College Basketball


Chipola set to open conference schedule

 BY DUSTIN KENT schedule where we play more get beat and you see that you're Franklin said. "They've got a very sence, however, topping 20
 dkent@jcflondan.com games that are like Panhandle vulnerable. I think it helped us as good point guard and they'll be points in four of the five games
 After powering through a Conference games early to go much as playing all of the tough- solid in terms of handling pres- and averaging 18.6 points 9.6
tough non-conference schedule out and compete against some er teams in the country." sure, and they've got a good big rebounds and shooting 63.7 per-
with only one slip-up, the No. 5 people that are just as good as Whether Pensacola State (9-7) kid. We're probably going to.at- cent from the field.
Chipola Lady Indians are set to or maybe even better than some can present a similar challenge tack them and make them speed With Wright's ascension as a
begin Panhandle Conference of the teams in our league. That remains to be seen, but the Lady the game up. I think that would scorer and the return of Akha-
 play Saturday was done by design and it will Pirates have been up and down be a weapon we would have in tor, -the Lady Indians could now
 when they be worth it as far as the kids be- so far this season, starting out terms of making the game fast. possess'the most dynamic post
 head west to ing able to have that feel and not 7-3 before twb-point losses to "We'll press and trap them, presence in the country.
 face the Pen- be shocked to step up against Shelton State, Central Florida, make them handle our pressure "I think it probably helps me
 sacola State a very formidable opponent." and Palm Beach State sent them and try to make it a high-posses- as a coach," Franklin said. "I see
 Lady Pirates. Among the biggest challenges of into something of a tailspin. sion game. I don't think they'll more now of what Brianna can
 Chipola(16- the non-conference schedule in- But the Lady Pirates have a for- want to get out and run with us, do instead of us always deferring
1) started the season winning 11 dlude wins over No. 1 TrinityVal- midable 1-2 punch in 5-foot-8 so we'll see if we can impose our to Evelyn. Now we've got two
straight before suffering a 58-55 ley, No. 17 Florida'State College .sophomore guard Teadra Jones athleticism on them." people who can play both sides
lqss to St. Petersburg on Dec. 7 at Jacksonville, and No. 13 Palm and 6-foot freshman power for- That will be a lot easier for the of the block and that's tough to
in Ocala, but the Lady Indians Beach State, as well as tradition- wardTyishaMoorethatiscombin- Lady Indians after getting closer guard. Brianna really found her
have since won five straight by al power Odessa and top 10 state ing to average 28.3 points and 13.1 to full strength with the return of scoring niche inside, so we're
an average margin of 32.2 points team Santa Fe. rebounds per game this season. leading scorer, rebounder, and really going to pound that thing
per game and appear locked and But it's the loss to No. 23 St. Pensacola State's losses have shot blocker Evelyn Akhator, inside when we set up our half-
loaded to begin a run at a Pan- Petersburg that Franklin said de- mostly come to good teams, who missed the last five games court offense."
handle title. livered the most useful lesson for with the seven teams who have .with a knee injury after posting Chipola will still be without
 "I think we've done every- his team going into league play. beaten the Lady Pirates amass- averages of 14.6 points, 12.4 re- suspended point guard Dia-
thing we can possibly do to get "You always sayyouhate to lose ing a combined record of 75-28. bounds, and 2.4 blocks through monisha Sophus, whose status
ourselves prepared for this," a game, but I think that loss prob- "They're a very good basket- her first 12 games. Franklin termed "day to day," as
Chipola coach Greg Franklin ably opened some things up for ball team and they're going to be Sophomore Brianna Wright, well as wing player Sue Key who
said Tuesday. "We really tried to us," he said. "You know you can very competitive in the league," stepped up big-time in her ab- is out sick.


 College Fbotball
 PREP BASETiBTLL
 PREP R Sooners


 not scared


 of Tide
 The Associated Press
 NORMAN, Okla. Gabe
 Lynn understands if Oklahoma
 is considered an overwhelm-
 ing underdog in the Sugar Bowl
 against Alabama.
 SJust don't expect the senior
 COMING safety to react
 with such un-
 derstanding
 Malone's Aon Bailey Check out the when asked
 Malone's Aonz Bailey Friday edition of if the No. 11
 dribbles by a Dothan theFloridanfor Sooners are
 defender during the the Floridan for Sooners are
 .owntown Dothan l iei h coverage of the "scared" ofthe
 ntown Dotha Sugar Bowl.
 Hoops Classic champi- SugarBowl. Crimson Tide
 onship game Tuesday a question
 night in Dothan. several teammates have been
 DANNYTINDELL/OTHAN EAGLE ali-e . .. peppered with since the bowl
 selections were announced Dec.

 "Nobody's asked me that, but
 (they've) kind of talked about
 how they're such a great team
 UNIDONE IN OVERTIME or whatever (and) how we can't
 play with them," Lynn said. "I've
 heard stuff like that, but I haven't
Dothan takes down Malone for tournament title, heard anything like, 'We're
 scared of them.' Because we're
 BY DAVID MoUNDEE play." onds left, sending him to the line. definitely not scared of them."
 dmundee@dothaneagle.com. The No. 4 Welch referred to was Lind- "We wanted to get the ball up high Oklahoma (10-2), a 16-point
 Tyrez Lindsey kept Dothan alive with sey, who kept Dothan alive on the final (above the key) and into his hands," underdog, will have its chance
a buzzer-beating layup to force over- play of regulation. Welch said. "We love for him or Chai to prove worthy of a BCS bowl
time and the Tigers' defense against a Malone's Antwain Johnson had just or Alonze Bailey tohhave it and create. selection on Thursday night
foul-plagued Malone squad took over made the last of a two-shot free throw I just leave it up to him. He has to read when it takes bn third-ranked
from there. opportunity with 6.3 seconds left to put the defense. He pulled up and shot the Alabama (11-1).
 The Tigers allowed only two points in the Tigers from Florida up 62-60. three the time before then the next time The game carries with it plenty
the four-minute extra period and made Dothan quickly inbounded to Jordan he drove it." of intrigue simply because of the
enough free throws to take a 69-64 Small, who raced up court and passed Johnson hit both free throws to put presence of the Crimson Tide
win over Malone in the championship to Lindsey after getting past half court. Malone up two, but Dothan's Lindsey winners of three of the last
game of the Eighth Annual Downtown Lindsey, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, then delivered at the other end to force four national: championships
Dothan Hoops Classic Tuesday night at drove to the lane and scored a layup as overtime. and the premier program in col-
the Dothan Civic Center. the horn sounded, tying the game at 62 Dothan led throughout the overtime, lege football since cfach Nick
 It was Dothan's second straight Hoops and forcing overtime, scoring the opening basket on a jumper Saban's arrival in 2007.
Classic title. Dothan's Brown said the game-ty- in the lane by Kevin Morris on the first The might of Alabama, how-
 "It feels good," Dothan head coach ing play wasn't anything special or de- play. It would be Dothan's only basket ever,' is far from the only story
Emanuel Brown said. "I am proud of signed for any one player. of the four-minute period. line.
the fact that we had a tougher road to "We had all five guards in the game The Tigers extended the margin to 67- Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops
get here than any other year we have and we. told them (at the timeout be- 62 as Morris made 1-of-2 free throws made sure of:that as far back as
won it. tween free throws) when you get it, just and Tyson Williams 2-of-4 free throws. last spring when he challenged
 "Dale County gave us all we could go and attack the basket and hopefully, Malone's Bailey scored on a drive in the notion that the Southeast-
handle that first night. Chipley has two something good will happen," Brown the lane with 31.4 left, cutting it to 67- ern Conference which has
Division-I' prospects and some guys said, adding he expected Malone to 64, but Williams hit two free throws fielded the last seven national
who can light it up. Daleville is so ath- press after the free throw. with 29.3 seconds left. champions -- is the most com-
letic and they came at us and tonight "I commend Tyrez for wanting the Malone, looking for a three, couldn't plete league in the country.
Malone has a great team, a great coach, ball inthat situation. He had a tough get one off against a tough Dothan de-' Stoops called some of the
just a great program. game last night and I guess he wanted fense,. losing 16 seconds of valuable stories about SEC supremacy
 "But my guys stayed tough. The most to redeem himself. He went and got the time off the clock before a jump ball "propaganda." He followed that
important thing is we grew up. We are ball and took the ball and drove in for situation with 13.1 seconds left. by taking a jab at SEC defenses
so young and inexperienced, but this the layup." On the ensuing play, Williams stole this season, all of which made
week helped us as far as growing up. In Malone's Welch, who called a timeout the ball, ending any Malone comeback for quality radio and Internet
the overtime, the guys dug in and made after Johnson hit the first free throw, hopes. material.
some key stops and made some key said he instructed his players not to give Williams led Dothan with 13 points. The winningest coach in Okla-
free throws." up a layup on a final play, but the Tigers Neal, the tournament's Adam Deese homa history, having surpassed
 Dothan improved to 12-4 and takes couldn't deliver on the instructions. Sixth Man Award winner, and Morris former Sooners coach Barry
the momentum of the tournament title "We reminded the kids to not give both had 11 points. Switzer this season, has wanted
into a showdown at city rival Northview up a layup, to make sure you tie them Baker paced Malone with 21 points, little to do with the SECstoryline
on Friday. up and make them make free throws," but failed to score after the third quar- leading to Thursday's game. The
 Malone fell to 15-3 and lost in the Welch said. "Then we gave up a layup. ter and fouled out with 5:07 to go in the closest he's come to providing
championship for the second time in It was a lack of execution there." fourth quarter. clarity on his earlier comments
three years. The Tigers from Florida It appeared that Malone's Johnson Bailey followed with 13 points and about the conference was to say
were plagued by fouls, finishing with 31 would be the hero. The junior struggled Johnson had 11. he was talking about the lack
for the game. Five of the top six Malone shooting all night, but hit a 3-pointer at Dothan's Williams, Neal and Chris of quality teams in the league's
players, including Oregon State signee the top of the key off a screen with 42 Graham were named to the all-tourna- bottom half -- not teams like
Chai Baker, fouled out. seconds left to tie the game at 60. After ment team along with Malone's Baker Alabama.
"We had three starters on the bench a missed 3-pointer by Dothan's Jordan and Johnson. "There's always a lot of talk
and it is kind of tough to get anything Neal, Johnson grabbed the rebound, Also earning all-tournament honors because newspapers have to
manufactured," Malone head- coach giving Malone a chance for the win. were Barbour County's Brion Patrick, be filled and airtime has to be
Steven Welch said, referring to the Once in the half court set, Malone Houston County's Rayshon Kennedy, filled," Stoops said. "You have to
overtime. "I thought the guys played gave it to Johnson and went to the same Abbeville's Tre Grimsley, Chipley's Trent talk about something. We don't
hard. We were up two and had a chance play as the previous one, but this time; Forrest, Daleville's Robert McGirt and concern ourselves with it, really.
(to win it) if we get a stop. We were one he went drove around the screen down Eufaula's Jaylin Robinson and Marcellas That's their job to do. Our job is
stop away from winning it, but hat's the lane. As he went up for shot, he was Butler, who also won the tournament's to get ready to play and to do the
off to Dothan. No. 4 made a heck of a hammered to the ground with 6.3 sec- 3-point shootout. work we do." L

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