Best showing ever for Bob Jones in N2Hoops Invitational
MADISON- Five years ago, as Bob Jones Athletic Director, Luther Tiggs started the N2Hoops Invitational Tournament. Wednesday night he coached in the championship game.
Bob Jones fell to Florence 58-47 but to reach the championship game the Patriots won games over Park Crossing, Pinson Valley, and Eufala. It was the best showing ever for Bob Jones in their own tournament.
“I’m extremely pleased,” Tiggs said. “We look at this like a 4-game season. To win three out of four games if we keep doing that we will have a heck of a season. It’s going to prepare us for area games and post season. I’m so proud of our young men. They played so hard. They represented our school, community, and our administration. They did a great job. Congratulations to Florence they have a heck of a team. We have nothing to be ashamed of. Four games in three days. We will take a few days off. We are all tired.”
The tournament started Monday afternoon and picked up steam with big crowds Tuesday as local teams Austin, Lee, and Sparkman advanced as did Bob Jones and Florence.
“Overall, we are extremely pleased with the tournament and we are already looking forward to next year. We had some fantastic crowds. This tournament every year is getting better and better. We opened it up to some lower level teams like Decatur Heritage and they came in here did a great job competing,” Tiggs said.
Taylor Shields was the overall tournament manager handling administrative tasks leaving Tiggs and Bob Jones Athletic Director Tom Runnion to run the basketball end of it.
“None of this is possible without our sponsor Hometown Lenders. Every coach tells me this is a first-class event and that’s why they want to come back. The out-of-town players stay at Homewood Suites and have hospitality suites so they are well taken care of,” Tiggs said.
On the court Bob Jones got all-tournament performances from Jadan Coleman and Jalen Myers.
Against Florence, Bob Jones came out hot and had a 12-10 after the first quarter. Dante Emanuel opened the Patriots’ scoring with a three. Jalen Myers followed with the left hand and Jadan Coleman showed his range with a long three. Another three from Emanuel and a Myers running jumper in the lane and Bob Jones outscored Florence 11-10 in the second quarter.
An 11-4 run by Florence in the third quarter put the Falcons ahead to stay. Charlie Champagne of Florence was tournament MVP.
Florence and Lee were considered the favorites to win the tournament. Blackmon (Tenn.) won last year.
Bob Jones is now 5-3 on the season. They do not play an area game until January. They will have home-and home series against James Clemens, Florence, and Austin.
