The Rays had the opportunity to head up to Vero Beach for their annual tournament,  and the team left on Friday the 27th and returned home on Sunday the 29th. The Rays faced St. Edwards and Sebastian River, both teams ranked 200 spots higher than the Rays. Even with these daunting stats, the Rays didn’t let the rankings dictate how they would play Friday against Sebastian River. They played a strong 1st half before things went south, and the game ended 84-44 in favor of Sebastian River. The 2nd game went a little better for the Rays, as they were able to bridge the gap with a 71-43 loss to St. Edwards. 

Due to these two losses the Rays headed home early on Sunday, and finished 4th overall in the tournament. St. Edwards, who beat our Rays by 40, ended up winning the tournament. Grayson Jones says “It was a great experience for us to bond and grow together.” It wasn’t all basketball up in Vero Beach, the Rays went to dinner, bowling, and many other team building activities. They had a great time and alumni Joseph Reisinger, who was helping coach Watt, said “ This is a great group of guys, and I have high expectations for them in the PCAC.” The Rays will have a couple more practices before they head up to Ave Maria for their first PCAC game.