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Sebring Rallies To Hold Off Arch-Rival Avon Park Late

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Avon Park's Daija Barrett goes up for a shot with Sebring's Hannah Shoop ready for the block in Tuesday's game.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: December 20, 2007

AVON PARK – The electricity of the moment is what makes the rivalry between Sebring and Avon Park so special.

Every basket, every possession, every second can decide the game, as it did in the Blue Streaks' 43-40 thriller on Tuesday night in Class 4A-District 10 girls basketball action in front of a raucous crowd at APHS.

Down three points with 3.4 seconds on the clock, Avon Park's Beonca Godfrey received the inbounds pass and was immediately surrounded by blue shirts as the seconds ticked off the clock. When the buzzer sounded, the ball still in Godfrey's hand and the chance to tie the game had passed.

"We had three shooters on the floor to make sure we had a chance to tie the game," said AP head coach Paulette Daley. "Beonca played a great game, and I know she wished she would have put up a shot instead of trying to pass.

"You never want to have the game end with the ball in your hands. That isn't how a shooter wants to have it end."

AP junior Daija Barrett summed the rivalry up after the game.

"Every second counts when we play Sebring," Barrett said. "The intensity of this game is unlike any other game we play all season. The desire to win on both sides is so great. I'm still in shock from the ending but we played a good game.

"The thing we as a team take from this game is that we know we can beat Sebring."

Cheers and celebrations should have erupted, but the Sebring players knew they had dodged a bullet against a gutsy Red Devil squad.

"It's always a physical game when we play each other," said Sebring center Hannah Shoop. "This is one of those games that can change on a dime. I'm just happy we came away with a win."

Sebring head coach Mike Lee complimented Avon Park's fight and was proud of his girls who matched the Red Devils intensity.

"This game just shows you that no lead is safe," Lee said. "We knew Avon Park would be there at the end. We had a lead in the first half, but we got into foul trouble and they capitalized on that to get back into the game."

The Red Devils were down by as much as nine points in the second quarter, but cut that lead to 24-19 at the half on the play of Godfrey, who scored six straight points for Avon Park using her slashing ability to penetrate the Blue Streak's interior defense.

In the third quarter, Avon Park's perimeter shooting heated up, as junior Daija Barret scored seven of her 14 points to put the Red Devils up by as much as five points and lead AP to a 36-32 lead heading into the final stanza.

"[Sebring] closed down the middle and denied our entry passes but Beonca did a great job driving to the basket and find the open player," Barrett said. "[Beonca's] penetration was the key for us getting back in the game."

Godfrey finished with a game-high 21 points for the Red Devils.

Sebring's Whitney Lee led the way for the Blue Streaks with 20 points and three rebounds. Lee hit numerous critical buckets to keep Sebring in the game, knocking down five 3-pointers and scoring five unanswered points in the fourth to help Sebring regain a one-point lead with four minutes left.

After Avon Park went back up 40-39, Shoop's textbook lay-up with 2:54 gave the Blue Streaks the lead for good. Priscilla "Pookie" Adams' basket off an inbounds pass gave Sebring a three-point cushion heading into the final seconds.

"I'm so happy for Pookie," Shoop said. "She played a really good game, and that shot was huge for us. It gave us a bit of breathing room."

Coach Lee didn't discount Adams' importance or play on a night when he needed production from everyone on the court.

"That shot was big for us, but [Adams] fought for a rebound late in the game," Coach Lee said. "After she got that rebound, she managed to dribble out and we were able to kill another 20 seconds off the clock."

Sebring has little time to savor the victory, as they get back on the court Friday when they travel to face Frostproof, while Avon Park faces the hometown Lake Wales tonight.

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