Gibbs nabs first state championship since 1969 in 4A win over Andrew Jackson
LAKELAND, FLORIDA- 55 years.
Nearly six decades was the last time the Gibbs Gladiators hoisted a state championship back in 1969. Now, they've recaptured that feeling of bringing a title back to the 'Burg'.
The Gladiators got a big lift from junior power forward Bobby Crawford in the third quarter, with Gibbs defeating Andrew Jackson 49-43 for the Class 4A state championship Saturday afternoon at the RP Funding Center.
Gibbs nabbed its third overall state championship in program history and they were able to avenge a loss to Andrew Jackson from back in the regular season, a 52-48 decision on Jan. 5.
"It's a great feeling considering we've been here two years in a row," Gibbs head coach Larry Murphy said. "It's been kind of our theme for the whole year that we've got to finally get over the hump. We put in a lot of work over the off-season to get this."
Andrew Jackson (26-4) looked to take control early on around the rim, with the Tigers getting easy buckets. After two made Octavius Lawson free throws put Andrew Jackson ahead 16-10, Gibbs (27-5) started to fight back behind the play of playmaking guard Jacob Daniels (22 points, five rebounds).
Throughout the second period, every possession was hotly contested by each side. With points becoming ever increasingly difficult to come by, both teams dug in defensively.
By halftime, the Tigers led 22-18 and Murphy's Gladiators knew something had to change. Not just X's and O's wise, but effort along the offensive and defensive sides around the rim. That's where Crawford packed a punch for Gibbs.
"I mean, we came into the game confident," Murphy added. "We had already played (Andrew Jackson) up in Jacksonville. We all watched film and looked at some things. We said if we come out and be Gibbs High School, we will be all right."
Crawford (12 points, 12 points) helped the Gladiators be more like themselves in the third period, with the junior scoring six points and blocking a couple shots. The power forward paired with Daniels to form a dangerous duo in the second half.
The Tigers continued holding onto the lead up until the latter moments of the third quarter, as momentum began to change at the 30-25 mark. Something certainly jolted the Gladiators to turn it up a notch.
"Whenever I get down in a game, I always think of what Michael Jordan said," Gibbs guard Oneal Delancy said. "I never lost a game, I just ran out of time. I think anytime we're down, we can come back."
Gibbs did that and more, ending a 55-year drought of not winning a state championship. Daniels and Crawford linked up for a no-look pass for a dunk with less than four minutes left in the game. The Gladiators at that point could see a state championship win coming their way.
Murphy pointed out a couple of the adjustments his staff made against Andrew Jackson was to force them to be more of a jump shooting team. By switching to a zone defense, it made the Tigers take the open looks that wouldn't fall.
Now, the Gladiators are taking home hardware back to the 727.
-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sblivefl
