FORT MYERS, Fla. — On every trip to the free-throw line, and at the end of every nail-biter or blowout, it never fails, Davante Provost always positions his feet, takes a deep breath and tells his mother, Shirley, that he loves her.

“Always,” said Provost, a senior combo guard at Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.). “It makes me relax a lot more when I do that. It’s like she’s still here with me.”

Every little bit helps when you’re playing in a premiere showcase like the City of Palms Classic which started Friday. The Wolverines lost their first two games and will play Lake Wales (Lake Wales, Fla.) Wednesday at 10:40 a.m. E.T. in their final game.

“It’s a tough tournament, there’s no doubt about it,” Provost said. “It will be good to have my mother there in spirit.”

Provost was just 5 when his mother died of congestive heart failure in 1999, but outside of his 11 brothers and sisters crying hysterically, the “worst day” of his life is somewhat of a blur.

“I really just remember being confused because everyone was crying,” Provost said. “It’s like I knew what happened, but I didn’t really understand.”

What Provost does remember is his delayed reaction. It wasn’t until four years later that the full brunt of Shirley’s passing hit him suddenly.

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