by Clark Francis Hoop Scoops Tuesday, December 30, 2003 For the second straight day I caught a 5:45 AM flight and arrived in Myrtle Beach, SC in time to watch the first game of the final day at the Beach Ball Classic, which featured 6'8 Rudy Gay from Severn (Archbishop Spalding) MD against 6'7 Jr Kevin Swinton from Greensboro (Dudley) NC and 6'6 Soph William Graves in what turned out to be one of the most interesting match-ups of the entire Holiday Tournament season. Gay, who is ranked #8 nationally in the senior class by the HOOP SCOOP, finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds, but 18 of those points came in the first half, as he put on a show from both mid-range and beyond the arc (7-15 field goals and 4-8 3-pointers). Swinton and Graves combined for 35 points and 13 rebounds, but Graves was the more aggressive of the two inside, plus he impressed us with his ability to handle and shoot, as he hit 2-5 3-pointers and handled the ball some on the perimeter. In other words, Graves, who is ranked #23 nationally in the sophomore class by the HOOP SCOOP, proved that he's the better of the two, even though Swinton is ranked higher (#21 nationally in the junior class by the HOOP SCOOP). Remember, the sophomore class is much better than the junior class, plus Swinton already had a reputation for being a dominant force against lesser competition, but not as tough when matched up against better players his own size. And, while Swinton didn't back down and he did show some flashes, he still did not step up and take the game over the way he had hoped he would. And that's why Archbishop Spalding never got closer than five in the second half. Also stepping up for Archbishop Spalding were 6'5 Jr Lawrence Dixon, who finished with 14 points, 12 of which came in the second half, and 6'0 Jesse Brooks, who finished with eight points, 11 assists, two steals, and three turnovers. Final Score: Severn (Archbishop Spalding) MD 64, Greensboro (Dudley) NC 53.