TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hopps Is 'Money' As Shot Lifts Blake Over Hillsborough

ADVERTISEMENT

By GREGG BECNEL, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 18, 2008

TAMPA - Ebony Hopps hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds to lift Blake to a 52-49 win against Hillsborough in a Class 5A-District 10 girls basketball game Thursday.

The Terriers led 49-45 with 2:27 remaining, but the Yellow Jackets scored the next four points to tie it with 31.5 seconds remaining. A Hillsborough turnover gave the ball back to Blake with 24.8 seconds remaining, setting up Hopps' winner from the right corner.

"I felt it," said Hopps, who finished with five points. "When I let it go, I said, 'Money.'"
Hopps saved Blake from a possible embarrassing letdown. The Yellow Jackets (14-5) watched their 13-point first-half lead vanish before they rallied in the final minutes.

"Hillsborough has a lot of heart. They're real scrappy," Blake coach Calvin Barrs said. "I just had to settle the girls down and make sure they kept their composure. We got on that run late and were able to hold it together."

Chanele Patton was a force on both ends of the floor, finishing with 22 points and 17 rebounds. She scored Blake's first 11 points of the game.

"I felt like nobody could stop me," Patton said. "But this was a big win for us. I felt like we got robbed the last time we played Hillsborough Blake lost 53-45, so this feels real good."

Hillsborough (11-8), which made a coaching change right before the Christmas break, has lost five of its last six games, including four straight, since Yolanda Whitehead replaced Chris Brazzle.
Terriers junior Shalisia Hall scored 17 of her team-high 19 points in the second half.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT