Crusaders' shot falls right way

By MIKE CAMUNAS, Times Correspondent
Published December 28, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - It was a good thing Frank Teague made his last shot.

With the game winding down on Keswick Christian's 50-47 win against Clearwater Central Catholic at the Keswick Suncoast Classic on Thursday night, the Crusaders were trying to run out the clock and avoid taking a shot.

"We told the kids, 'No shots. No shots. No shots, unless it's a wide open one,' " Keswick coach Jack Skipper said. "(Teague) was able to get in front of his guy, and sometimes kids get excited and can overshoot, but it sure is great that it worked out the way it did."

Teague made the wide-open basket - his only bucket - to put the Crusaders (4-6) up 50-44, but an offensive foul by Tanner Wozniak on Taylor Zak gave CCC a three-point play to put them down by three.

However, the Marauders (6-3) never got a chance at a last-second shot, turning the ball over on their last possession.

"It's not so much as revenge as getting a win," Skipper said. "We've lost a few in a row, and when we lost to them (43-34 Dec. 6) we didn't have two of our starters, so we knew tonight would be different."

CCC's Paul Freedman had a game-high 16 points, going 7-of-10 inside the paint, and Zack Olsen and Phil Whitley added 12 and 10, respectively. Guard Tarvin Joness led Keswick with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting and Wozniak put up 11, including three 3-pointers.

As for the Keswick girls, they dominated the CCC girls 64-19, as most of the second half had a running clock.

Keswick (11-3) rolled from the start, holding the Marauders (2-10) to two points in the first and nine in the half. CCC was a dismal 6-of-37 on field-goal shooting in the game.

In earlier boys action, Providence Christian beat Nicholson 65-52, Ransom Everglades topped Assumption Catholic 37-33 and Tampa Prep routed Mount Dora Bible 89-41.

For the girls, Providence Christian downed Nicholson 43-36, Seminole beat Shorecrest Prep 45-28 and Countryside squeaked past Mouth Dora Bible 53-51.

[Last modified December 28, 2007, 00:58:25]