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ST. PETERSBURG - The directors of the Hooters Holiday Shootout pride themselves on their field, luring some of the better teams from throughout the country.
After Day 1 of this year's event, it was almost all they had left.
East Lake, Gibbs and Boca Ciega lost by 39, 31 and 25 points, respectively, and only Lakewood's victory against Orlando Cypress Creek prevented Pinellas County's contingent from getting swept.
Brandon also won, so the bay area has two teams left. Lakewood was the last local winner, in 1999.
Gibbs capped the first day with a 64-33 loss against Wheaton (Md.) Good Counsel. If the local teams were beat up Friday, then Walter Brady prevented them from being kicked when down by scoring at the buzzer to prevent his Gladiators from being shut out in the night's final quarter.
Good Counsel, led by Louisville signee James Gist, scored 21 consecutive points until Brady's lay-in ended a 10-minute drought.
Gibbs was just one of many teams routed on the opening day. Louisville Pleasure Ridge Park beat Bradenton Pendleton Academy 68-67, but the next closest game was 14 points, and five of the day's eight winners did so by 20 or more points.
LAKEWOOD 73, CYPRESS CREEK 52: It wasn't pretty, but coach Dan Wright didn't seem to mind the halted play, lack of rhythm and uneven play of the Spartans and Bears.
"That's the way we kind of like to play," he said.
Lakewood stayed unbeaten this season by harrying the Bears into 25 turnovers and outscoring them 26-7 from the free-throw line.
The Spartans (6-0) looked all game for the big run for which they are known and got it to end the first half. Behind 7-for-8 free-throw shooting, they outscored the Bears 11-2 to end the half, breaking open a 24-all contest. Sean Morrison, who scored a game-high 25, had three free throws and two baskets in the burst.
"I think the one run there in the second quarter was the key," Wright said. "We still have a pretty young group trying to learn the system. And when we found out we could press them there, I think (we took advantage)."
Though trailing 35-26 at the half, Cypress Creek wouldn't go away. They pulled within six twice but were foiled by bad free-throw shooting, making just 7 of 24.
With his team behind 44-36 midway through the third, the Bears' Jammie Kirlew was fouled, and a technical was called on Morrison, giving Cypress Creek a potential six-point play. But it converted just two free throws, and Lakewood scored the next six points.
Lakewood plays Manchester (N.H.) Trinity, a 64-47 winner against South Miami, at 8:30 p.m. today.
FORT MYERS 85, BOCA CIEGA 60: Enoris Sly got an autograph request for his efforts but not a victory.
The Bogie junior guard scored 34 points, 32 in the first three quarters before tiring, but the Pirates were overpowered by the Green Wave.
Fort Myers returns only one player from last season's Class 5A state semifinalists, but 6-foot-8 center Robinson Louisme was more than enough to handle the small Pirates. Dominating inside and scoring at will, Louisme had 19 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots.
Fort Myers outscored Bogie 23-8 in the second quarter to seize control, including a 17-2 spurt to end the half. Bogie made just 2 of 19 shots in the quarter and 8 of 36 in the first half, after which the Pirates trailed 38-22.
Sly scored 18 of Bogie's 22 first-half points, including the first 10. After consecutive baskets by Marquris Curry to end the first quarter, Sly scored all eight of Bogie's second-quarter points and the first three of the second half.
A layup by Sly cut the Fort Myers lead to 38-28 early in the third, but the Green Wave responded with their second straight 17-2 run to finish off the Pirates.
Curry added 10 points for Bogie, and Mike Culbreth had nine, all in the second half.
Bogie plays East Lake in the loser's bracket at noon today.