By FRANCIS FEDOR
Sumner entered the holiday season with a 62-60 victory over the 6-6 Winthrop College Prep Academy on Friday, Dec. 20. The Stingrays traveled a few miles up 301 to face Winthrop Prep for the first meeting between the two programs. The Spartans and the Stingrays both opened in 2020 in Riverview. The first meeting between the two teams was a classic, and a late Winthrop run threatened to send the game into an extra period. But the run fell just short. The ’Rays ran out to an early 6-2 run only to see the Spartans battle back to take a 14-12 lead, but Sumner finished the first quarter up 19-14. The second quarter was again a back-and-forth battle for the lead with the Stingrays taking a 34-31 halftime lead to the locker room.
Francis Fedor Photos
Stingray Anthony Bailey skies to the hoop with Winthrop freshman Jaydon Shannon, looking for the block, in a 62-60 win.
Stingray Devin Houston and Spartan Tomi Akingboye battle for the ball on a rebound in game action at Winthrop on Dec. 20
The Spartans got back to even at 44 late in the third, but Sumner extended out to a 58-50 lead at the 4:38 mark and held off the Spartans to emerge with the victory. As has been the case numerous times this season, Karsten Walker led the ’Rays with 15 points. Anson contributed 12 in the win. Winthrop started the season with five straight wins, including a win over East Bay but has since lost a number of close games.
Stingray Immanuel Kelly looks for options as Spartan TJ Worthy runs interference.
Sumner players Bennard Anson and Devin Houston get their hands on the ball to block TJ Worthy from getting off a clean shot.
The ’Rays returned after Christmas to play in the Nature Coast Holiday Tournament, held in Brooksville, FL. Sumner drew undefeated Clearwater (ranked #11 in 5A) for its first game. The Stingrays had already given Plant City its first loss of the season back on Dec. 10 in a 74-63 win in the Tank. The ’Rays have been rising to the occasion all season, and the Tornadoes were next up to challenge Sumner. And again, the Stingrays stayed with the Tornados, setting up back-to-back exciting finishes, and Anthony Bailey drained a final second shot in the lane to give Clearwater its first defeat. Bailey and Devin Baker each scored 10 points, and Karsten Walker led all Stingray scorers with 18, including four 3-point baskets to advance to a semifinal game against another undefeated challenger, the 7-0 Norwayne Bobcats from Crescent, Ohio. The Stingrays saw their run end against the Bobcats in the second-round game. Norwayne used a 19-5 second quarter burst to put distance between them and the ’Rays to close the first half with the 32-15 lead. Sumner cut into the lead with its own rally, winning the third quarter 19-12, but the Bobcats scored 26 in the final frame to close out the victory and remain undefeated. Coach Gaddis commented that facing the undefeated teams is a boost to the team’s strength of schedule, factoring into future playoff seeding.
Sumner senior Devin Baker goes around Winthrop’s Kai Brookins to move the ball up court in a Dec. 20 win over the nearby Spartans.
The Stingrays closed the tournament on Saturday, Dec. 28, playing against another Clearwater high school with a 79-55 loss to Calvary Christian to finish in fourth place. Christian Kendrick was named to the All-Tournament team for Sumner. The Stingrays have bounced back after tough losses, running off four-game win streaks after losses to East Bay and Gaither and will look to do the same when play resumes. Sumner returns home to face Newsome, another undefeated opponent at 12-0, and Plant on back-to-back nights on Dec. 7 and 8 before traveling to Bloomindale to finish out the week.
For more South Shore action, look for Stephen Jackson’s writeup, covering the other South Shore HS games.
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