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Champions once again
Gladiators repeat winning 2OT thriller
Courtesy of the Rome News-Tribune
The WBA's best two teams and best two players were on display Saturday night.
But there was only one trophy for the taking, and the Rome Gladiators made sure it belonged to them.
Again.
Showing great poise and relentless depth, the Gladiators claimed their second straight WBA title by earning a 125-114 double-overtime victory over Cartersville in the league's championship game at Shorter's Winthrop King Centre.
"This one was sweeter than last year," said head coach Harold Ellis. "We proved tonight that we have the best 12 players in this league, hands down. We've had the best record all year and tonight was the final proof of who's No. 1."
Rome and Cartersville entered the playoffs as the No. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively, and the match-up of the two teams provided for a thrilling championship game.
But Rome ultimately showed itself to be the deeper squad, outscoring Cartersville 15-4 in the second OT to put an exclamation point on their third season of existence.
"We have at least five guys who come off the bench for us that could be starting for any team in this league," said forward Edmund Saunders, who finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
"Our depth has been big for us all year, and it was the difference tonight."
The league announced before the game that Rome's Shaun Fountain and Cartersville's Mike Dean were being named the WBA's Co-Players of the Year. And both players proved themselves deserving of the honor.
Dean, the former Coosa star, scored 29 points on 11-of-28 shooting. Fountain finished with 25 points, nine assists and six rebounds and was named the playoffs' MVP to go along with his regular-season award.
"Winning the two awards is great," said Fountain. "It shows that hard work, prayer and believing in yourself go a long way.
"But more than (the individual honors), I'm just thrilled that we won the title," he said. "Throughout my basketball career, I've come close so many times but I never got over the hump until tonight."
But Cartersville certainly made the Glads work for this one. Though the Warriors never led at any stage of the game, they picked some opportune times to tie the score.
They tied it for the first time all night with 1.5 seconds to go in regulation, then overcame a seven-point deficit in the first overtime to tie it again and send it into double OT.
But Rome opened the second extra session with a 10-2 run and held on from there.
Five Rome players finished in double figures. In addition to Fountain and Saunders, Ray Cunningham scored 18 points, Rashiem Wright scored 17 (including nine in the second overtime) and Carl Edwards finished with 10.
"We won this thing as a group just like we've done all season long," said Ellis, who was named the league's Co-Coach of the Year, sharing the award with Cartersville's David Archer. "I'm so proud of this team."
The WBA is an assemblage of far-flung teams from all over the Southeast. But there wasn't much travel required for the teams - or their fans - for Friday's all North Georgia affair, which was played in front of a good-sized crowd at the WKC. (The building was roughly three-quarters full).
"I can't thank the fans enough," said Ellis. "This gym had a lot of energy tonight and they've supported us so well the past two years."
The Glads opened the night with a 9-0 run, led 27-20 at the end of the first quarter, 53-41 at the half and 79-67 at the end of the third. But the Warriors, led by Dean, charged back to tie it in the fourth quarter, setting the stage for the late drama.
"Give Cartersville credit, they gave us a really hard test," said Saunders. "But we showed who was the best team." Again.
NOTE: Former Atlanta Hawk Mike Glenn, who played at Coosa, was the emcee of the pregame and postgame ceremonies.
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