Pinellas Sports
COUGARS 63 INDIANS 54
By Eric Horchy | Suncoast News
Published: January 3, 2013
CLEARWATER - Countryside rebounded from a sloppy start Thursday night against Venice to win its way into Friday night’s final of the Bella Kouzina Cougar Classic.Published: January 3, 2013
The host Cougars (10-5) will meet tournament-favorite Gibbs High at 8 p.m. tomorrow.
After playing to a 7-7 tie through one quarter, Countryside opened the second with an 8-2 surge and created a lead that would not be relinquished.
Cougars senior guard Darnell Lovett led all scorers Thursday with 22 points, including an impressive one-handed alley-oop slam thrown down early in the second quarter from Bobby Held.
Lovett posted 11 points in both halves but displayed his talents as a facilitator in the second. Still locked into a tight, low-scoring contest, Lovett dished out all six of his assists during the final and decisive 16 minutes.
Countryside forward Chris Crawford joined Lovett in double figures, with 11 points. Point guard Valon Xhokli added nine points and six assists and fellow guard Held recorded eight points and five boards.
Venice’s Dillon Marksbury scored all of his team-high 15 points in the second half, which included three 3-pointers. Guard Chris Hann was all over the court, scoring 11, grabbing five rebounds and distributing six assists.
Countryside pulled ahead by as much as 17 early in the final quarter, at 47-30. The Indians (5-8) and Marksbury whittled the deficit back down to single digits but not any closer than eight.
Venice will meet Miami Florida Christian tomorrow at 6:30 in the third-place game.
Gibbs (12-2) enters the championship game on a nine-game winning streak and Countryside coach Myron Huey said his Cougars will have to be on their game to keep up.
"That will tell us where we are. Gibbs is the real deal. They play hard and they play quick, so we’ve got to get off to a good start."
Gibbs beat Florida Christian prior to the Countryside-Venice game, 67-50.
Also on Thursday, Lakewood Ranch beat Palm Harbor University, 60-46, and Lakeland edged East Lake, 74-73.
East Lake and PHU will play tomorrow for seventh place and Lakewood Ranch and Lakeland meet for fifth.
Venice - 7 – 7 – 15 – 25 --- 54
C-Side - 7 – 14 – 19 – 23 --- 63