Gibson scores 26 in rout for fifth place
DePaul’s Umoja Gibson poured in 26 points and distributed seven assists Saturday afternoon as Portsmouth Sports Club routed Norfolk Sports Club 112-68 in the fifth-place game of the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.
With dozens of scouts from the NBA and other pro leagues watching in Churchland High’s gym, Gibson sank all six of his 3-point tries and 10 of 12 field-goal attempts overall. He had plenty of offensive support on a team that shot 59.2% (45 of 76).
Chattanooga’s Jake Stephens and UCLA’s Tyger Campbell had 17 points apiece, while Southern Utah’s Tevian Jones added 15 and Gonzaga’s Rasir Bolton 12.
For Norfolk Sports Club, Texas’ Timmy Allen had 14 points, five rebounds and six assists. Wake Forest’s Tyree Appleby, Kent State’s Sincere Carry and Nebraska’s Derrick Walker scored 11 each.
Jani-King 79, Portsmouth Partnership 62:
UAB’s Trey Jemison had 20 points and 14 rebounds and New Mexico’s Morris Udeze had 14 points and 13 rebounds as JaniKing took seventh place.
Kris Bankston of Norfolk State had seven points, four rebounds and three blocks in 25 minutes for the victors.
The Partnership team, which led 32-31 at halftime but was outscored 27-14 in the third quarter, hit just 22 of 77 field-goal attempts and was outrebounded 51-40. Dayton’s Toumani Camara had 12 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, Arizona State’s Desmond Cambridge had 12 points and Division II Augusta’s Tyshaun Crawford had 11 points.
Late Friday
Sales Systems, Ltd. 86, Roger Brown’s Restaurant 80, 2 OTs:
West Virginia’s Erik Stevenson scored 23 points as Sales Systems, Ltd. won one of the most competitive games in PIT annals, going to double overtime to do so.
The contest feature 16 lead changes and 12 ties.
In the second overtime, San Diego State’s Nathan Mensah — the only man from this year’s Final Four in the 64-player event — scored two key baskets for Sales Systems. He finished with one of Sales Systems’ three double-doubles, compiling 17 points and 10 rebounds. LSU’s KJ Williams had 15 points and 17 rebounds, and Rutgers’ Caleb McConnell had 16 points and 12 rebounds.
For Roger Brown’s, Oklahoma’s Tanner Groves had 19 points and eight rebounds. Loyola Marymount’s Cam Shelton, Missouri’s D’Moi Hodge and Toledo’s JT Shumate netted 12 points each. Virginia Tech’s Justyn Mutts had four points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.
K&D Round’s Landscaping 104, Mike Duman Auto Sales 93:
Texas Tech’s Kevin Obanor poured in 29 points for K&D Round’s in Friday’s first semifinal.
Obanor hit 9 of 16 field-goal tries and 8 of 11 free throws. Iowa’s Filip Rebraca had 18 points, hitting all seven of his field-goal attempts, and Memphis’ Kendric Davis added 14 points for K&D. Their team outscored Duman 31-16 in the second quarter for a 51-33 and went on to score in triple digits for the second consecutive time.
Providence’s Ed Croswell had 21 points and 13 rebounds — 10 on the offensive end — for Duman. Memphis’ DeAndre Williams had 17 points and Pittsburgh’s Jamarius Burton scored 13. Darius McGhee, Liberty’s all-time leading scorer, was held to 11 points after amassing 22 in the first round.
For coverage of Saturday night’s championship game between Sales Systems, Ltd. and K&D Round’s Landscaping, visit
or and look in Monday’s editions.
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Hendon Hooker is fluid on the football field and mobile in NFL meeting rooms, where he’s been hurdling concerns about his age, health and playing style.
The 25-year-old former Tennessee quarterback who tore the ACL in his left knee less than five months ago has spent his predraft visits with teams explaining the complexity of the Volunteers’ seemingly simplistic spread offense. It’s one that has raised concerns about how his game will translate to the pros, where he’ll have to read the entire field and not lock in on his primary target so much.
“I can make any throw,” Hooker said. “The way we run our offense, the wide splits, those are all grown-men throws. I’m not throwing any 5-yard outs. Those are all big-boy balls.”
Hooker pounces at questions about how he’ll do in a pro-style offense.
“I can’t help that defenders can’t guard my receivers. My job is to get them the ball,” Hooker said. “A lot of these questions about one-sided reads, we have pure progressions and routes. It’s not my fault that my first read is getting open.”
And don’t be fooled, Hooker added, there’s a lot going on underneath that cool demeanor of his that makes it seem like he’s just leisurely playing catch.
Hooker figures to be the fifth quarterback selected in the NFL draft later this month, behind sure-fire first-rounders Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Will Levis and Anthony Richardson.
“I really like Hendon Hooker,” NFL Network draft analyst Daniel
Yasmani Grandal tied the game in the 10th inning with a bloop RBI double and ”scar Colás followed it with an RBI single to give the Chicago White Sox a 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday in Chicago.
White Sox reliever Jimmy Lambert (1-0) picked up the win despite allowing an unearned run in the ninth.
Baltimore scored in the top of the 10th, with Jorge Mateo leading off with a sacrifice bunt to move Terin Vavra to third and Adley Rutschman beating out a potential double play to score Vavra.
But Grandal’s double off reliever Austin Voth (0-2) started something for Chicago. Jake Burger singled, and Colás scored pinch-runner Seby Zavala with his single.
Andrew Benintendi broke a 1-all tie in the fifth inning with a one-out RBI double to right, scoring Elvis Andrus from first base to put the White Sox ahead 2-1.
Jeremiah said, citing his accuracy, acumen and adjustability.
Hooker’s age — he’ll turn 26 by the end of his rookie season — and health — he tore the ACL in his left knee in a game against South Carolina on Nov. 19 — have many predicting that he’ll slide into the second round. But Jeremiah has him going to the Vikings at No. 23 in his latest mock draft.
The 2022 SEC Offensive Player of the Year spent three years at Virginia Tech and the last two at Tennessee.
Patrick Mahomes is just two years older than Hooker, but has already played six NFL seasons and won a pair of Super Bowl rings. Jalen Hurts is 24 and has three years’ NFL experience and
Chicago White Sox shortstop Elvis Andrus slides safely into home plate as Baltimore Orioles catcher James McCann reaches for the ball Saturday in Chicago.
White Sox reliever Kendall Graveman allowed a two-out triple to Austin Hays in the seventh. After walking Adam Frazier, Graveman hit Ramón Urías in the helmet to load the bases. Urías was on the ground for several minutes before walking off the field on his own with a team trainer. He did not return to the game. a Super Bowl appearance.
“If you told me you draft Hendon Hooker in the second round and he is your starting quarterback for seven, eight really good years, I think you take it,” Jeremiah said. “I think Hendon Hooker has a chance to be a real value pick for someone.”
Hooker could end up sitting a year behind an established starter, too, something that would assuage any concerns about his surgically repaired knee.
The more pressing concern is how Hooker’s game will translate to the next level after operating in Tennessee’s super-spread offense, where he had to get the ball out lickety-split and rarely came off his first read.
Graveman then walked pinch-hitter Ryan O’Hearn to score Hays from third, giving Baltimore a 5-4 lead.
Andrew Vaughn tied the game in the seventh with a two-out RBI double that scored Andrus from first.
Orioles starter Kyle Gibson allowed four runs on seven hits in 5 ⅓ innings.
Putting that style aside, “I’ll just say when you are evaluating him, the accuracy, the decision-making, the poise, the athleticism to be able to move around and create with his legs, to throw as well as to run, all those things are all there,” Jeremiah siad.
Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel said the intangibles such as leadership and charisma are what will make Hooker somebody’s franchise quarterback.
“I’ve never been around anybody that’s been a stronger or more impactful leader than Hendon Hooker is,” Heupel said. “Our program is not where it’s at today unless Hendon is a part of our locker room.”
Late Friday
Adley Rutschman gave Baltimore the lead with a three-run double in the seventh inning in a victory at Chicago.
The Orioles tagged the White Sox bullpen for all six runs to win for the fourth time in their past five outings.
Mike Baumann (1-0), the first of four Orioles relievers, got the win. Félix Bautista worked the ninth for his fourth save in five chances.
Josh Bell hit his first home run since signing with Cleveland, and the visiting Guardians rallied against Washington’s bullpen for a victory.
Will Brennan drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth on a light grounder for Cleveland, which earned its first victory in Washington since Aug. 9, 2016. The Nationals had won the teams’ past four meetings.
Luis García hit his first homer of the season for Washington.