KILGORE — It was a cheerful and silent Navarro locker room after the Region XIV Championship Monday night.
The dream of moving onto the NJCAA Tournament was shattered with a 50-49 loss to Paris at Master’s Gymnasium in Kilgore.
Sophomore Chris Roberts had a chance to get the win, but his driving shot in the lane hit the rim and bounced out as the game clock hit zero.
The Bulldogs (16-17) were down by one with less than 20 seconds to play, but Josh Bonney’s two missed free throws allowed the Dragons (28-6) a chance to seal the game.
Navarro looked in full control of the game in the initial eight minutes of the second half, going on a three minute, 12-2 run consisting of four three-pointers to give them a 37-30 lead — the Bulldogs largest of the game.
The Dragons, however, rallied back to take the lead with a game-winning jumper by Raymond Sims.
Sims had 12 total points in the game with Eric Tramiel, the tournament and conference Most Valuable Player, leading Paris with 16 points.
“I thought this was exactly the kind of game the conference championship should be,” coach Lewis Orr said. “We made a few mistakes at the end and in a game like this, every mistake will cost you.”
Jantzen Carter was the leading scorer for the Bulldogs with 13 points followed by Bonney’s 12 and Deandre Brown’s nine.
Every possession counted in the first half which became a back-and-forth defensive battle.
Paris jumped out to an early 6-1 lead, but a resilient Navarro team battled back to take a 7-6 advantage after scoring six unanswered points that ended with a turn-around jumper in the paint by Bonney.
A three-pointer by Neko Stylianou, his only points of the game, pushed Navarro’s lead five points with just under six minutes left in the half.
Paris showed early on it wasn’t ready to give in with a 6-0 run to retake the lead for the Dragons.
A running jump shot by Brown put Navarro back on top in the final minute of a low scoring 19-18 first half.
After a successful year and run in the conference tournament that was cut short, the Bulldogs will say goodbye to sophomore starters Roberts, Stylianou, Bonney and Patrick Johnson.
“Our guys showed the most heart they have shown all season,” Orr said. “I am proud and love of all my players and it was real disappointing for all of us to not get the win”
This marks the second straight year Navarro has come up short in the conference championship.
The Bulldogs lost by two last year to Lon Morris in the championship game.
Paris (28-6) 18 32 50
Navarro (16-16) 19 30 49
Navarro: Jantzen Carter, 13; Josh Bonney, 12; Deandre Brown, 9; Chris Roberts, 5; Patrick Johnson, 3; Neko Stylianou, 3; Marcus Vermeiren, 2; Paul Crosby, 2.
Paris: Eric Tramiel, 16; Raymond Sims, 12; Charles Funches, 11; James Livingston, 5; Ronnie Morgan, 2; Decarlos Riley, 2; Marcus Carson, 2.
3-pointers: N: Carter (3); Brown, Roberts, Stylianou. P: Sims.
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Daily Sun photo/ Kevin Wynn
Discussion
March 11, 2008
Just short: Navarro falls in title game 50-49 to Paris
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