PREP HOOPS: Edward Bell downs Poka for area title

CAMP HILL — To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best, right?

Well, after Monday’s 61-52 victory over Loachapoka in the Area 7 tournament, Edward Bell can now say it has beaten the reigning 1A state champions four times in the past month.

So what does that mean?

“It’s so hard beating any team four times, and we did,” Bears senior guard Damien Carr said. “I think we’ve proven we’re better than them.”

Loachapoka, meanwhile, showed that it’s probably not done making noise this season, as it gave the Bears their toughest game in the series yet. The Indians held multiple leads in the second half and kept the game within reach until the Bears rattled off 8 unanswered points with less than 2 minutes to play, prompting a chorus of key-jangling inside the jam-packed Edward Bell gym.

“I hope to see them again in Alabama State,” Edward Bell coach Mitch Joiner said, refering to the regional playoffs. “I’m pretty sure they’ll be there. I hope we’re there.”

The Bears certainly wouldn’t be where they are now without Carr, who knocked down eight 3-pointers on his way to 28 points.

He divvied up the 3’s evenly with four in each half, but the most important one came midway through the fourth quarter, with the Bears on their heels after a game-tying, fastbreak dunk from Quindravious Richardson.

With the gym shaking on Loachapoka’s side, Edward Bell point guard Eddie Webb sped the ball up the court, found an open Carr on the wing and watched him bury the shot.

Webb ran back up the court with three fingers raised before Loachapoka halted the action with a timeout.

The Bears, thanks to two more big 3’s from Carr and an exclamation-point slam from Armis Holloway, didn’t give up the lead the rest of the game.

“They can dunk two or three times, but he hits one 3 and that’s what the crowd goes crazy about,” Joiner said. “That’s what we do.”

Holloway battled a massive height disadvantage against Loachapoka’s Marvin Hunter on his way to 12 points. Hunter led the Indians with 16, but was forced to miss the majority of the third quarter and the early part of the fourth because of foul trouble.

“He’s a hoss, an absolute hoss,” Joiner said. “I hate to see him again but we probably will. I hope I’m lucky to see him again.”

Richardson scored 8 of his 10 points in the second half and Patrick Moore also chipped in 10 for Loachapoka.

Edward Bell will host its sub-regional Friday against Faith Christian, while Loachapoka will travel to Talladega County Central.

“It’s so big for the people in our community,” Carr said. “This is what we’ve been waiting on.”

Edward Bell 51, Loachapoka 50
Ca’Neisha Smith knocked down what ended up being the game-winning free throw with 11 seconds to play, pushing the Bears to victory in nail-biting fashion.

Loachapoka’s Ebonii Williamson missed the potential game-tying free throw with 1 second to play, and the ball didn’t hit the floor before the buzzer sounded on Edward Bell’s victory.

Desharte Edwards, who was named the tournament’s MVP, led the Bears with 22 points. Natalie Copeland added 15 and Kierra Billingsley scored 11.
Loachapoka’s Chantel Hall led all scorers with 28 points and Candica Okar scored all 13 of her points in the second half.

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