Dolphin hoops split first two games at Playground Tournament
BY JASON THOMPSON Gulf Breeze News jason@gulfbreezenews.com

GBHS coach David McGreal talks with his team during last week's Playground Tournament.

The Gulf Breeze Dolphin boys basketball team won its third straight game before losing to Siegel, Tenn. in the Playground Tournament Thursday at Choctaw.

Dolphins 60, Crestview 55

Gulf Breeze (9-5 as of Dec. 27) led by as many as 17 in the third quarter, but needed two free throws from David Hibberts and Matt Catellier in the final 20 seconds to beat Crestview Dec. 26.

Bryan Shreve, who led the Dolphins with 19 points, hit one of his three 3-pointers to make it a 36-22 game early in the third quarter. GBHS' lead after three was 17 (46-29).

The Bulldogs (2-10), who shot 20 percent from the field in the first three quarters, got hot in the fourth, going 10-for-18. One of their eight misses would've tied the game with 30 seconds left, forcing GBHS to hit some late free throws to win.

Shreve, who was 7-for-12 from the field, also grabbed five rebounds. Jeff White added 14 points, as did Garrett Carr off the bench. Carr also had five rebounds and was 6-for-11 from the field.

Hibberts, Catellier and Alec Cann all had four points each, while Erik Mims had two. Catellier had five assists and four steals in the win.

The Dolphins won despite being outrebounded 42-29, including 17- 7 on the offensive end.

Siegel,Tenn. 79, Dolphins 52

The Stars (11-6), from Murfreesboro, Tenn., shot 58 percent from the field in the second half to pull away from the Dolphins.

Shreve and Zach Andrews both had 11 points, while Carr had nine, Hibberts and White five each, Dustin Clements four and Mims two.

Cann had four rebounds and four steals, while Mims had five steals. White had four rebounds.

Dolphins 53,

Franklin County 46

The 4A Dolphins got more than they wanted from 2A Franklin County, as an 8-1 run late in the fourth quarter allowed GBHS to pull away.

Franklin County, a first year school that was a result of Appalachicola and Carrabelle High Schools combining, hit 50 percent of its shots in the first quarter to take a 15-13 first quarter lead.

Gulf Breeze, who made 55 percent of its shots themselves in the first eight minutes, went cold from the field in the second, going 2-for-11 (including a missed dunk) and turning the ball over seven times. They trailed 19-18 at the half.

Gulf Breeze found its shooting touch in the third quarter, going 6-for-12 for 50 percent. White, who led the Dolphins with 16 points, scored seven straight early in the quarter and finished the game going 6- for-7 from the field. He also had seven rebounds and three steals.

Franklin County was 0-for-7 from three-point range in the quarter, which ended with the Dolphins ahead 33-28.

The Seahawks got to within three (43-40) with 2:40 left before the Dolphins went on their decisive run. White had four points in that stretch.

Dustin Clements, playing in only his second game this season, added 11 points, making all four of his shots. He also had five rebounds. Shreve added six points, while Marcus Smith and Zach Andrews had five each, Mims four and Catellier and Cann two each.

Hibberts grabbed six rebounds, while Cann had five. Catellier also had four assists.

Dolphins 56,Walton 44

Gulf Breeze outscored the Braves 46-23 after the first quarter as they used a balanced scoring attack to beat the Braves.

The Braves went on a 10-0 run to take a 21-10 first quarter lead. The Dolphins would go on a 9-1 run to start the second quarter. Catellier's lone three points of the game, gave the Dolphins a 26-24 lead with 3:25 left in the first half. It was a lead they wouldn't relinquish.

Walton got to within five points (47-42) with 5:27 left before the Dolphins went on a 9- 2 run to end the game, capped off by a two-handed jam by Shreve.

White went 4-for-8 from the field for 16 points. He also had nine rebounds. Shreve had 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Clements was 5- for-8 from the field for 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds.

Hibberts added seven points, five rebounds, while Mims had two points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Catellier had three steals.

GBHS plays Chiles in the Navarre Shootout Friday before playing at Catholic Saturday.