The Talladega Tornadoes are 2014 GCAC Men's Basketball champions - Mar 16, 2014
The number two seed Talladega Tornadoes had their pre-season plans come to fruition as they were crowned 2014 GCAC Men's Basketball Champions with a sensational overtime victory over last year's GCAC champion and this year's number four seed Philander Smith Panthers by the score of 104-95 (OT) in the Convocation Center on the campus of Xavier University.
With the victory, Talladega (28-5) won its six straight game heading into the 2014 Buffalo Funds NAIA Division 1 Men's Basketball National Championships which start next Wednesday, March 19 in Kansas City, MO.
Junior guard Shondel Stewart (6'2''-G) exploded off the bench and led the way for the seventh ranked team in the NAIA with a game-high 34 points and also added six boards and one assist in less than 30 minutes of play. Stewart was named GCAC tourney most valuable player, hitting 12-of-18 shots from the field and going 10-for-15 from the charity stripe.
Junior guard Brandon Peters (6'2''-G) had a solid game finishing with 21 points, three boards, three assists and two steals in the full 45 minutes for Talladega, while teammate senior center Elijah Jones (6'7''-F) dominated the paint with 19 points, 10 rebounds, a game-high six blocks and one steal in 30 minutes. Jones is ranked number one in the NAIA in total blocks.
For Philander Smith, senior center Andre Clark (6'9''-F-89) and junior guard Teviin Morris (6'2''-G) both finished with a team-high 20 points each. Clark added nine rebounds, two assists and one steal, hitting 6-of-9 shots from the field and burying 8-of-9 free throws on the night, while Teviin Morris (6'2''-G) produced a game-high eight assists, three rebounds, and one block as he played the entire 45 minutes of action.
Sophomore guard Braylon Spicer (6'0''-PG) filled up the stat sheet for the Panthers as he scored 16 points, dished out a game-high eight assists and grabbed four rebounds in 41 minutes while teammate senior guard D'Alvin Brown (6'10''-F) finished with 13 points, three assists, two steals and one rebound in the full 45 minutes.
Talladega avenged a one point loss to the Panthers earlier this year in Little Rock.
Courtesy of GCAC
GCAC Tournament Final: Talladega - Philander Smith 104-95 OT
GCAC Tournament Semifinals:
Talladega - Edward Waters 76-62
Philander Smith - Xavier 106-102 OT
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All-Tournament MVP:
Shondel Stewart (6'2''-G) of Talladega
Player of the Year:
Cameron Lewis (6'3''-G/F) of Fisk
Co-Freshman of the Year:
Walter Arnold (5'11''-PG) of Fisk
Co-Freshman of the Year:
Lucas Martin-Julien (6'2''-G) of Xavier, LA
Newcomer of the Year:
Brandon Peters (6'2''-G) of Talladega
Coach of the Year:
Dannton Jackson of Xavier, LA
1st Team
PG:
D'Alvin Brown (5'9''-PG) of Philander Smith
F:
Joseph Brown (6'5''-F) of Arcadia
G/F:
Cordaryl Campbell (6'3''-G/F) of Tougaloo
F:
Sydney Coleman (6'7''-F) of Xavier, LA
C:
Juvon Demerson (6'10''-C) of Philander Smith
PG:
Kevin Dukes (6'0''-PG) of SUNO
F:
Nathaniel Hill (6'5''-F) of Edward Waters
F:
Elijah Jones (6'7''-F) of Talladega
G/F:
Cameron Lewis (6'3''-G/F) of Fisk
G:
Brandon Peters (6'2''-G) of Talladega
G:
Antonio Valiente (6'3''-G) of Edward Waters
PG:
Morris Wright (5'10''-PG) of Xavier, LA
All-Tournament Team
C:
Juvon Demerson (6'10''-C) of Philander Smith
F:
Elijah Jones (6'7''-F) of Talladega
G:
Brandon Peters (6'2''-G) of Talladega
PG:
Braylon Spicer (6'0''-PG) of Philander Smith
G:
Charles Winborne (6'2''-G) of Talladega
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