By DAN HOEHNE
daniel.hoehne@newssun.com
AVON PARK - It wasn't the way he'd have liked to see his team finish off a game, but Sebring head coach Princeton Harris saw it with the right perspective.
"That's what these games are for," he said after Clewiston pulled off a 58-55 comeback win Tuesday night in the Bill Jarrett Tip-Off Tournament opener. "You don't like to see nine turnovers on 12 fourth-quarter possessions, but I saw a lot of positives and I saw some things we can get back into the gym and work on."
It was a one-man show early on for the Blue Streaks with Joe Young powering inside for seven first-quarter points.
His effort was added to with four from Robert "Jewel" Campbell and a floating 10-footer from freshman Marcus Dewberry for a 13-11 Sebring lead after one.
As would be expected in preseason games with teams hitting the floor competitively for the first time, things got a little ragged in a low-scoring second quarter.
But Dewberry sparked a nine-point run with a pair of free throws, a long three and a floater from the baseline to put the Streaks up 24-16 at the half.
Whereas the second quarter was more tepid, in the third, the gloves came off and it was a relative scoring extravaganza with the Tigers more than doubling their first half total in eight minutes.
Sebring did it's best to hang onto the lead, with Devin Clarke canning a three, Young scoring five and Dewberry adding four.
But two threes from Ra'vin Lee and a triple from Demetris Allen cut into the margin a bit to make it a 40-35 game entering the fourth.
Zach Bullock proved a spark off the bench, scoring consecutive baskets underneath before Dewberry connected again and then drained a three for a 49-38 Sebring lead with just under five minutes to play.
But Allen then came to life for Clewiston as he hit from downtown, threw one down on a fast break, converted on a three-point play and added two more free throws down the stretch as the Tigers closed out the game on a 20-6 run to provide for the final margin.
"Of course you play for the win, and 26 turnovers won't get it done," Harris said. "But I'm not feeling bad. It was our first time out, some of the guys are just coming in from football. I saw a lot of good things and you'll see a lot better team Thursday night."
Dewberry lead the Streaks with 20 points, with Young adding 12 to go with nine rebounds.
Campbell was an obvious presence inside with 16 rebounds and four blocked shots.
That Thursday night game was a match-up with Mulberry on the final night of the Tip-Off.
See Sunday's News-Sun for the game story.
Friday, November 20, 2009 - www.newssun.com/FRI-11-20-SebBB