4SHOT Sports
2007-08 AHSA State Championships
Class 5A Boys Finals - Butler vs. Russellville
By Larry "L.A." Williams
Feb 29, 2008, 04:58 EST
2008 Alabama Class 5A Championship Game (Boys)
Butler vs. Russellville
Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center – Birmingham, AL
Butler holds off Russellville to win Class 5A Crown
The Eason & Ervin Show combined for 38.
 |
| Jermaine Bates and Ralph Eason get into a little tug-of-war. |
Birmingham, AL - Butler senior Ralph Eason and sophomore Ryan Ervin came up big for the Rebels scoring 19 points each as they staved off a late rally by the previously undefeated Golden Tigers from Russellville to come away with a 66-59 win to capture the 2008 AHSA Class 5A State Championship.
Butler took an early 7-1 lead as Eason and Ervin both scored. Russellville got off to a slow start but came around towards the end of the first quarter getting a three-pointer from Jordan Hammond and a pair of baskets from Jermaine Bates to cut the lead to 16-12 at the end of the first quarter.
Russellville ran off 5 quick points at the start of the second quarter to take their first lead of the game 17-16. The game see-sawed back and forth for a few minutes as the teams exchanged baskets. A lay-up by Ervin put the Rebels back in front 20-17 with just over 3:00 minutes left in the half.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Russellville (Cory Tripp and Jemaireous Chandler) helped the Golden Tigers retake the lead 23-20 but a 7-0 run spearheaded by a buzzer beater by Ervin gave Butler a 27-23 halftime lead.
Ervin continued to find room in the paint scoring a quick basket as the third quarter got underway. A sweet fastbreak move by Eason put the Rebels up 32-23 with 5:35 left in the quarter. A few minutes later
The Eason & Ervin Show continued to take top billing as they scored back-to back hoops to give the Rebels their largest lead of the game 46-33.
 |
| Russellville's Terence Smith pushes the bal up court against Butler's Justin Pride |
Spearheaded by Bates and Terence Smith the Golden Tigers ran off 9 straight points to cut Butler’s lead to 47-42 with 4:26 left to play in the game, but they would not get any closer. Down the stretch Butler’s Trevor Lacey hit 6 of 6 free-throws to put the game away.
Eason finished with 19 points and 12 boards to earn MVP and All-Tournament honors. Teammates Trevor Lacey and Ryan Ervin were also named to the All-tournament Team along with Russellville’s Jermaine Bates and Jordan Hammond. The selection committee missed that last selection. Hammond finished the game with just 6 points before fouling out. That last selection should have been Terence Smith who scored a game high 20 points while grabbing 11 rebounds for Russellville…”Washington, they forgot to get my ballot”
The Final Score: Butler 66 – Russellville 59
 |
| All-Tournament Team (from l-r) Ryan Ervin, Trevor Lacey, Ralph Eason, Jermaine Bates and Jordan Hammond. |
Scoring Recap
| |
Russellville |
|
3-pt |
|
Rebounds |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| No. |
Player |
p |
fgm-fga |
fgm-fga |
ftm-fta |
off-def |
tot |
pf |
tp |
a |
to |
blk |
stl |
| 02 |
Bates, Jermaine |
* |
6-14 |
1-4 |
3-4 |
2-3 |
5 |
4 |
16 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
| 03 |
Smith, Terence |
* |
8-14 |
1-4 |
3-8 |
3-8 |
11 |
4 |
20 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
| 04 |
Winston, Siran |
* |
2-8 |
0-2 |
3-3 |
1-2 |
3 |
5 |
7 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
| 10 |
Trapp, Cory |
* |
1-12 |
1-12 |
2-3 |
0-0 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| 14 |
Hammond, Jordan |
* |
2-3 |
2-3 |
0-0 |
2-1 |
3 |
5 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 05 |
Johnson, Chase |
- |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 12 |
McCulloch, Micah |
- |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-1 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| 15 |
Ramirez, Yovanni |
- |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 30 |
Dunstan, Nate |
- |
2-5 |
0-0 |
1-2 |
3-6 |
9 |
4 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
| 32 |
Hammock, Tucker |
- |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| |
Team Totals: |
- |
21-56 |
5-25 |
12-20 |
12-24 |
36 |
29 |
59 |
10 |
15 |
5 |
7 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Butler |
|
Total |
3-pt |
|
Rebounds |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| No. |
Player |
p |
fgm-fga |
fgm-fga |
ftm-fta |
off-def |
tot |
pf |
tp |
a |
to |
blk |
stl |
| 02 |
CHANDLER,Jermaireous |
* |
4-8 |
0-0 |
1-3 |
0-3 |
3 |
1 |
9 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
| 03 |
PRIDE,Justin |
* |
0-0 |
0-0 |
1-4 |
0-1 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
| 05 |
LACEY,Trevor |
* |
2-8 |
0-3 |
8-13 |
2-6 |
8 |
0 |
12 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| 10 |
ERVIN,Ryan |
* |
9-14 |
0-0 |
1-2 |
4-2 |
6 |
4 |
19 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
| 23 |
EASON,Ralph |
* |
5-11 |
0-0 |
9-10 |
2-10 |
12 |
4 |
19 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| 04 |
JOHNSON,Luther |
- |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-2 |
0-1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 12 |
STEELE,Charles |
- |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 14 |
BROOKS,Kevin |
- |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0-0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 22 |
JONES,Dallas |
- |
1-5 |
1-3 |
1-4 |
1-1 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
0 |
3 |
| 30 |
CLAYBORN,Carlos |
- |
0-1 |
0-0 |
2-2 |
2-1 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| |
Team Totals: |
- |
21-47 |
1-6 |
23-40 |
13-27 |
40 |
18 |
66 |
15 |
14 |
1 |
8 |
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