PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The third annual Battle at the Beach concluded Wednesday with No. 2 ranked Loyola and Receiving Votes Faulkner winning their respective brackets. The eight participating teams each competed in three games over the course of the Thanksgiving week event including match play Monday and bracket play Tuesday and Wednesday.
The 2021 Battle at the Beach All-Tournament Team, announced Thursday, consists of 10 players with five coming from each bracket. Among that group is a Most Valuable Player honoree for each bracket.
The 2021 "Battle Tested" squad appears in its entirety below.
Gulf Bracket
Brandon Davis, Loyola – The LaPlace, La. native may be one of the new faces on the Loyola roster, but he has certainly ingratiated himself to his teammates quickly. His energetic, selfless style of play saw him average 15.3 points, 3.3 boards, 3.7 assists and 2.7 steals in Panama City.
Anquaevious Pollard – LSU Alexandria – A 6-7 forward from Lanett, Ala., Pollard did more than look the part over the course of the week. The athletic General big man averaged 18.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Trenton Sandifer, Science & Arts – Sandifer punctuated an impressive tournament run with an incredible performance against No. 2 Loyola Wednesday. The Dallas, Texas native scored 25 points and grabbed six rebounds in the effort. He averaged 16.3 points and nine rebounds per contest over the course of the tournament.
Ricky Shuford, Brescia – It showtime every time the St. Louis stat sheet stuffer stepped onto the floor in Panama City. The engine of the Bearcat offense, Shuford finished the week averaging 17.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and two steals per contest.
Zach Wrightsil, Loyola – The MVP of the Gulf Bracket, the Prosper, Texas native posted a week that will live long in Battle at the Beach lore. He averaged 17.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.7 steals and a block a contest. But it was his 24-point, 21-rebound performance against No. 12 USAO in the Gulf Bracket Championship that may end up being a data point on a resume for NAIA Player of the Year.
Bay Bracket
Lony Francis, LSU Shreveport – At 6-7 with no shortage of intensity, Francis proved to be a difference maker all week for the Pilots. The Columbus, Ohio native averaged 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game in the tournament.
C.J. Hines, Faulkner – The MVP of the Bay Bracket, Hines did a little bit of everything in the three Faulkner victories. He averaged 17 points, seven rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.7 steals and a block a game. But the Atlanta, Ga. native really turned heads with a 23-point, 12-rebound performance against Baptist Bible that also included two assists, three steals and a pair of blocked shots.
Trent McBride, Baptist Bible – Facing a variety of skillsets at the five spot all week long, McBride constantly played his game on both end of the floor. The Eminence, Mo. native matched strength and showed off an array of post moves on the way to averaging 14.3 points and five rebounds per game for the NCCAA standouts.
Jalon Perry, Faulkner – Perry proved to be one of the most consistent scorers in the tournament over the course of the week. The Live Oak, Fla. native averaged 16 points to go along with 4.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists.
Keshon Tabb, Rust – It would be hard to ask for much more out of the Bearcat dynamo than what he did over the course of the week. The Richmond, Va. native averaged 12 points, three boards, 6.7 assists and 2.7 steals per contest. His week included a 19-point, six-rebound, seven-assist, six-steal game in the opener against LSU Alexandria as well as the assist on the buzzer-beating game-winner that knocked off No. 20 LSU Shreveport.
