Bucs breeze by Cougars

By JUSTIN DARGAHI
Published December 20, 2006

TAMPA - Host Berkeley Prep wanted to show Durant it could compete with a 6A school.

Not only did the Buccaneers compete, they won in the annual Outback Steakhouse Invitational. The Bucs used a 3-point barrage to seize control and never let up.

Berkeley hit nine 3-pointers in the first half en route to a 73-48 win Tuesday.

Junior Zak Kazanski led the Bucs with a career-high 26 points, including four of the team's nine triples.

"We were able to use our fast break to score some easy points," Kazanski said. "We love fast breaking and we usually score well off it."

Sophomore Austin Sanchez also had four 3-pointers and finished with 16 points. AJ Garden led the Cougars with 15.

The Bucs move on to play Bishop Verot, which beat First Academy 61-50.

Newsome and Land O'Lakes played a different type of game, one that came down to the last second.

The teams went back and forth all game before the Wolves eventually held on for a 56-52 win.

Sophomore Steve Lemasters preserved the win with two key free throws with 25 seconds left.

Neither team led by more than seven points the entire game.

"We have some veterans out there that know how to handle the pressure of a close game," Wolves coach Jon Mackey said,

Dylan Fugate led Newsome with a game-high 23 points. Jerome Harrison scored a team-high 16 for the Gators.

The Wolves next play Providence, which destroyed Bradenton Christian 60-37 in the first game of the day.

[Last modified December 20, 2006, 05:42:59]