By FRANCIS FEDOR
Sumner lost a tough game on the road, 69-66, vs the Chamberlain Storm on Jan. 20; it needed an extra period for the game to be decided. Down a number of players to injury or illness, the Rays faced a challenge for the game, which featured a battle of teams separated by only two games in overall record, with the Stingrays coming in at 13-7 and the Storm coming in at 11-9. Sumner led after one, but the teams went to the locker rooms deadlocked at 27. Chamberlain jumped out to a seven-point third quarter lead, but the Rays rallied back to send the game into OT. It marked the first back-to-back losses for the Stingrays since early December, when they lost in OT against the Jesuit Tigers and then, again, two days later, on Dec. 5, on the road at Newsome. Stingray junior Karson Coleman had a huge game with 26 points and pulled down six rebounds.
Stingray Girls Basketball recognized its senior class of 2026, from L-to-R, London Arthur, Camryn Jeter, Hazuki Sykes and Mariah Farmer.
Stingray Evan Neighbors signals an out-of-bounds on the Hawks in home action vs. Armwood on Jan. 23.
Other Tuesday action included Spoto’s picking up a 52-37 win over Alonso in Gibsonton. East Bay lost at home, 60-51, to Armwood. The Morgan Mustangs ended a four-game losing streak with a 73-66 home win over the 3-15 Hillsborough Terriers. The 73-point night is the Mustangs second highest point total, eclipsed only by an 81-point outburst at Jefferson way back on Nov. 19. Mustang Raiden Burke scored 20 in the win. Riverview scored a 65-40 win at home over the Brandon Eagles. The Longhorns lost on the road at Freedom, 52-47, for their fourth loss in a row.
Wednesday night saw half of the South Shore Six in action. East Bay lost its third game in a row, 51-33, to 9-12 Freedom and fell back to .500 at 11-11. Riverview crushed Alonso, 51-29, at home for back-to-back home wins. Lennard lost on the road at 19-3 Tampa Prep, 58-28.
Sumner Bennard Anson gets fouled by a Hawk defender in home action vs. Armwood on Jan. 23
Stingray Karson Coleman scores a lay-up basket in home action vs. Armwood on Jan. 23.
Friday action saw Sumner welcome the 19-4 Armwood Hawks to the Tank. The gym was buzzing from the Stingray girls soundly defeating the Armwood squad, 70-34, on their senior night. Sumner boys’ basketball could not replicate the success and fell 74-63 for its third loss in a row, the first three-game losing streak of the season. Head coach Augustine Gaddis will look for the positives from this stretch to motivate his team heading into the playoffs. Junior Karson Coleman led the way with 20 points for the Stingrays.
Spoto won its fourth in a row, 79-54, on the road at Brandon for its fourth consecutive win and is now 11-8 on the season.
The 79-point outburst was the team’s second highest of the season, coming off an 84-point effort just three games prior. East Bay lost at Leto, 60-50. The Morgan Mustangs went to OT and got a clutch 57-53 win over Freedom for back-to-back wins for the second time this season.
Also, in our backyard, Ruskin Christian is having a strong season at 12-2, having only lost to 17-1 New Jerusalem Christian Academy and the Palm Grove Christian Gators.
FRANCIS FEDOR PHOTOS
Sumner Miles Moore disrupts an Armwood player and looks to control the ball in home action vs. Armwood on Jan. 23.
The hoops regular season wraps up on Jan. 30. A number of teams play on Jan. 29, including East Bay vs Steinbrenner at 6 p.m. in Gibsonton and Morgan at SLAM Tampa while Riverview travels into Tampa to face Blake.
The next night, Jan. 30, features Lennard against a Western Conference opponent yet to be identified. Sumner hosts Tampa Bay Tech in a Western Conference match-up on Senior Night in the Tank, Spoto will play a Western Conference game, and Morgan hosts Strawberry Crest in another Western Conference game at 8 p.m. in Wimauma.
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