Bradenton Christian picks up tempo in second half to win Smoothie King Classic

BRADENTON -- Although Southeast likes to press and create its offense in transition, Floyd Watkins was still concerned about the pace Bradenton Christian would choose to play. The Panthers want to push whenever they have the chance and their efficient offense thrives when shots are plentiful.

For most of three quarters the Seminoles played their pace, getting into the open floor off steals and slowing BCS down when they didn't. Midway through the third quarter, Bradenton Christian started its first run to take a lead into the fourth of the Smoothie King Classic championship. Midway through the fourth, the Panthers sealed a 76-63 win with three buckets in 30 seconds to put the Noles out of reach in Bradenton.

"Their press did--we got stumped for the first half," BCS shooting guard Ryan Leunk said, "but then we went over some stuff at halftime and then picked it up, and we were able to break the press pretty easily."

The pace swung in Bradenton Christian's favor with 4:17 remaining in the third quarter. A layup by center JT Noellert started the Panthers (14-2, 4-0 Class 2A-District 9) on a 16-4 run and by the end of the frame a one-point deficit had turned into a 58-52 lead. From the 3:30 mark on, BCS never trailed.

Five different players scored during Bradenton Christian's third-quarter run, including Leunk, who sunk a pair of free throws for two of his game-high 28 points. The senior, who was the leading scorer on last year's team which lost to Southeast in the Smoothie King championship, was named the tournament's MVP inside the Bradenton Christian School gymnasium.

"We've set several goals this year and we want to knock each one out," Panthers head coach Scott Townsend said. "This was one of our goals. We knew we hadn't won in a while."

Point guard Dominick Otteni was BCS' only other player in double figures with 11 points. Junior guard Ronald Taylor led the Seminoles (10-5, 5-1 Class 5A-District 11) with 21 and was named to the all-tournament team. Seniors Corey Davis and Tre Alexandria also scored 16 and 13 for the Noles, respectively.

Even when the tempo wasn't in their favor, the Panthers knew they could have an edge inside. Davis, a 6-foot-4 forward, is Southeast's biggest starter. The Panthers start Noellert, a 6-foot-8 center, and use 6-foot-3 small forward Justin Aracena's rebounding prowess to control the glass against smaller teams.

Noellert, who was also named to the all-tournament team, grabbed 14 rebounds and Aracena added 12. Aracena was the one who finally put the Seminoles away.

The Noles trimmed the Panthers' lead to five points with five minutes remaining and BCS needed one final run. With half a quarter remaining, Aracenaa grabbed an offensive rebound and scored a putback. After a quick miss on the other end, Aracena dropped in another layup. Southeast was running too fast now and committed a careless turnover. Senior guard Jake Lister scored and stretched Bradenton Christian's lead to 67-58. A few minutes later, the Panthers were hoisting the Smoothie King trophy for the first time since 2009.

"JT and Justin have been our key big men for the season," Leunk said. "We knew they were gonna do what they do every game, but tonight was big for them. They crashed the boards, got every board. They were beasts down there for us."

BAYSHORE 70, CAPE CORAL 62 (OT) -- Jaylen Pauley exploded for 26 points and the Bruins earned an impressive overtime win, 70-62, against the Seahawks to take third place at the Smoothie King Classic.

BHS (7-8, 2-4 Class 5A-11) trailed for most the game before tying it in the waning seconds of the fourth quarter with a dunk. Pauley, who was joined by sophomore Miguel Rodriguez with 11 as Bayshore's double-digit scorers, was named to the all-tournament team after his performance.

Point guard Brandon Alcide led Cape Coral (8-7, 3-4 Class 6A-District 10) with 17 points and was named the Seahawks' representative on the tournament team.

BRADEN RIVER 48, ST. PETERSBURG DIXIE HOLLINS 35 -- Deoni Cason scored 18 points in the fifth-place game and the Pirates breezed past Dixie Hollins for a 48-35 win.

The wing was named to the all-tournament team for BRHS (7-6, 1-1 Class 7A-District 11) after also scoring 18 in Braden River's first consolation game against Out-of-Door Academy on Tuesday. The Rebels (3-8, 0-3 Class 6A-District 9) were led by a 10-point effort from point guard Isaiah Thomas, who was Hollins' all-tournament selection.

OUT-OF-DOOR 89, RIVERVIEW PROVIDENCE CHRISTIAN 47 -- The Thunder salvaged a win in its final game at the Smoothie King with an 89-47 blowout against Providence Christian to take seventh place.

ODA (9-4, 4-1 Class 3A-District 9) saw a pair of 22-point performances from point guard Kendall Johnson and small forward Nate Patrick to spur the rout. Johnson was also named to the all-tournament team. Jaden Clark scored 14 for the Knights (6-7) and was also an all-tournament selection.

This story was originally published December 30, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Bradenton Christian picks up tempo in second half to win Smoothie King Classic ."