Blue Streaks get back on track

When last they played, the Sebring Blue Streaks dragged through four quarters and absorbed a crushing loss to a county rival.

Ten days later, they returned to their home court - and, remarkably, looked better than ever.

Sebring defeated Lake Gibson 70-49 in the opening round of the Taveniere Tournament on Monday night, the Blue Streaks' first victory - albeit unofficial - in nearly three weeks.

"That break gave us time to refresh our minds, refocus and just become a more solid team," said Sebring coach Princeton Harris, whose team also snapped a three-game losing streak in the process. "And you saw those things come together tonight."

Sebring had eight players score at least one basket, a stark departure for an offense that had previously featured only a handful of playmakers. Toby Solebello, who has emerged as a solid power forward, scored a team-high 18 points and Devin Clarke added 17 for the Blue Streaks, who played Coral Gables in the semifinals on Tuesday night. The three-day tournament wraps up tonight.

Sebring jumped out to one of its largest halftime margins of this young season - 17 points - even while cycling through virtually the entire roster.

"We just distributed it around for some reason," Harris said, "and when we've got everybody contributing like that, it just makes us better."

Run ragged in a loss to Avon Park on Dec. 17, which extended their losing streak to three games, the Blue Streaks worked tirelessly on their defense and conditioning during their recent 10-day break.

Before the game Monday, Harris jotted down a few things he wanted to see:

•Better shot selection.

•Better post presence.

•More backside layups.

•More pressure on the ball-handler.

Needless to say, he was duly impressed afterward.

The Blue Streaks led 36-19 at halftime, after showing a willingness to attack the lane with their guards and stifling the Lake Gibson offense with four 6-footers who hovered in the paint, ready to redirect any incoming shot.

It took the Braves 22 minutes just to eclipse the 30-point mark. And by then, Sebring was up by 15 points while showing no signs of relenting.

Robert Campbell had a few blocks. So, too, did Solebello. And Joe Young. And Zack Bullock off the bench. In all, Sebring had 35 rebounds and nine blocked shots, easily its most this season, and a staggering statistic considering how few points Lake Gibson managed through the first three quarters (34).

"We've been working on our rebounding," Harris said, "because if we can limit teams to one-and-done, we're going to be successful."

That formula worked Monday, as Sebring led by as many as 24 points in the fourth quarter. The starters exited with 3:50 left in the period, offering a few little-used reserves some playing time in an eight-team tournament chock full of talent.

"I was able to go back and correct stuff, and you can't get it done without breaks," Harris said. "I didn't have the time before - and you can see the difference now."