First Coast- The Buccaneers defended home court Tuesday night in the Gateway Conference Tournament, downing Ed White 63-54 in the second round. First Coast earned a bye in the first round of the tournament and Head Coach LaTroy Strong knew that his team could be rusty against the Commanders. Yet his team is built to score points, said Strong ” We put up 60 points on a bad night, so we are looking to score points”.
First Coast was led by Justin Hodge’s 17 points and Dekebe Carn’s 10 points. Hodges got off to a hot start hitting a big three pointer in the first quarter and another in the second quarter, as First Coast build an early lead.
Carn’s effort showed up in many ways as he hit shots down low and from mid range. The two led a very balanced attack on offense that saw the Buccaneers put up 32 points in the first half.
Ed White would keep it close, thanks in part to their defense and scrappy play. A steal by Zebreke Bellamy led to a fast break lay up giving him 2 of his 11 points on the night. Kenneth Young scored 8 points in the first half for Ed White. He’d finish with 15 points on the evening. Still First Coast maintained a 32-18 lead at halftime over Ed White.
The second half saw Ed White break even with First Coast scoring 18 points points a piece in the period. John Peden scored 6 points for First Coast, while Ed White received scoring efforts across the board from 6 different players including Mike Francois and Tyree Saunders 5 points each in the period. First Coast would maintain a 14-point lead going into the fourth.
In the final period, Ed White would make a furious run closing the lead to just 2 points. Michael Jackson would be forced to go to the free throw line for 7 attempts, yet only knocking down one successfully. Yet their scrappy play kept them in the game.
In the end, First coast would stave off the Commander comeback by stepping up on defense and get the baskets needed to take home the win. Hodges would lead the effort and make the necessary plays to win the game.
Next First Coast will face Terry Parker in what’s turned into the biggest game of the tournament thus far. Parker upset Jackson 36-35 in the second round and will look to continue their David versus Goliath mentality. The Bucs however, look to bring a dose of reality back to Braves.
