLING: Bloomingdale might have struck first but Brandon ruled the rest of the way during their Jan. 25 match. The Bulls (12-4) recorded a win in the 103 pound class when Jordan Readina pinned Brandon's Kenny Keller in 3:39. But with pins by John Santana (119 lbs.), Khalid Andwele (130 lbs.), Tommy Hutchinson (145 lbs.), David Craig (152 lbs.) and Rashard Golf (215 lbs.), Brandon quickly took control and went on to a 59-6 win. The Eagles are 8-0.

-- SCHOLARSHIPS: Softball players Krista Olson and Nikki Henderson have both signed with Manatee Community College. Olson is a right-hander pitcher at Durant and Henderson is an infielder from East Bay. Olson went 8-3 with a 1.65 ERA with the Lady Knights, her under 18-club team. She also batted .426 while Henderson hit .357.