By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net    

The Government Secondary School Sports Association’s CI Gibson Rattlers and the CC Sweeting Cobras took the spotlight on day two of the prestigious Hugh Campbell Basketball Classic yesterday at the AF Adderley Gymnasium.

The Rattlers out-lasted the Westminster Diplomats 66-55, while the Cobras prevailed with a 69-36 win over the Queen’s College Comets, the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools’ runner-up. 

The other two games saw the RM Bailey Pacers prevail with a 54-17 rout over the CV Bethel Stingrays, who came off their nail-biting win over the Charles W Saunders Cougars on day one,  and Kingsway Academy Saints marched past the Greenville Preparatory Academy Gators 57-20.

Here’s a summary of the games played: 

Rattlers 66, 

Diplomats 55

Tashon Butler was almost a one-man wrecking crew as he exploded for a game high 30 points with 13 rebounds and a pair of assists and steals to lead CI Gibson.

Darius Hanna had eight points with four rebounds, two assists and as many steals, Mario Rolle had seven points and 12 rebounds, Zavian Lloyd also had seven points with four rebounds, Concae Smith had five points, five rebounds and three assists and both Sidney Higgs and Cornelius Cartwright added three points. 

“It started off very sloppy. We made too many turnovers. We have to clean that up in the way forward and just take care of the basketball,” said Rattlers’ coach Kevin ‘KJ’ Johnson. “I guess it was first-game jitters.

“But as a basketball team with the potential to win, we just have to get locked in and do the small things that will help us to move forward to get to the championship.”

As they move forward, Johnson said they have to work on everything, including “hitting the free throws, taking care of the basketball and displaying our energy on the defensive end of the basketball.

“But a win is a win. Westminster played extremely hard. They were resilient, they wanted it and it showed. But we got them tired out a bit, forced them to make some turnovers and that was how we were able to pull it off.”

The Diplomats, coached by Gary Kemp, were coming off their tournament opening victory on Monday. They gave the Rattlers a run for their money in the first half, trailing 17-14 after the first quarter and 25-19 at the half. When it counted the most in the second half, CI Gibson turned it up a notch, pulling ahead 42-34 at the end of the third and they cruised through the fourth quarter to hold off Westminster. 

Jahiem Armbrister was one of two players in double figures with 23 points and three rebounds. Omar Pierre was the other with 13 points, three assists, three steals and two rebounds. Michel Jean-Pierre was next with nine points and six rebounds. 

Cobras 69, Comets 36: CC Sweeting put together a balanced scoring attack to open tournament play in a blowout fashion over Queen’s College in another key government versus private school match-up. 

Donovan Samuels and Tavari Roker both had 11 points, Frankie Lightbourne had 10, 

Emmanuel Adams had nine, Kaleb J4an-Bptiste had eight and both Andrew Bethel and Shadrack Aristil had five. Deangelo Smith chipped in with four. 

“We started off a little sluggish, but once we got it together, we were hard to beat,” said CC Sweeting’s coach Dashtyan Baker, who is doing double duties as the coach of the St John’s Giants as well. “We stepped it up in the second half and it was smooth sailing the rest of the way.”

The Cobras took a 17-8 lead after the first quarter and extended it to 30-16 at the half. By the end of the third, they were in full control with a 41-27 lead and they cruised through the fourth quarter as Baker utilized a number of different line-ups to defuse the Comets. 

Daniel Rolle scored 19 points, Tayshaun Taylor had nine, Talon Higgs five and Luke Patalinghugh added three in the loss for Queen’s College, coached by Reuben Mounts. 

Baker noted that he’s been able to bring both the Cobras and the Giants together for practice at the start of their respective BAISS and the GSSSA season and it has helped in getting both of them better.

As the tournament progresses, Baker said there’s a possibility that both teams could clash. He said he will just cross that bridge if the opportunity presents itself.

Pacers 54, Stingrays 17: Coming of their thrilling victory down the stretch on one day, CV Bethel didn’t have anything left against RM Bailey.

The Paces, in their tournament debut, opened a 13-3 in the first quarter and was never challenged the reat of the way. In the end, the Stingrays were out-rebounded 49-20 and they made 26 turnovers compared to 19 by the Pacers.

Keith Bonaby, ahooting 7-for-14 from the field, was the only player for RM Bailey with a game high 16. William Ingraham Ward had eight points with 13 rebounds and Lawrence Monestime had seven points and seven rebounds.

“We came put and executed our game plan. It was a good game,” said Pacers coach Lamont Armaly. “We just have to keep poised and not turn the ball over.”

For CV Bethel, coached by Daniel Pratt, Drexel McIntosh scored 11 points, while Kenneth Wrigjt, Jayden Rolle and K-Mani Woodside all had two points.

Saints 57, Gators 20: Kingsway Academy, with their big line-up, marched past the Greenville Preparatory Academy in their iniatation into the tournament.

The Saints, with a swamping defense, opened a 13-4 lead at the end of the first quarter and held onto a 21-10 advantage at the half.

Although the Gators, coached by Dominique Fernander, picked up their intensity in the third, they couldn’t maintain in the fourth as the Saints surged ahead.

“I think we did pretty good,” said coach Ricardo Lees, whose Saints used their height to out-rebound the Gators 50-27 and out-scored them 31-13 on points from turnovers. “They passed the ball around on offense and they ran their plays.”

Kenyon Johnson was the only player for Kingsway Academy in doublecfigures with ten, shooting 5-for-10 from the field. He had a double-double with 10 rebounds. Ethan Burrows and Kymani Roberts both had eight points with five and four rebounds; Oneil Cooper had six points and six rebounds and Delexis Thompson II had six points amd three rebounds.

For Greenville, Diego Thompson had six points; Akeem Storr five points and six rebionds and Irvin McPhee added four points eith seven rebounds.

As the tournament progresses, Lees said he expects “better teams” and “more intensity,” but his Saints will be looking forward to it as they content for the title.

Day three of the week-long tournament will pick up at 10 am today teams from Grand Bahama and the Family Islands coming in town to start their march to the championship game on Monday, February 24th.