Good News Bears

Edward Bell plays in state championship Thursday

By Dusty Harper (Contact) | Dadeville Record

Published Wednesday, February 24, 2010

BIRMINGHAM — The Edward Bell Bears found themselves in unfamiliar territory late in Tuesday’s state championship semifinal at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex.

The Bears, who have built big leads all season en route to blowing away most of the competition, watched as Parkway Christian Academy erased a 16-point second-half deficit to take a 53-52 lead at crunch time.

But, Edward Bell made 7 of 9 free throws in the final minutes and withstood a 3-point attempt with five seconds to go that would have tied the game to keep its dream alive for the 1A title, as Mitch Joiner’s team defeated the Wildcats 59-54.

Edward Bell (26-2) will meet 23-5 J.F. Shields, who defeated R.A. Hubbard 45-38 Tuesday, on tonight at 6 p.m.

“I can finally breathe again,” Joiner said after the game. “We missed a lot of shots underneath. It shouldn’t have been that close in my mind. We beat a good team. I thought that our players, athletically, could match up with anybody, and they can. The only thing that worried me was their coach. He knows his stuff and he’s been everywhere that I haven’t been.

“(Parkway) never gets shook or rattled and they always keep their poise. I was hoping we could bring a pressure they hadn’t seen yet, and we did to begin with.”

Edward Bell got off to a slow start, falling behind 9-2 in the first four minutes. Later in the quarter, after Jamie Edwards scored five points to help the Bears pull closer, the Damien Carr show got under way. Carr made the first of his AHSAA 1A State Tournament record-tying six 3-pointers with 1:05 left to give his team its first lead at 14-12. Carr finished up the quarter with a deep buzzer-beater to make the count 19-12.

PCA’s Alfred Banks, who closed with a team-high 21 points, made it a six-point game with 6:39 left, but the Bears countered with a 10-0 run, highlighted by two more treys and eight points from Carr. Banks cut the lead to 11 with 1:51 to play and following Carr’s fifth trey of the half, PCA’s Breyon Washington scored to make the halftime tally 36-24.

Edward Bell’s Armis Holloway, who posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds, gave his team its biggest lead of the game at 16 points with a free throw with 4:30 on the clock in the third quarter.

However, the Wildcats then came to life, creating five Bear turnovers and burying three 3-pointers to make things interesting. Washington’s field goal with 32 seconds left capped a 17-4 run, and Edward Bell led just 48-45 entering the fourth.

“Damien caught fire, as he does almost every game, to help us in the first half,” Joiner said. “But, our lack of scoring in the second half is probably my fault. I get too cautious from time to time and that causes us to be a little passive and defensive-minded.”

The Wildcats trimmed the lead to one point three times, before finally surging ahead on two Walter Arnold free throws with 3:11 remaining. That’s when the Bears’ sharp-shooting at the charity stripe saved the day. Eddie Webb put the Bears back on top with two foul shots at the 3:01 mark.

After both teams exchanged one free throw each, Edwards made two free throws with 53 seconds left to give the Bears a three-point advantage. The Wildcats missed a chance to tie with 27 seconds to go, but Edward Bell could not convert on the front end of a 1-and-1, allowing PCA one more shot.

Arnold got off a difficult 3-point shot from the right wing, but it was no good. Cobe Bowens pulled down the board for Edward Bell and made the final two free throws of the game to secure the win.

Carr finished the game with 30 points and six rebounds. Edwards had nine points, eight boards and five assists, and Bowens grabbed 11 rebounds.

Joiner said a couple of role players, Webb and Akeem Holloway, both played big parts in the win. Webb scored six and dished out four assists, while Holloway made the most of his six minutes by fighting for five rebounds.

“Eddie is a major part,” Joiner said. “A lot of people think subs are possibly a step down. But, it’s not with us. (Webb) picks up our pace and gives us three guards, which is really what we win with. They all apply pressure on defense and are good scorers, good passers and can drive. (Our bench) is gifted and I hope I use them well enough Thursday to give us a chance.”

---

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE THIS STORY?

---