Shannon Daulton, Tony Morrision, BJ Ussery, and Jimmie Bullis (owner of Speak Eazy Billiards)
The last time Tony Morrison met B.J. Ussery in an event final, there was 8” of snow on the ground in Burlington, NC, and they were the last two standing in a field of four that had braved the hazardous road conditions to participate in a stop on the Jacoby Custom Cues Carolina Tour back in January. Ussery won that contest from the hot seat, 11-6; the first of four he'd win on the Carolina tour in 2010. Exactly 43 days shy of one year later, the two met again in the finals of the last stop on the 2010 Great Southern Billiard Tour, and this time, it was Morrison in the hot seat, who prevailed to win his first stop on that tour. The $1,500-added event, sponsored by Nick Varner Cues and Cases, Andy Gilbert Custom Cues, Delta 13 racks, Tiger Products, and Mike Davis Exterminating, was held on the weekend of December 18-19, and drew 60 entrants to Speak Eazy Billiards in Sanford, NC.
Morrison went undefeated on the weekend, while Ussery had to claw his way back through five matches on the one-loss side to meet him in the finals. From among the winners' side final four, Morrison sent Michael Fuller west 9-8, as Brian White (who'd just sent Ussery over from among the winners' side final eight) defeated Alex Olinger 11-6. With White needing to reach 11 in the handicapped format, Morrison gained the hot seat 9-6.
On the one-loss side, Ussery defeated Shawn Ray 11-6, and Sam Monday 11-8, to pick up Fuller. Vernon Rogers, on a five-match, one-loss side streak of his own, defeated Dave Brown in a double hill match and Delton Howard 7-6 to draw Olinger. Rogers advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-6 victory over Olinger, as Ussery downed Fuller 11-8 to join him. Ussery then got his chance to avenge his earlier defeat at the hands of White, with an 11-5 victory over Rogers.
Ussery then exacted his revenge with an 11-5 victory over White in the semifinals, and moved into the finals against Morrison. Mindful, perhaps, of the two victories Ussery had chalked up against him 322 days ago, Morrison took an early lead that he never relinquished. He won the opening set of the true double elimination final 11-5 to capture his first GSBT win.
