By FRANCIS FEDOR
Singray basketball fought through injuries and illnesses to get back-to-back wins on the road. The week started with a Monday, Jan. 20, heartbreaking loss to Venice, 76-72, as part of a two-game Booker High MLK Showcase in Sarasota. The ’Rays rebounded with a key 73-47 win at Hillsborough on Wednesday, Jan. 22, and stayed on the road to defeat Robinson 60-55 on Friday, Jan. 24. The back-to-back wins are a confidence builder for a team that has lost two prominent players as the season winds down .
Sumner used a big first quarter in the Hillsborough win to create a comfortable 40-21 halftime advantage. The Terriers offered little resistance the rest of the way, and the ’Rays cruised to the win. Stingray senior Karsten Walker, who is counted on more than ever, led the scoring with 21 points. Bennard Anson added 17 key points for the victors and has added a strong defense into the mix.
The team then traveled to Robinson with momentum and again took an early lead, taking a 41-25 lead to the locker room for halftime. The Knights rallied in the second half, but the Stingrays weathered the surge and gutted out the second consecutive victory. Walker again was the leading scorer with 23 points, and Christian Kendrick scored 13 for the night. Walker has been a key contributor all season and continues to provide the necessary leadership down the stretch. Coach Gaddis credits his bench strength for stepping in and providing the pivotal scoring in the two-game winning streak.
The ’Rays will have played 1-17 Middleton on Tuesday, Jan. 27, looking to win their third in a row as they enter into a western conference set of games, which has no impact on the district standings and can be described as a season ending tournament prior to district playoffs. The Stingrays will play against 8-15 Alonso on Wednesday night at Middleton HS and face 15-8 Sickles on Thursday night at Sickles HS. The mini-set of games will hold finals on Friday, Jan. 31, with the higher seed hosting a championship game and a consolation game being played that same night.
The Sumner girl’s basketball team, currently 13-9 and 2-1 in the district, lost a couple of road heartbreakers. First, the ’Rays traveled to 17-3 Riverview Sarasota (#48 in the state) and played a very competitive game, but the Rams took the win, 63-56. Sumner stayed on the road and traveled to Palm Harbor to play the 11-6 Hurricanes and again played a tight game, only to lose 51-43. The girls, like the boys, have had a rough schedule down the stretch, playing five straight road games. They finished their week on a high note with a big win at Robinson 69-54. They will also have played in the western conference set of games, opening again on the road at Chamberlain HS and hosted the next night, Wednesday, Jan. 29, playing Tampa Bay Tech. The championship game will be held on Friday, Jan. 31, like the boys, at the higher seed with a consolation game following.
For more South Shore action, look for Steve Jackson’s write-up covering the other South Shore HS games.
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