JV Boys game:
Raheem Walker gets three-points the old-fashion way and Italy leads 3-0 at the 3:29 mark of the first quarter. Eric Carson, Jalarnce Jamal Lewis and Walker have the Cubs penned back 3-on-1. Carson passes to Lewis for the lay-in and Italy leads 5-0.

Trevon Robertson steals the ball and scores a layup and Italy goes up 7-0. Carson adds two free-throws and the JV Gladiators lead 9-0. Walker hits a turnaround baseline jumper and Italy leads 11-0. The JV Cubs manage to score before the buzzer but Italy leads 11-2 after one.

Italy’s JV continues to build on their momentum and Deiondre Cockran hits a three-pointer to give head coach Larry Mayberry, Sr.’s crew a 14-2 advantage. However, Clifton rallies back and only trails 14-11 at the halftime break.

Italy’s JV Gladiators maintain their lead throughout the third quarter and into the fourth. Walker passes to Caden Jacinto whose jumper makes the score 32-20 with 3:15 remaining. Moments later, Cockran puts in a running baseline jumper and Italy leads 37-30. Clifton keeps it close and makes the score 37-34. C. Jacinto finds Walker inside and Italy leads 39-34 with 1:20 left to play.

Italy misses a pair of free-throws but Carson steals an errant pass by Clifton and the JV Gladiators hold on for the win, 39-34.

JV Girls game:
The JV Girls game was played in a separate gymnasium called the Cub Den. A windowless, humid box, the Den proved to be a torturous place to play basketball. And with two JV Lady Gladiators moved up to the Varsity squad, Italy’s girls had a bear of a time against Clifton. Despite another solid performance by Paola Mata and point guard Ryisha Copeland, the JV Lady Cubs win 54-20.

Varsity Girls game:
Clifton leads 6-0 when Italy’s Keyonne Birdsong passes to Kaitlyn Rossa who hits a jumper from the top of the lane to make the score 6-2. Chante Birdsong passes to Rossa underneath to make the score 7-4. Kendra Copeland, who was moved up to the varsity squad along with Ashley Harper, checks in and runs the point. Rossa scores again but the Lady Cubs still lead 9-6.

Lady Gladiator Megan Richards knocks down a game-tying three-pointer, 9-9, with 1:32 left in the first quarter. However, the Lady Cubs score the final two baskets of the period and lead 13-9 after one.

Jameka Copeland makes the score 13-11 as Italy gets the first score of the second quarter but Clifton tears away and builds a 25-11 advantage. Richards pulls up at the foul line to make the score 25-13. Richards then hits a three-pointer to keep the Lady Gladiators within striking distance, 25-16, with 2:40 remaining in the first half.

Clifton adds another bucket but Rossa swishes a three-ball from the right corner to make the score 27-19. The Lady Cubs get a pair of free-throws but Rossa answers, with 0:07 left, and pulls up for a jumper to make the halftime score 29-21. Clifton leads but Rossa put in eleven points in the first half while Richards dropped in eight-points, including two three-pointers.

Richards scores first for the Lady Gladiators to start the second half but Clifton still leads 29-23. With Clifton up 31-23, Italy’s C. Birdsong forces a turnover and Richards swishes her third three-pointer of the contest, 31-26, with Clifton still leading at the 5:40 mark of the third.

Clifton answers with basket and then Bailey Bumpus passes to J. Copeland who gets fouled in the paint. J. Copeland makes the first foul shot to make the score 33-27. The next shot misses but Bumpus skies in for the rebound. Unfortunately, Bumpus’s follow rattles out but Rossa records a block at the other end.

Eventually, Clifton goes 1-of-2 from the line and leads 34-27, 4:20 left in the third. Italy goes into attack mode but struggles to land a shot. Finally, Richards finds Rossa cutting to the basket for a Lady Gladiator basket, 35-29 Clifton leads. The Lady Cubs score one last time in the quarter and lead 37-29 heading into the fourth.

Rossa steals the ball and passes to C. Birdsong. Rossa receives the pass back and drills her second three-pointer of the game, pulling the Lady Gladiators within five-points, 37-32. C. Birdsong then drives into the paint and draws a shooting foul. Both foul shots count and the score is now 37-34 with 6:50 left in the game.

The Lady Cubs begin to pull away, yet again, and build a 49-34 cushion. An inbound pass to Rossa results in her third three-pointer to make the score 49-37. J. Copeland scores a layup to make the game 50-39 with 0:50 to play but the Lady Cubs hold on for the win.

Varsity Boys game:
Heath Clemons passes inside to Larry Mayberry, Jr. and Italy leads 2-0 in the first eighteen seconds. Clifton ties but Clemons passes to Jase Holden to finish the fast break and Italy leads again, 4-2. Jasenio Anderson catches the Cubs hibernating and inbounds to Mayberry for an easy score underneath, 6-2 Italy.

Holden causes a turnover and then Clemons dribbles the length of the court for a layup to give the Gladiators an 8-2 edge. Holden steals again but is unable to get the finger roll to drop in. Colton Campbell tracks the rebound and swishes in the follow and Italy leads 10-2. Tough defense by Mayberry allows Anderson to push the ball up the floor. Anderson forgoes the layup attempt and, instead, passes behind him to a trailing Clemons who makes the score 12-2.

Holden records a block but the Cubs eventually score to make the game 12-4. Anderson responds and gets fouled while scoring the layup. Anderson’s free shot rims off but the wily senior collects his own miss. Italy is unable to score until Holden follows in a Clemons miss to put Italy up 16-4. Campbell steals the ensuing Clifton inbound pass and scores immediately to put Italy up 18-4 with 3:55 remaining in the first quarter.

Ryan Ashcraft and Cole Hopkins check in for the Gladiators and Campbell pulls up from the left wing to make the score 20-4. With the score 20-8, Hopkins scores near the basket and Italy leads 22-8. The Cubs knock down a three-pointer but Italy’s Devonta Simmons scores soon after entering the game and the Gladiators lead 24-11 with 1:55 to play in the quarter.

Simmons scores Italy’s next basket and the Gladiators lead 26-12 at the 1:02 mark. The Cubs have four straight points in the final minute but Italy has control as the game moves into the second quarter, 26-16.

Clemons wisely deflects a lose ball up court to Anderson who makes the layup and Italy leads 28-16. Anderson steals the ball and finds Mayberry inside, 30-16 Italy. Italy leads 32-16 when Anderson steals the ball again and spins between two Cubs’ defenders for the lay in, 34-16 Italy. With the score 34-20, Campbell passes to Anderson who swishes in a three-pointer, 37-20 Italy.

Anderson sparks a fast break, passes to Clemons who gets the ball to Mayberry for the lay in and Italy leads 39-20. Another Anderson steal results in an Anderson layup and the Gladiators go up 41-20. Italy outnumbers the Cubs on a fast break and Holden dishes to Sephus who increases Italy’s lead 43-20 with 4:30 left in the first half.

Clifton answers with a fast break three-pointer, 43-23. Simmons grabs an offensive board and fades away for the baseline jumper, 45-24 Italy. Clifton trickles in the last six-points of the half but the Gladiators lead 45-30 at intermission.

A Hopkins jumper in the lane gives Italy a 54-35 lead in the third quarter. Campbell passes to Anderson who drills the three-bomb and Italy leads 57-37 with 3:45 to play in the quarter. Hopkins knocks down a jumper from the wing and Italy leads 59-43. Anderson passes to Ashcraft who leans in for the score, 61-43 Italy. Clifton adds a bucket before the quarter ends but Italy is coasting by this point, 61-45.

Campbell hits a three-pointer to make the score 64-45. Moments later, Ashcraft scores underneath the basket and Italy leads 68-49. After a Cub three-pointer, Campbell scores to make the score 70-52 in Italy’s favor. Clemons rebounds and passes out to Campbell who scores again, 72-52 Italy. Anderson puts in another three-pointer and the Gladiators go up 75-52 with 4:20 remaining.

Brandon Souder keeps the pressure on Clifton’s offense while Mayberry goes 1-of-2 from the foul line as does Anderson, Italy leads 77-54. Holden caps off the win for the Gladiators with one last free-throw and Italy dominates the Cubs 78-60 in Clifton.

Go Italy!