TALLAHASSEE — It wasn’t the size the dogs in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dogs on Tuesday when Crestview’s boys basketball team traveled to Lincoln for the Region 1-7A semifinal game.
The Bulldogs might not have measured up to the Trojans on the tale of the tape giving up two or more inches at almost every position on the floor. But the tape can’t measure heart and Crestview is a team with plenty of heart.
Trailing by six points at the start of the second half the Bulldogs came back to take a 58-56 win.
Crestview-Lincoln boys basketball region semifinals photos>>>
The win propelled Crestview into Saturday’s region final for a second straight year. In a matter of déjà vu it was a two-point win over Lincoln a year ago that sent the Bulldogs to the region finals. And call it double déjà vu Crestview will again host Oviedo in the Elite Eight.
Bulldog guard Rusty Moorer broke 54-54 tie with 47 second left in the fourth quarter on driving layup putting Crestview up 56-54. Fourteen seconds later Lincoln’s Devon Collins had a chance to tie the game at the free throw line. Collins hit the first and missed the second and the Trojans trailed by a point with 33 seconds left in the game.
Andrew Adkins sealed the Bulldog win with a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left in the game.
“We have to understand that no matter what happens we have to battle and play tough,” Bulldog Coach Greg Watson said. “In the second quarter I felt like we got out toughed a little bit. But in the second half we got a little tougher and took the ball inside on them and good things happened.
“I’m really, really proud of my guys for playing tough against a big, athletic team.”
Crestview (20-9) jumped to an early 5-0 lead with Marquis McClain and Adkins, who both also play football, flexing their muscle on the inside.
Kamron Mack, a 6-foot-5 senior, scored Lincoln’s first basket of the game at the 5:43 mark in the first quarter.
The officials were calling a tight game and there was little flow in the first half as the fouls mounted against both teams.
Moorer and McClain, who tied for the Bulldog lead in scoring with 13 points each, sat out a large part of the first half with early foul trouble.
Crestview led 16-12 at the end of the first quarter. The Bulldogs struggled scoring in the second quarter.
Lincoln took advantage of Crestview’s cool second quarter and raised in front 31-25 at the half. Collins led the Trojan charge with seven points in the period.
Lincoln was leading 31-23 with 14 seconds left in the half when Marcus Flavors scored his only basket of the game for the Bulldogs. The basket cut the Lincoln lead to six and gave Crestview a bit of a boost heading into the intermission.
The Bulldogs fought their way back throughout the third quarter. Crestview wasted no time in trimming the Trojan lead to 35-33 after a twisting turning layup by Moorer with 3:12 left in the period.
Patrice Sarrazin kept the Trojans in front with a couple of long 3-pointers, but the Bulldogs kept coming.
Dakota Childree’s basket for Crestview with 17 seconds left in the third quarter tied the game at 44-44.
Trey Thomas hit a free throw to put Lincoln in front 45-44 as the teams started the final eight minutes of regulation.
Twice in the fourth quarter the officials missed what seemed to be two obvious calls against Lincoln.
With 3:52 left in the quarter Wesley St. Vil was fouled on his way to the basket. It looked as if a Trojan defender was guilty of a goal tend, but the officials didn’t see it that way and St. Vil missed the two charity shots.
With 1:09 left in the fourth Adkins was called for a charge on what looked to be a block by the Trojans. The basket Adkins scored was taken off the board and the game remained tied 54-54 setting up the last heroics by Moorer and Adkins.
Adkins and Childree joined Moorer and McClain double figures. Akins scored 11 points and Childree 10.
“We worked hard to get back to the Elite Eight since the beginning of the season,” St Vil, a senior who scored five points said. “We know as long as we let Coach Watson coach us we knew we were going to get back to this spot.
“Even though we are undersized we always work hard and listen to coach.”
EmailNews Bulletin Sports Editor Randy Dickson, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Bulldogs punch ticket to second straight Elite Eight (PHOTOS, VIDEO)