Big free throw edge lifts Sickles over Niceville in final four
Just how do you stop Rashawn Rembert and Jordan Davis?
After watching Tampa Sickles’ one-two punch combine for 49 points in a 56-53 Gryphons’ win, it was all Niceville coach Jerome Strutchen could do to mask his frustration.
“They hit shots when they were open and they took advantage of mismatches when they got them,” Strutchen said. “They’re just good players. It makes it hard to defend them when you can’t touch them.”
Strutchen’s displeasure was reflected in Sickles’ innate ability to get to the free throw line — particularly late — as the Gryphons hit 23-of-32 shots from the charity stripe, including connecting on 12-of-16 in the fourth quarter alone. Niceville, meanwhile, had a mere six attempts from the line and sank five.
“It had nothing to do with our defense,” Strutchen said. “But I’m not going to get fined by the FHSAA, so I’m going to leave it at that.”
Sickles (29-2) would need every last freebie as Niceville (27-4) erased what had been a seven-point deficit in the third when Kyle Koszuta, who finished with a team-high 11 points, drained a 3-pointer to knot the score at 32-all with 2:24 left in the third.
Then, with 40 seconds left in the third, it was Koszuta again stepping up and hitting a big 3 to give the Eagles a 35-34 lead.
Niceville led 43-41 when Hunter Curtis connected on a 3-pointer directly in front of the Eagles’ bench with 3:48 left in the game but, from there, Davis took over, scoring on a drive to tie it before giving the Gryphons a 45-43 lead on a pair of free throws.
Following a pair of free throws by Rembert, who led all scorers with 27, Sickles had a 47-45 lead that it would not lose.
Davis scored nine of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. Asked if he entered the game willing to live or die with the play of his one-two punch, Sickles coach Renaldo Garcia didn’t mince words.
“Absolutely,” Garcia said. “They played a lot of minutes all year long.”
Kody Williams and Kirk Perry each finished with eight points for Niceville in the loss while Williams added game-highs of nine rebounds and five assists.
Niceville hadn’t played in a final four since 1966.
“It really hurts,” Williams said. “I wasn’t ready for the season to be over with.”
Sickles 56, Niceville 53
N 9 10 17 17 – 53
S 15 8 13 20 – 56
Niceville: Matt Cooper 2-3 0-0 6, AJ Tillman 1-3 0-0 2, Kody Williams 3-9 2-2 8, Hunter Curtis 2-7 0-0 5, Kyle Koszuta 4-8 0-0 11, Steve Dyson 2-7 1-2 5, Kirk Perry 3-6 2-2 8, Nathan Terry 2-5 0-0 4, John Deloach 2-3 0-0 4. Totals: 21-51 5-6 53
Sickles: Jack Holland 2-5 0-0 4, Rashawn Rembert 8-18 8-8 27, Caleb Kamm 0-1 1-2 1, Malcolm Johnson 1-7 0-0 2, Jordan Davis 3-12 14-20 22, Eric Floyd 0-2 0-2 0, Eric Taris 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 14-46 23-32 56.
Halftime: Sickles 23, Niceville 19. 3-point goals: Niceville 6-21 (Matthew Cooper 2-3, Kody Williams 0-4, Hunter Curtis 1-6, Kyle Koszuta 3-7, Kirk Perry 0-1), Sickles 5-14 (Jack Holland 0-2, Rashawn Rembert 3-6, Jordan Davis 2-6). Rebounds: Niceville 33 (Kody Williams 9), Sickles 36 (Rashawn Rembert 9). Assists: Niceville 14 (Kody Williams 5), Sickles 7 (Jordan Davis 4). Fouls: Niceville 18, Sickles 7
