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Dragons fall in double OT to Navarro
By Brent Wilburn
The Paris News
Published March 10, 2009
TYLER – Unfortunately for the Paris Junior College Dragons, it was Navarro College’s turn.
The Bulldogs, who were competing in their third consecutive Region XIV Tournament championship, overcame deficits on two separate occasions late in the fourth quarter and first overtime periods and ripped the advantage away from the Dragons both times.
They eventually ripped out the hearts of the Dragons as Eddie Thompson’s final three-point attempt fell short and they claimed a 74-71 double-overtime victory in Monday night’s men’s championship game in front of 1,700 fans at the University of Texas-Tyler Herrington Patriot Center.
The loss ends PJC’s season and sends Navarro to its first NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., later this month.
“Navarro just refused to lose,” PJC head coach Ross Hodge said. “I think we had leads in the fourth quarter and first overtime, but we couldn’t put them away.”
PJC freshman Demarkus Wilson drained two free throws to give the Dragons a seven-point lead with only two minutes, 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Navarro’s answer was two free throws by Matt Pressey and a 3-pointer and two free throws from Charleston Flemming.
Those seven straight points tied the game at 58-all at the end of four quarters.
The Dragons (25-6) appeared to be unfazed by Navarro’s fourth-quarter comeback and nabbed the first five points of the first overtime period.
All five of those points were scored by sophomore Shannon Shorter, who finished with a season-high 27 points and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
“Shannon was just a warrior,” said Hodge. “He’s been a warrior for us all year long.”
Navarro didn’t score its first points of the first overtime period until 6-foot-8 sophomore post Paul Crosby converted a three-point play with one minute, 12 seconds to go in the frame.
Flemming, who, along with Crosby, led Navarro with 16 points, sank two free throws with 20 seconds left in the period to once again tie the game.
PJC’s Jonathon Simmons was called for an offensive foul on PJC’s next offensive possession.
Navarro sophomore guard DeAndre Brown almost won the game for the Bulldogs at the end of the first frame with a long-range 3-pointer from almost the same spot he made the shot that put the team into the final game the day before. But the shot was called off as the ball left his hands just one second after the buzzer sounded.
It was no matter, though, as Brown, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament, put his team into the lead with two free throws with only a minute remaining in the second overtime period.
The Bulldogs never lost the lead from there and withstood Thompson’s last-second attempt at a 3-pointer that would have sent the game to a third extra frame.
“We didn’t play our best game tonight,” said Hodge. “We didn’t finish the game out. I thik we had a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter and a five-point lead in overtime, but we just couldn’t put them away.”
PJC struggled to put the game away late in the game, but its primary struggle in the first two halves was just to wrestle the lead away from Navarro.
The Dragons held a brief one-point advantage in the first two minutes of the game, but they didn’t recapture it until Nafis Richardson drove down the baseline and scored on a layup at the 13 minute, 44 second mark of the second half.
The teams traded leads until the overtime periods began.
“I played as hard as I could tonight,” said PJC freshman Kenny Gabriel, who was the other PJC representative named to the All-Tournament team. “They just had the momentum, and we couldn’t stop it.”
Navarro 30 28 5 11 — 74
PJC 28 30 5 8 — 71
Navarro (25-9): Charleston Flemming 16, Paul Crosby 16, Matt Pressey 10, Chase Harper 10, Darian Thibodeaux 9, DeAndre Brown 7, Jourdain Allou 3, Gary Talton 2, Keithtrick Denson 1. FT 19-32. Threes 5 (Thibodeaux 3, Flemming 2). Fouls 22.
PJC (25-6): Shannon Shorter 27, Demarkus Wilson 11, Kenny Gabriel 10, Jonathan Simmons 9, Nafis Richardson 5, Desmond King 4, Eddie Thompson 3, Latay Darden 2. FT 16-21. Threes 3 (Richardson 1, Simmons 1, Thompson 1). Fouls 28.
Trinity Valley claims another women's title
TYLER – And another one bites the dust.
The Trinity Valley Lady Cardinals triumphed over the Kilgore Lady Rangers, 58-46, in Monday’s women’s championship game of the Region XIV Tournament in front of 780 fans at the Herrington Patriot Center.
Monday’s victory means Trinity Valley will be making its 14th trip to the NJCAA National Women’s Basketball Tournament.
It was yet another tournament that was entirely dominated by the perennial postseason powerhouse.
Trinity Valley, which is a squad composed of seven sophomores and only one freshman, disposed of Paris Junior College and Jacksonville College in the games leading up to the championship contest.
The Lady Cardinals were victorious in all three games by an average of 19 points.
Kilgore, led by Denetra Kellum’s 22.5 points per game in this season’s tournament, was expected to give Trinity Valley its greatest challenge of the weekend.
But the Lady Rangers never claimed a lead at any point in the game and found themselves in a 15-point hole early in the contest near the middle of the first half.
It was more of the same in the second half as Kilgore chipped away at its deficit and actually brought it back down to eight points at the four minute, 28 second mark.
It didn’t last for long. Trinity Valley’s leading scorer DeShawna Banks responded with six straight points to extend the lead once and for all.
Trinity Valley was led in scoring by sophomore Jasmine Nelson. The New Orleans, La., native scored a game-high 18 points. She did most of her damage in the first half, scoring 16 points on an 8 of 8 shooting performance.
Kellum paced the Lady Rangers with her 15 points.
Kilgore 24 22 — 46
TVCC 38 20 — 58
Kilgore (24-8): Denetra Kellum 15, Danyell Oliver 10, Janae Hendreson 6, Dabrielle Franklin 4, Ashley Ferrell 4, Camille Voitot 3, Sylvia Hoffman 2, Raven Jenkins 2. FT 3-5. Threes 3 (Oliver 2, Voitot 1). Fouls 12.
Trinity Valley (25-7): Jasmine Nelson 18, Shareese Ulis 11, DeShawna Banks 11, Tawatha Tucker 8, Chynna Burwell 6, Taylor Booze 4. FT 5-8. Threes 1 (Banks 1). Fouls 11.
REGION 14 TOURNAMENTS
Place: Herrington Patriot Center at UT-Tyler
MEN’S REGION 14 TOURNAMENT
Men’s First Round - Thursday: San Jacinto 77, Angelina 68; Navarro 80, Kilgore 61; Trinity Valley 79, Panola 76; Blinn 63, Lee 57
Saturday’s Quarterfinal Round — Lon Morris 95, San Jacinto 80; Navarro 85, Jacksonville 75; PJC 70, Trinity Valley 54; Tyler 88, Blinn 84
Sunday’s Semifinal Round — Navarro 85, Lon Morris 82; PJC 95, Tyler 80
Monday’s Championship — Navarro 74, PJC 71 (2 OT)
WOMEN’S REGION 14 TOURNAMENT
Friday’s Women Quarterfinals: Trinity Valley 75, PJC 45; Jacksonville 68, Lon Morris 61; Angelina 73, Panola 69; Kilgore 68, Blinn 59 (2 OT)
Sunday’s Semifinal: Trinity Valley 70, Jacksonville 55; Kilgore 83, Angelina 70.
Monday’s Championship - Trinity Valley 58, Kilgore 46
ALL REGION XIV BASKETBALL TEAMS
REGION XIV
MEN’S ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
DeAndre Brown – Navarro (Tournament MVP)
Paul Crosby – Navarro
Shannon Shorter – Paris
Kenny Gabriel – Paris
Konner Tucker – Lon Morris
Reggie Nelson – Tyler
MEN’S ALL-REGION FIRST TEAM
DeAndre Brown – Navarro
Kahlil McDonald – Blinn
Maurice McNeil – San Jacinto
Darryl Ashford – Jacksonville
Kenny Gabriel – Paris
MEN’S ALL-REGION
SECOND TEAM
Konner Tucker – Lon Morris
Dexter Ellington – Trinity Valley
Raymond Sims – Paris
Tyler Jefferson – Tyler
Paul Crosby - Navarro
MEN’S ALL-CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM
Kahlil McDonald – Blinn
Maurice McNeil – San Jacinto
Darryl Ashford – Jacksonville
Kenny Gabriel – Paris
Konner Tucker – Lon Morris
MEN’S ALL-CONFERENCE
SECOND TEAM
Dexter Ellington – Trinity Valley
Raymond Sims – Paris
Tyler Jefferson – Tyler
Paul Crosby – Navarro
Ridas Pulkauninkas – Lon Morris
MEN’S ALL-CONFERENCE
THIRD TEAM
Ervin Spruiel – Angelina
LaMarshall Corbett – Kilgore
Chris Hagan – Blinn
Devin McDonald – San Jacinto
Amir Rashid – Trinity Valley
HONORABLE MENTION
Takoby Jackson – Angelina
Jason Sabb – Angelina
Brance Davenport – Bossier Parish
Kenny Franklin – Jacksonville
Da’Shon Barrino – Jacksonville
Eric Kibi – Jacksonville
Troy Cage – Kilgore
Adrian Fontenot – Lamar
Josh Micheaux – Lee
Travis Jones – Lon Morris
Matt Pressey – Navarro
Milton Burton – Panola
Fran Urli – Panola
Rasheem Jenkins – Panola
Louis Ellis – Panola
Brandon Webb – Panola
Shannon Shorter – Paris
Jonathon Simmons – Paris
Carrington Tankson – San Jacinto
Reggie Nelson - Tyler
MEN’S REGION XIV AWARDS
MVP: DeAndre Brown (Navarro)
Coach of the Year: Greg Young (Jacksonville)
REGION XIV WOMEN’S
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Jasmine Nelson – Trinity Valley (Tournament MVP)
Chelsea Foy - Jacksonville
Sarah Stewart – Angelina
Denetra Kellum – Kilgore
Danyell Oliver – Kilgore
DeShawna Banks – Trinity Valley
WOMEN’S ALL-REGION TEAM
Jasmine Nelson – TVCC
Denetra Kellum – Kilgore
DeShawna Banks – TVCC
Monica Spearman – Tyler
Breaunna Ellison – Lon Morris
Brateicka Mock – Blinn
Anitra Jeffery – Angelina
Kayla Weaver – Panola
Chelsea Foy – Jacksonville
Danyell Oliver – Kilgore
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
Jasmine Nelson – TVCC
Denetra Kellum – Kilgore
DeShawna Banks – TVCC
Monica Spearman – Tyler
Breaunna Ellison – Lon Morris
Brateicka Mock – Blinn
Anitra Jeffery – Angelina
Kayla Weaver – Panola
Chelsea Foy – Jacksonville
Danyell Oliver – Kilgore
Tiara George – Angelina
Jamie Johnson – Jacksonville
Brittney Bennett – Paris
Shareese Ulis – TVCC
Chrystal Harrison – Lon Morris
HONORABLE MENTION
Tiffany Adair – Angelina
Sarah Daily – Blinn
Tiffany Eubank – Panola
Jasmyne Watson – San Jacinto
Ambra Smith – Lon Morris
Taylor Booze – Trinity Valley
Niya Santiago – Panola
Rekevia Brown – Blinn
Taylor Ammons – Paris
Ashley Farrell – Kilgore
Sherena Abercrumbia – Lon Morris
Darshell Hatch – San Jacinto
REGION XIV AWARDS
MVP: Jasmine Nelson (Trinity Valley)
Freshman of the Year: Tiara George (Angelina)
Co-Coaches of the Year: Lynn Nabi (Jacksonville); Roy Thomas (Kilgore)
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