Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Devils Finish Second In Regional Tournament To Stephens

The Gurdon Go-Devils got another opportunity Saturday night to upset the Stephens Roadrunners, but more determined than ever the Roadrunners won the Class AA Region 7 basketball tournament, defeating the Go-Devils 69-48.

It was the fourth loss by Gurdon against the Roadrunners in as many outings. The previous Saturday Stephens had taken a 62-56 victory in the 7AA Central District Tournament.

It seems that each team can play better on the other's court. And that's the way it was last year.

Gurdon is the last team to defeat the Roadrunners and it happened last year at Stephens. In the regular season the Roadrunners came to Gurdon with the Go-Devils looking for a victory. Didn't happen. But when the Devils went to Stephens they turned the tables on the Roadrunners. Since that time no one else has defeated Stephens, which now has a 52-game winning streak.

Stephens, last year's state champions, is the top seed in this week's Class AA state tournament, which will be played at Centerpoint, between Amity and Glenwood. The Roadrunners will play Tuesday afternoon at 2:30.

Gurdon is scheduled to play Thursday afternoon at 2:30. This means that if the Go-Devils win they will play again Friday night, and if they win the quarter-finals round they will have to play Saturday night in the semi-finals. The finals will be the following Friday night in Pine Bluff.

So the Go-Devils must win. To do so means they will have to play three nights in a row without rest. They're a tough bunch and can do it.

Gurdon and Stephens are in opposite bracket in the tourney, and that means that the two teams could meet again-in the finals in Pine Bluff.

An all-out effort by Gurdon was made to get control early in the game Saturday night, but Stephens quickly jumped out to an 18-10 lead in the first quarter and Gurdon could never close the margin.

Antario Glover, who was chosen the tournament's most valuable player, led the Roadrunners in their victory with 24 points. Andre Marsh followed with 15 points and Steven Todd scored 12 points for Stephens.

Cameron House was Gurdon's leading scorer with 13 points. Rashun Hopson scored 10 points for the Go-Devils.

Terry Cornish scored 8 points for Gurdon, including two three's and Demond Beasley scored 8. Adrian Meeks hit two 3-pointers for six points and Cory Brown hit a 3-pointer.

Stephens led 33-22 by halftime and had complete control going into the final period with a 53-34 lead.