STARKE – Traavis and Adrian Chandler played basketball together as high schoolers at Bradford County High School, played basketball together at Nova Southeastern University and coached side-by-side back at Bradford County High School before Traavis Chandler headed back south to Miami Northwestern High School and Adrian Chandler stayed at Bradford County.

Until Friday night.

“I’m 33, he’s 34, both went to Bradford, played college ball together, roommates in college,” said Traavis Chandler, head boys basketball coach at Fleming Island High School. “I left, went to Miami and he stayed and took over and kept it pumping baby.”

Adrian Chandler, head coach at Bradford County High and a cousin to Traavis Chandler, claims he was the faster of the two on the court, but Traavis was a little more intense.

“We grew up together like brothers would, always playing and hanging out together,” said Adrian Chandler. “We played and coached here to a bunch of region playoff games together. Now, we’re playing against each other. It’s going to be a great game.”

At the Friday games of the Dec. 16-17 Bradford County Kiwanis Basketball Christmas Invitational, Oakleaf lost to eventual tournament champion Bishop Snyder in the semifinals 48-47 on Friday to set up a championship game on Saturday (to be divulged at end of story) with the winner of the Fleming Island vs. Bradford County next on the night’s docket.

“Hostile crowd, loud fans and fast basketball all make it a great environment,” said Traavis Chandler. “It would be up to Adrian and me to make it a great game.”

The crowd was not disappointed.

In the Oakleaf semifinal, the Knights, who beat Cornerstone Christian (9-2) Academy the night before to advance to the semifinal against Snyder, opened with a four-corner stall start that got the score to 21-21 at the break before inching to a 42-38 lead into the fourth quarter. Subsequently, Snyder responded in the fourth to tie the game at 42-42 with 2:38 left in the game. A series of loose ball scrambles and intentional fouls ended with Oakleaf guard Jonathan Bryant planting a layup with an extra free throw with 5.7 seconds left on the clock. Uncharacteristically, Bryant missed the free throw with forward Dominique Mitchell’s offensive rebound and shot getting launched downcourt to end the game. Oakleaf would rebound with a 52-49 win in the consolation game over the loser of the Fleming Island v. Bradford game (to be announced later). Junior guard Deonte Sherwood hit a 65 foot shot with no time on the clock for the win. It was Sherwood’s birthday.

For Fleming Island (9-6 overall) and a winner of Stetson in their tournament opener, the Chandler v. Chandler battle opened up with Bradford guard Jimtaz Curry shredding the nets on his first two shots as Bradford (6-4) opened a quick 10-6 lead much to the delight of the Tornado fans in the gym.

From there, Bradford eased away to a 12-10 first quarter lead and a 39-31 halftime lead that left Traavis Chandler slightly uneased.

“It was like a chess game,” said Traavis Chandler. “I would glance at him and he would look at me. We caught eyes a couple of times and all I could think about was ‘what’s he going to do’?”

The game seemed to be getting away from Fleming Island until guards Brandon Olsen and Graham Woods scrappy play put the score at 46-44 for Bradford as the fourth quarter started.

Olsen would tie the game at 48-48 with a pickpocket steal at halfcourt and layup that injected life into the Fleming Island defense.

Fleming Island raced to a 53-50 lead off the steal with a second Olsen steal and layup and a monster three point shot from the corner with 2:46 to go. Two free throws from guard Eric Collins on a drive edged up the score to 55-50, but Bradford was not submitting to the pressure of the game and responded with their own flurry to tie the game at 55-55 with 40 seconds.

With both teams shoring up their defensive tenacity at midcourt, it was Collins snaring a rebound off a missed shot by Curry and heading downcourt with center Daniel Sanborn five steps in front of him. Collins hit Sanborn with a pass just before the paint and Sanborn circled in for the layup.

“I kept thinking I have to make it or I’m going to shoot myself in the foot,” said Sanborn. “Coach Chandler has us being able to play all four quarters and not letting up. We did not let the first half phase us.”

And, yes, he did make the layup to win the game for Fleming Island 57-55.

“This game was an experience,” said Traavis Chandler. “I was proud of our resilience. We were trailing the whole game. It was a good victory for us.”

Fleming Island played Bishop Snyder in Saturday’s championship game and lost an 84-75 decision.

Sanborn, with 25 points in the championship game, was named to the All-Tournament team.