Devils top Mulberry in Tip-Off

By ED BALDRIDGE

ed.baldridge@newssun.com

The Avon Park Red Devils rolled over Mulberry 61-49 in the Bill Jarrett Tip-off Tournament on Tuesday night.

Combining the returning power of Cleveland Nobles and Alonzo Robertson to control the paint inside.

"I am making no predictions for the season," said Avon Park head Coach Luther Clemons in a pre-season interview the day before. "We have a lot of returners, and we have some speed for the full court press, but I don't know enough about the other teams in the new district to make a lot of predictions."

"Let's just wait and see what happens," he added.

Nobles and Robertson, along with starter TK Miller, played their last football game Friday night and were required to be on the basketball court at 11 a.m. Saturday, according to Clemons, but still showed they retained a lot of last year's training by helping with the win after just three days of practice.

Help came in the form of sophomore Reggie Baker, who scored 14 points against Mulberry, along with Nobles' 13.

Turnovers allowed leading shooter Lee Amos to score 26 points for Mulberry, but the Panthers could get little else during the last few minutes of the game, when the press was really on.

"We should be OK this season, we have the talent, and we have the core of the team from last year, but we will see if we can keep the discipline," Lemons said.

Avon Park left the court at a 29-21 lead at half-time, despite Robertson being sidelined with foul trouble for a good portion of the half.

The Devils tightened up on the turnovers and edged the lead up to 44-35 after the third quarter.

Returner Avierre Conner added 12 points to the effort, including two 3-pointers, allowing the Avon Park netters to stay out front for the win.

"I know we have all the pieces," Clemons said. "But the question is do we have what it takes."