By Marla Jones, Sports Editor

marla@southerntorch.com

Plainview 74-Geraldine 69

RAINSVILLE, Ala.— Anticipation filled the coliseum as the Class 3A, No. 3 Geraldine Bulldogs faced the No. 9 Plainview Bears for the Dekalb County Basketball Tournament championship game Thursday night, January 25, 2016.

You could hardly hear the teams being announced over the standing-room only fan section.  Inclement weather had postponed this game for nearly a week and anticipation for this game was at an all time high. Geraldine and Plainview were both ranked in the top 10 for this year. Plainview had defeated Geraldine last year in the final second of the game to win the 2015 Dekalb County Basketball Tournament championship.

Despite being the reigning county champions, Plainview went into the tournament finals as the underdog.  Geraldine had eliminated Plainview in the Sand Mountain Christmas Tournament , giving them one of their three losses for the year.

During the first quarter, both teams shot three pointers like the ball was on fire.  With 3:05 minutes left in the first quarter, Senior Clay Cooper shot a 3. The next possession, Kolby Tinker joined in with the first of his multiple 3’s. Geraldine struck with the first of their 3-point shots when Colby Mincey brought the Plainview lead down to four. The score was Plainview 16, Geraldine 12 going into the second quarter.

In the second quarter, Geraldine brought in their secret weapon #52 Senior, Tate Richey.  The 6’ 10”, 319 pound player was a force to be reckoned with.  He helped slow the Plainview shooting game and brought the score back within reach for the Bulldogs. Going into the half, Plainview led the Bulldogs 31-28.

The second half was a battle between two teams who refused to give up.  Plainview scored nine unanswered points in the first part of the third.  Geraldine bounced back and cut the Bears lead down to six.  At the end of the third, the score was Plainview 54, Geraldine 48.  The Bulldogs outscored the Bears 21-20 in the fourth but could not overcome the lead that the Bears held.  The Bears had seven threes in the second half to seal the victory and retain the title of County Champions for 2016.  Final score was Plainview 74, Geraldine 69.

Coach Robi Coker had this to say about his team’s win: “It was everything a championship game is suppose to be. Both teams really competed. I thought we did a good job of attacking their zone and not turning it over. Several guys stepped up and made big shots. The 17 assists on 23 baskets really stand out. This group does a great job of sharing the ball and finding the open man. It was a total team effort and I couldn’t be more proud of this group of men I’m fortunate enough to be able to coach.”

Plainview had three players who scored in the double digits. Freshman, #13 Cade Millican led the Plainview team with four 3’s, six rebounds and a total of 24 points.  Sophomore, #20 Jeffery Armstrong, the tournament MVP had 13 points.  Sophomore, #22 Clay Cooper had 11 points and 5 rebounds.

Two players for Geraldine scored in the double digits. #42, Senior Cade White led the Geraldine team with 20 points.  #1, Senior Colby Lee Mincey had 16 points for the night.