Calhoun County boys top Lee County in summer contest

LEESBURG — The Lee County Trojans entertained the Calhoun County Cougars in summer basketball Thursday in Leesburg and the visiting Cougars went home with a 49-44 win over the Trojans in the varsity game. The Lee County JV team won easily, 48-25.

In the varsity game, Calhoun opened with a full-court press and played with lights-out speed and Lee County trailed 23-18 and the Cougars scored the first four points of the second half to lead 27-18. The Trojans bounced back, however, when rising junior Braylon Chaney swished three three-pointers in a row to tie the game 27-27.

The two teams went back and forth without anyone getting a real advantage until Calhoun’s Zechariah Canidate slammed home two points and then made two more baskets to help the Cougars pull away to a 41-36 lead with 1:40 left to play.

Left to foul to try and get closer to taking the win, the Trojans put Calhoun’s Jasiyah Suber on the free-throw line. Suber swished four consecutive free throws in the final 12 seconds to keep the Cougars in front as Calhoun took the win.

“Calhoun County has a good, scrappy team that is well coached,” said Lee County head coach Kirven Davis. “”Their style of play was good for our young team and I’m anxious to see how we respond to adversity when it presents itself again.”

Calhoun County head coach Marcus Shaw liked what he saw.

“Our guys competed well with very limited practice. We are pleased with the outcome but we have a lot to work on, but that is what summer is for,” said Shaw. “We are looking to identify our weaknesses and clean things up for the regular season. We will be at the Florida State team camp now through Sunday.”

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