Cory Rush poured in a game high 19 points and the Andrews High basketball team took home the trophy in the inaugural Georgetown County Christmas Classic on Tuesday, defeating Carvers Bay 58-46 at Georgetown High.

Rush was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and the Yellow Jackets won their fourth consecutive game to improve their record to 8-3.

“To be able to win the first Georgetown County Christmas tournament is exciting for us,” Andrews coach Kevin Branham said. “I was happy with the way we played throughout. It’s a good way for us to close out (2009).”

Andrews built an early double-figure lead before Carvers Bay (8-2) mounted its comeback, tying the game in the second half. But a return to basics by the ‘Jackets provided them with the breathing room they needed to take the win.

“We didn’t play well for a stretch, we had gotten away from doing the things that had allowed us to build the lead,” Branham said. “But down the stretch, we got back to creating turnovers and getting the key rebounds we needed.”

Said Carvers Bay coach Jeff Mezzatesta, “I was pleased with the effort we had to get back into the game. We just couldn’t finish things off. Give credit to Andrews. They played a great game and did what they needed to do.”

 With the tournament over, both teams will take a break for the Christmas holiday before returning to practice next week.

“We’ve played a lot of games in a short period of time,” Branham said. “It will be good to get some time off for the holiday, rest up and be with family and friends.”

Said Mezzatesta, “We’ve got a week off to recuperate. We’re playing well overall. We’ve seen a lot of positive things. We’re continuing to improve and make progress.”

Branham and Mezzatesta were each optimistic that the tournament can become a holiday tradition for the area – in previous seasons teams have traveled outside the county during the Christmas break.

The hope for the future is that a sponsor can be found and the field – which this year consisted of eight teams – could eventually be expanded.

“For the first year, I thought the tournament had a good start,” Mezzatesta said. “With the way the economy is, you have to be creative. Having the tournament here is good for our kids. It gives them a chance to showcase their skills and stay close to home for the holidays. Hopefully, this is something we will be able to build on.”

Said Branham, “There is a lot of basketball talent in Georgetown County. Having this tournament allows people to see that.

“For the first year, I thought it ran smoothly. We had great support and we owe a special thanks to (Waccamaw) coach (Mike) Quinn and (Georgetown) coach (Stitch) Walker for hosting the tournament this year. I think its something everyone would like to see continue. The hope is that we can make that work.”

Andrews’ Stefon Collins and Carvers Bay’s Carlton Geathers were both named to the All-Tournament team.

By R.G. Green

rgtgreene@aol.com