John Paul II boys take home 2nd tournament trophy of hoops season

Rashad Battiste scored 28 points and pulled down 20 rebounds as John Paul II captured its second tournament crown this season, using a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat Andrew Jackson 67-64 in Saturday’s final of the Indian Invitational at Orangeburg.

The Golden Warriors (9-1) trailed by as many as 12 points in the final quarter, but stormed back with 24 points in the period to claim the title.

“They simply would not give up,” JP2 coach Stacy Benedik said. “They locked in defensively and were able to make some key shots down the stretch.”

Battiste, who tallied 60 points and 36 rebounds in the two-game set, was named the tournament MVP. Point guard Thomas Kender also was named to the all-tournament team.

Nyleem Wright added 13 points and five rebounds for the Golden Warriors, who also captured the War Hawk Invitational two weeks ago in Walterboro.

“I couldn’t be more proud of our kids,” Benedik said. “We won four games last year, but they have worked on their games and have worked on becoming a better basketball team. ... To be able to win two championship trophies this year has meant a lot to them and means a lot to our school.”

This story was originally published December 18, 2016 at 10:13 AM with the headline "John Paul II boys take home 2nd tournament trophy of hoops season."