WEB CAST.
Down by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, Garner came storming back and was able to force a tie contest in the final two minutes of play on Thursday afternoon in the Championship game of the 41st HighSchoolOT.com Holiday Invitational. However, the men of Troy could not over come the Greensboro Dudley as the Panthers claimed its first Holiday Invitational Championship with a 73-71 victory.
Garner (8-2) trailed by four points at the break but it was the Panthers who came out on fire in the opening moments of the third stanza taking a commanding 10-point lead before leading 56-47 heading to the fourth.
Dudley (7-4) could only muster a pair of field goals over the first four minutes of the final quarter as the Trojans went on a huge 14-6 spurt to trim the lead to two points with just over two minutes remaining in the game.
The men of Troy knotted the game at 61 with 1:57 left on a three-point play from Jasper Stallings but it would not be enough as Dudley's Sam Hunt was a perfect six of six from the free throw line in the final 90 seconds to preserve the 73-71 victory for the Panthers.
Garner placed three players in double figures led by Julius Barnes who had 19, Demarcus Sanford who was named Tournament Most Outstanding Player had 18 points while Stallings finished with a career high 14 poitns.
The Trojans return to action on Friday, January 4 when they welcome Knightdale to Trojan Coliseum. Tip-off is slated for 8:00.
