Flyin to the Hoop Day 2: Ohio posts big wins, PHOTOS!
After going 1-4 against out-of-state competition on Day 1 of the Flyin to the Hoop, Ohio teams turned it around Sunday and went 2-3. Not that impressive? Well Dayton Dunbar’s win over nationally ranked Whitney Young (Ill.) was.
The Wolverines 98-76 win over the No. 5 Dolphins highlighted Sunday’s action. Host Kettering Fairmont also opened the day with a win for the Buckeye State scoring a 69-56 win over Future Academy (NC).
PHOTOS! PHOTOS! PHOTOS! (CLICK HERE)
STORIES
Dunbar destroys nationally ranked Whitney Young, 98-76
Kentucky’s Calipari coming Monday
Kettering Flyin’ To The Hoop Tournament (Results and complete Box Scores)
St. Bernard Roger Bacon 55, Cleveland Heights 45
Flora Academy, N.C. 77, Dayton Thurgood Marshall 43 (OT)
Huntington Prep, W.Va. 57, Kettering Alter 47
Kettering Fairmont 69, Future Academy, N.C. 56
West Jessamine, Ky. 47, Centerville 39
Dayton Dunbar 98, Whitney Young, Ill. 76
GAME RECAPS (By Kurt Stubbs)
Late Saturday:
Findlay Prep (NV) 64 Cleveland Benedictine 60
In the night cap, powerful and defending national champion Findlay Prep (NV) met Benedictine out of Cleveland in a match up of plenty D-1 signees and prospects.
Prep, who came into the game with one loss to Columbus Northland, was able to withstand an early fight from Ohio D-2 power Benedictine to hold on for a 64-60 triumph.
The Pilots led just 28-25 at the half, but used a strong 3rd quarter to extend their lead to 47-34 by the quarter’s end.
6-foot-10 Texas signee Tristan Thompson was a man amongst boys in the 3rd frame scoring eight points, grabbing five rebounds, and swatting away a shot. Thompson handled the basketball and used a series of spin moves to create space in the paint to draw fouls and finish above the rim.
The Pilots quickly jumped on the Bengals in the final period before emptying the bench. In the absence of Thompson, senior guard Cory Joseph, and junior guard Nick Johnson the Bengals were able to mount somewhat of a comeback making the final score closer than reality.
Central Michigan signee Derek Jackson got hot in the 4th scoring 12 points including two triples and a flush off a Cameron Wright lob. Jackson scored 22 points in the game for Benny.
Thompson led Prep with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while high-major D1 recruit Joseph added 14. 6-foot-4 senior Thomas Laerke came off the bench to score nine and the freakishly athletic Johnson was able to score eight points and lock Wright down on the defensive end. Johnson is an Ohio State recruit.
Pitt signee Cameron Wright struggled mightily from the floor going 4-of-17 finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds. 6-foot-6 senior Nick Harney fouled out after scoring eight points and snaring five boards.
6-foot-6 senior Brian D’Amato, a junkyard dog-type player, added seven points and seven caroms. Highly-touted freshman Mark Williams (6’7) had one basket for two and seven rebounds.
Sunday:
Kettering Fairmont 69 Future Academy (NC) 56
In the opener, on Sunday,the host school Kettering Fairmont raced by an undermanned Future Academy squad (69-56).
West Liberty signee Mark Shadowens got the ball rolling early finishing with 16 points and dropping seven dimes while 6-foot-6 junior Adam Westbeld had a career-day scoring 21 points on 10-of-12 shooting including 11 rebounds. Westbeld showed strength on the interior finishing in traffic and sending several two-handed jams through the hoop.
Future Academy, who showed up in Kettering with just six players, was led by Rob Ware with 18 points and four rebounds and Chandler Morris adding 16 and seven.
Cincinnati Roger Bacon 55 Cleveland Heights 45
The mid-afternoon snack featured Roger Bacon and Northeast-power Cleveland Heights.
Bacon used an 11-0 run to start the game and never looked back in handing the Heights its second-straight loss.
The Spartans extended the lead to 20-5 by quarter’s end thanks superb play from senior Jorian Hudson and junior Paul Byrd. The former scoring six points and the latter dropping seven.
The Spartan defense held the Tigers to just two field goals in the opening stanza.
Roger Bacon continued to grow its lead in the 2nd quarter moving the margin to 18 on two occassions (25-7 and 28-10). Five more points in the quarter from Hudson helped all the Spartans to keep the lead sizeable at the end of half, 32-18.
The 3rd quarter was much of the same with the Spartans starting the quarter on an 8-2 run to open the lead to 20 points. Hudson and junior Gavin Schumann evenly split eight counters.
Holding a 43-29 lead heading into the fourth, Bacon found itself against a more aggressive Heights team in the final frame. 6-foot-4 senior Alphonso Houston got going and the Tigers cut the lead to nine (45-36), but couldn’t get any closer.
Houston scored 10 points in the quarter and 18 in the game.
Bacon made just two buckets in the 4th, but an 8-of-10 performance at the line helped seal the deal for the (9-3) Spartans.
Hudson, a Cincinnati football commit, finished with 17 points and five rebounds with Byrd adding 13 and six. 6-foot-8 junior Jared Bryant had 13 points and four caroms and Schumann ended with nine and four.
The Spartans out boarded Cleveland Heights, 27-20.
West Jessamine (KY) 47 Centerville 39
In a game that would have been a better in the 1950′s, West Jessamine outlasted the Centerville Elks (47-39) in tough and physical battle.
The teams traded blows in the opening quarter with Jessamine holding a slight 10-9 edge after eight minutes.
High-scoring West Jessamine senior Jarrod Polson was unable to get in a rhythm in the first half failing to connect on a field goal attempt. Polson did manage five freebies in the 1st period.
The Elks did a nice job defensively of forcing Polson into uncomfortable situations, and that is tough to do for a kid that scored 51 points on traditional-power Lexington Catholic (KY) and 40 against Harrison County.
Despite Polson’s lack of output, the Colts were able to hold on for a 19-16 advantage at the intermission.
In the 2nd half, Centerville’s junior Mike Replogle scored eight points on four baskets, but it went to waste as the Elks were unable to draw any closer trailing 35-32 after three.
It was in the 3rd that Polson would score his first bucket at the 5:10 mark. Meanwhile, senior guard Kyle Mefford got hot and canned two triples including eight points.
Minutes into the 4th quarter, Centerville was able to draw within two points (39-37), but failed to get any closer thanks to two big hoops and two free-throws from Polson and four points from senior Keston Bartholowmew.
The Colts were led by Polson’s 16 points and four rebounds while Mefford added 15 counters.
Centerville got eight from Replogle, seven by senior Pat Crawford, and five points and seven rebounds from junior Matt Sullivan.
Flora MacDonald Academy (NC) 77 Dayton Thurgood Marshall 73 OT
For the better part of one-half of basketball, it looked like Thurgood Marshall was going to run away from highly-talented Flora Academy. In at battle of the Cougars, it was the Dayton version that jumped out to a 25-13 lead after one quarter and then lengthened its lead to 38-19 mid-way through the 2nd period.
In an attempt to get his starters a breather, Marshall’s head coach John Ralph, elected to sit his starters at the end of the 2nd frame. However, it backfired and Flora quickly gained momentum by closing the half on a 14-1 run making the halftime score 39-33 in favor of the Dayton-based squad. Though, it never seemed Marshall could get its edge back and eventually fell victim in overtime, 77-73.
Thurgood’s 6-foot-4 senior Greg Gainey scored 12 points and grabbed four rebounds in the 1st half on a serious of strong post moves, put backs, and dunks. Senior guards Shawn Robinson and James White evenly split 14 points.
Flora stayed in the game thanks to 6-foot-8 North Carolina State commit Luke Cothron and his 13 points and four rebounds. 6-foot-5 Rayvon Harris also had 13 in the first 16 minutes.
The 3rd period saw Flora close the gap to one-point on a couple occasions with Cothron adding seven more and six rebounds. The Cougars were able to close the quarter down one, 50-49.
Finally, at the 4:11-mark of the 4th frame, Flora was able to take the lead on a Devon Ivey three-point goal at 58-56. The Cougars were able to hold the lead until freshman Mark Alstork dialed up a triple from the right wing with 10 seconds remaining in the contest to send the game to OT knotted at 65.
In the extra session, Robinson quickly got Thurgood on the board with a two-pointer but Flora was able to score the next six on buckets by Cothron, Harris, and Ivey. Cothron’s six points in overtime helped lift the Cougars to victory.
Cothron finished with 26 points and 16 rebounds. 6-foot-3 Jerome Seagers tallied 21 points and 10 rebounds including an impressive 9-of-10 showing from the charity stripe in the 4th and OT. He was 13-of-16 for the game and also dished out four assists. Harris added 19 and seven.
Gainey led Thurgood with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Robinson notched 17, junior guard Jordan Watson tallied 11 and 10 assists, and senior Melvin Banks had 10 and nine rebounds.
Dayton Dunbar 98, Whitney Young (IL) 76
Saturday night’s Dayton Dunbar boy’s basketball performance wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty darn close. It was crystal clear, starting with warm-ups , that the Wolverines were out to prove their point and did they ever.
The Wolverines electrified the crowd in the pregame with several dunks that you may not see on NBA All-Star Saturday night. Then, it was game time, but somebody forgot to tell USA Today’s No. 16 team Whitney Young (IL).
If Whitney Young is No. 16, then we will leave it up to you to decide where Dunbar fits into those national rankings after the 98-76 beat down it put on the Dolphins. In reality, the game was never that close.
“I know they were going to underestimate us, and I love that,” said Dunbar’s sensational senior Geron Johnson. “I was glad and I know that is what they did. I am just glad my team came ready to play and even the role players stepped up.”
Straight from the opening tip, the Wolverines let everyone know and more importantly the Dolphins know that this was going to be their night and they were certainly not going to be intimidated. Seven Dunbar players scored in the opening frame with senior Ryan Bass leading the way with seven points and Johnson adding six counters.
“As a team I thought we played excellent, and I knew we were going to get this win,” Johnson stated. “I knew we were going to get this win because this is what we have been practicing for and I didn’t see any scared faces before the game.”
Dunbar was out and running early and often led by Johnson’s ability to make things happen. Several times Johnson and his teammates got in the passing line and stole the pill leading to quite a few crowd-pleasing dunks and thrilling finishes above the rim.
Whether it was Johnson to Bass, Bass to Johnson, Johnson to Deon Stewart, Stewart to Johnson, or Johnson to inside mates Delve Given and sophomore Gary Akbar, the Wolverines were sharing the sugar.
“Sometimes I feel like we are the Lakers because we share the basketball,” Johnson joked. “At the beginning of the year, we had some minor kinks but everybody had to find out what they could do so we could succeed.”
The Wolverines used that unselfish play and their swarming press to race out to a 28-15 lead at the quarter.
The second quarter belonged to 6-foot-5 senior Delve Givens, who scored 12 points thanks to some key offensive rebounds and Johnson dishing the rock. Givens, who is long and a freakish athlete, was able to finish way above the rim on several occasions.
Once again, seven different players scored in the 2nd quarter for the Wolverines helping them grow their lead to 40-18 and then 51-30 by quarter’s end.
Johnson nearly sent the standing room only crowd at Kettering Fairmont’s Trent Arena into a frenzy when the 6-foot-3 senior just missed a windmill jam after stealing an errant Whitney Young pass. Johnson took off seven or feet from the bucket and took the ball all the way down and around but the ball popped out. However, he would recover moments later on another steal followed by a pretty pass for another Dunbar bucket.
Whitney Young’s Anthony Johnson, who is a Purdue signee, scored 10 points in the half.
The 3rd quarter, which was much of the same and even more, saw Dunbar open up an 80-45 lead on the Dolphins and cruising to a 80-49 lead at the end of three.
Johnson scored seven points in the 3rd and once again seven different players scored.
Givens capped off his night with eight points in the final quarter giving him 19 for the game to go along with six rebounds. If the senior plays anything close to his performance tonight, the sky is the limit for Dunbar.
“I was a little surprised with the way I played tonight,” mentioned a personable Givens. “Believe it or not this is my first time starting. I had some problems earlier in the year, but I have gotten them straightened out now. I am actually proud of myself for stepping up tonight and just did what the coach wanted me to do.”
Just like Johnson mentioned, Givens believed tonight was a statement game.
“We knew they were ranked but I am not sure what number, so we just wanted to prove they weren’t better than Dunbar,” Givens relayed.
Johnson finished his night with 13 points, seven rebounds, and five, and five assists. He was 6-of-12 from the field. He covers tons of ground on the press, finishes above the rim with ease, sees the floor extremely being able to pass off the dribble with either hand, and just seems to have another gear that other players don’t posses.
Bass also finished with 13 points, Stewart had 17 and eight rebounds and Derrick Benson and Devon Carter evenly split 20 markers.
The Wolverines, with their beyond pressure defense, forced 23 Dolphin turnovers compared to just nine of their own.
For the game, the Wolverines shots nearly 58% from the field, 50% from three-point land, and 73% at the line. Those numbers are recipes for success.
Johnson led the Dolphins (12-2) with 20 points and Luke Hager and Ahmad Starks (Oregon State) evenly divided 22 points. 6-foot-9 freshman wing forward, Thomas Hamilton, scored seven points all coming in the 1st quarter and pulled down six boards. Hamilton is thought by many to be a Top 10 player in the 2013 class.
Highly-ranked junior Sam Thompson was unable to play due to a sprained ankle.
For Dunbar (11-0), this was a big win, but by no means the goal.
“Nothing like last year is going to happen,” Johnson believes. “We have grown from that situation and we have all matured from it. The goal is win every game and win the state championship. Tonight was a big game, but whether we won or lost, our main goal is come home with the state championship.”
Alter rally falls short (By Mickey Shuey)
When the Alter boy’s basketball team took the floor against the Express of Huntington Prep, few in attendance gave them a fighting chance. Facing nothing short of a complete mis-match height wise, the Knights were told to do one thing before the game. Just before prayer, Ohio basketball coaching legend Joe Petrocelli reminded his team to go out and have fun.
After a valiant effort, the Knights fell short 57-47. Although the brown and gold fell, many fans and players had a smile on their face. The Knights played hard, they just didn’t win. While the game resulted in an L in the win/loss column, there were quite a few moments that left fans hanging on the edge of their seats.
Throughout their pregame warm-up routine, an Alter player would get an occasional glimpse of the athleticism that Huntington possessed. The crowd constantly ooh-ed and ahh-ed at slam dunks and electrifying pull-up jumpers showcased by the Express in their warm-up session.
With a starting line up that lacked a player taller than 6-foot-4, the Knights were in what seemed like a no win situation. Facing a team whose starters averaged 6-5, Alter countered with a lowly 6-1.
Early on, it seemed Alter was out-matched. Down six after 90 seconds of play, some spectators had a knot in their stomach, fearing the worst was yet to come. However, a John Lecomte baseline dribble and lay-up gave the Knights just what they needed – points. Within a few possessions, the score was 6-4. Despite this early comeback, the Knights found themselves trailing 12-6 after the first quarter.
Shaking off what was left of its jitters, Alter made an impressive run over the next eight minutes. Led by Trey Freshwater and Max Zukowitz, the Knights hit five 3s, along with another point off a Chris Bockrath free throw.
The half came to a crashing end as Huntington’s Justin Coleman went after a loose rebound. Despite getting tagged with the out of bounds touch, he did manage to clear the end of Alter’s bench, not to mention almost take out the on-site trainer for the game. As the two teams made their way to their locker rooms, the score was 29-22 in the Express’ favor.
Not long after starting the second half, the Knights found themselves in a hole. In the third quarter alone, the Express hammered Alter by outscoring them 18-8. With just under a minute remaining, Huntington powered out to a 20-point lead, the largest lead of the game. Zukowitz would answer with a deep 3-pointer. After 24 minutes, the score was 47-30, Huntington Prep.
The Knights opened the fourth and final quarter just as they had finished the third; on a Zukowitz 3. Huntington answered with a lay in by 6-10 Gorgui Sy Dieng. On the ensuing possession by Alter, more rain fell when Zukowitz hit an NBA-range long bomb. After a quick drive to the basket by Adkins, among a few other plays, Alter had pulled within seven for the first time since the start of the third.
However, with time running out, not much else was able to be done for Alter, as they only managed to score three more points (vs. the six by the Express) over the last 3:25 of the game.
Lead by Zukowitz (23 points) and Freshwater (15), the Knights knocked down 11 three-point shots. As a team, Huntington Prep only made four. The Express was led in scoring by Sy Dieng, who had 18 points and 15 rebounds.
With a record of 4-6, the Knights will next face Carroll on Saturday, January 23, right back at Trent Arena. Tip-off is at 7:30. Huntington Prep next faces Christian Faith (NC), at the Henderson Center on Monday, January 18. The Express improve their record to 7-3 with the win.
“When you play basketball at Alter, there’s always added pressure,” Petrocelli said. “Everybody thinks you should win, everybody thinks you should be successful. Looking at our schedule, there’s a chance that maybe two out of the 16 familiar teams we play may not consider us a ‘big game’, and even then it would be hard pressed to find that.
“But that’s because of the tradition the players have built over the years.”
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