Battery Creek boys lose by 1 in final of Jacksonville tournament

Battery Creek's bid for the championship at the Bolles Holiday Tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., came up just short Wednesday, with the Dolphins falling, 47-46, to area boys basketball power Robert E. Lee.

The Dolphins held a 46-44 lead with less than 5 seconds to play and a Generals player at the free-throw line, Battery Creek coach John Drafts said. The shooter made just 1 of 2, but the Dolphins failed to grab the rebound, and the ensuing putback left the Beaufort County squad with just 1.9 seconds remaining for a desperation, halfcourt heave.

"It was exciting," Drafts said of the game, which the Dolphins led 24-20 at halftime. "It turned into a halfcourt game, which is what we wanted to do. ... They just made one more play than us at the end."

Junior Javari Albergottie led the Dolphins (10-2) with 16 points. Senior Brent Evans added 10 points and a team-high nine rebounds, and senior C.J. Brown contributed six assists.

The Generals (13-2) include guard Shaquille Johnson, a Division I signee with Marshall.