After earning wins against Ferris’s A-team and Venus in the first two rounds of the Ferris JV Basketball Tournament, the Italy JV Gladiators met the Godley JV Wildcats in a third round matchup.

Italy JV Gladiators vs Godley JV Wildcats:
With a 10:15 a.m start time Saturday morning, Italy’s Bubba Itson put Italy on the board first with a free-throw. Cole Hopkins recorded a block in the paint as he did often throughout the tournament but Godley scored next to take a 2-1 lead. Italy’s Eric Carson gave an assist to Itson and Italy goes up 3-2. Hopkins records back -to-back blocks, but again, Godley retakes the lead 4-3. An Itson free-throw tied the match 4-4 but then the remainder of the quarter belonged to Godley who lead after first, 13-4.

Hopkins’ presence in the middle forces a Wildcat to travel to start the second quarter. Godley extends their lead 15-4 on the next trip down but Itson answers with a 3-pointer to make the score 15-7. Itson then scores a fast break layup but misses the and-1, 15-9 Godley leads.

Godley goes behind the back to deliver an assist for their next points to keep pressure on Italy, 17-7. Carson passes to Italy’s Jalarnce Jamal Lewis who scores from the right block. 17-11. Godley has 2-on-1 against Hopkins but Hopkins comes away with a steal. T.J. Cockran takes advantage and drives in from the left wing to make the score 17-13, 2:46 left before halftime.

Italy’s Trevon Robertson gets fouled attempting a 3-pointer. Godley’s bench is charged with a technical after the call. Robertson is unable to convert the freebies but Hopkins puts in both technical free-throws to make the score 17-15. Godley manages another basket before halftime and takes a 19-15 lead into the break.

With the score 22-17, and Godley ahead, Italy hits the first of two free-throws to make the score 22-18. Italy misses his second try but Carson rebounds the miss and banks it back in to tighten the game 22-20. Godley goes up 24-20 but T.J. Cockran nails a 3-pointer from the right corner to pull Italy within 1-point, 24-23. Godley makes 1-of-1 from the line to lead 25-23.

Hopkins swishes a 3-pointer from the top of the arc and Italy takes back the lead 26-25. Godley gets fouled inside and hits 1-of-2 to tie the game 26-26 with 1:40 left in the third. Godley misses a 3-pointer but Italy’s Lewis inbounds and [name withheld] knocks down a 3-pointer from the left corner, 29-26 Italy leads.

Hopkins fouls Godley’s shooter at the buzzer and the Wildcats add another point between quarters to make the game 29-27 going into the fourth.

The Wildcats attack quickly in the fourth and build a 35-31 lead. Robertson receives a pass inside from Carson to help Italy’s comeback cause, 35-33. The Wildcats grab an offensive board and bank in the put back to go up 37-33. Godley adds a free-throw to lead 38-33. With 2:15 remaining in the game, the Wildcats begin to burn the clock. Carson fouls to send Godley to the line. The Wildcats miss both but a jump ball call gives Godley the ball out-of-bounds with 0:47 left.

Guarding the inbounder, Hopkins intercepts the inbound pass and passes ahead to Carson. Carson draws a shooting foul on his way to the basket but neither free shot will fall, 0:41 remain in round three. Godley gets fouled on their return trip to the basket but both Wildcat free-throws miss as well. Italy’s next shot misses then Godley is called for traveling. However, Godley does manage to add a pair of free throws, 40-33. With under 0:10 left, a Hopkins 3-point attempt is off the mark but Robertson rebounds the miss and scores the put back, 40-35. Godley burns the remaining few seconds and hands Italy their first loss of the tournament.

Italy JV Gladiators vs Ferris B-Team:
With a 3:00 p.m. start time on Saturday, and now in a battle for 3rd Place, Italy will have to defeat the Ferris Yellow Jackets’ B-Team. Italy gets a plethora of shots early in the first but none will drop in. Eventually, Cole Hopkins rebounds a Ferris miss and outlets to Bubba Itson who score the fast break layup to give the JV Gladiators the opening quarter lead, 2-0 at the 5:00 mark.

Hopkins and Itson repeat the previous play and Italy goes up 4-0. Itson, who was fouled during the shot, added the and-1 and leads 5-2, 4:30 left. Hopkins swats a Ferris shot attempt into the tunnel but Ferris inbounds and puts in a 3-pointer to make the game 5-3.

T.J. Cockran drills a 3-pointer in response, 8-3 Italy leads. Hopkins grabs an offensive rebound and banks in a turn-around jumper from the right block, 10-3. Ferris goes 1-of-2 from the line but Reid Jacinto passes to his cousin, Caden Jacinto, who knocks down a 3-pointer from the left wing. Italy leads 13-4 which is the score at the end of one.

To start the second quarter, Italy’s [name withheld] hammers home a 3-pointer from the left corner, 16-4. After a Ferris score, Eric Carson finishes on the fast break and Italy leads 18-6. Ferris scores three more points before Trevon Robertson earns consecutive trips to the line. Robertson splits the first two and then splits the second pair of free-throws to make the score 20-9 in Italy’s favor.

Robertson then passes out to T.J. Cockran who knocks down the 3-pointer to give Italy a 23-9 advantage with 2:59 remaining before half. Ferris stays with it and scores back-to-back baskets before Hopkins shoots in an 8-footer along the left baseline to make the game 25-13. Carson records an offensive rebound and scores the put back, 27-13 Italy. Carson then passes to Itson who hits a runner from the left baseline. The unselfish play gives Italy a 29-13 lead going into halftime.

At the 5:59 mark of the third quarter, Robertson passes into Hopkins who passes back to Robertson cutting down the lane, 31-13 Italy. Ferris goes 1-of-2 from the line and then Carson swishes a jumper from the top of the lane to make the game 33-14. Carson finishes another fast break opportunity and Italy leads 35-14 with 5:05 remaining. Ferris hits a three. Itson passes to Hopkins who banks in the shot. Ferris hits another 3-pointer and the score is now 37-22.

Itson adds another basket before the end of the third quarter. Head coach Larry Mayberry pulls in the reins as Italy coasts the rest of the way to a 50-39 win, earning 3rd place in the 2010 Ferris JV Basketball Tournament.

The Italy J.V. Gladiators will play again tonight, Tuesday, December 21, starting at 5:00 p.m. in Whitney’s Junior High gym next to their football field.

Go JV Gladiators!