© 2008 by Ron Harrison
This inaugural event will feature two University of Kentucky commitments. Findlay Preparatory from Henderson, Nevada will face off against Western Reserve Academy from Ohio in the opening game. The second game will pit host Lexington Christian Academy against Rose Hill Christian out of Ashland, Kentucky.
Findlay Preparatory will feature several D1 prospects including DeAndre Liggins (Kentucky signee), Deividas Dulkys (Florida State signee), Jacques Streeter (New Mexico signee), and Curtis Dennis (Cal State Fullerton recruit). 6-8 Jr. Clarence Trent is one of the top D1 players for 2009. Western Reserve Academy's 6-8 Sr. Nate Kasper has committed to The Naval Academy. Rose Hill Christian's 6-8 So. Dakotah Euton has given a verbal commitment to Kentucky, and 6-4 So. teammate Chad Jackson is a top prospect for 2010.
Western Reserve Academy Coach Brendan J. Schneider started the following lineup: 6-8 Sr. Danny Wrigley, 6-8 Sr. Nate Kasper, 6-2 Sr. Mike McCulloch, 6-5 Sr. Angel Rodriguez, and 6-5 Sr. Milan Moncrief. Findlay Preparatory Coach Michael Peck countered with 6-5 Sr. Deividas Dulkys, 6-5 Sr. Curtis Dennis, 6-10 Jr. Carlos Lopez, 6-3 Sr. Jorge Gutierrez, and 6-6 Sr. DeAndre Liggins.
Findlay Prep dominated tonight in an 83-47 victory over Western Reserve Academy. Findlay Prep shot 50.7% from the field including six of 19 from the three point line. The Pilots connected on five of nine free throws, pulled down 44 rebounds, and scored 33 points off 26 Western Reserve turnovers. The Pilots held a 19-0 advantage in second chance points. Western Reserve shot 32.5% from the field including seven of 20 from beyond the arc. The Pioneers connected on 14 of 19 free throws, grabbed 17 rebounds, and scored 12 points off 14 Findlay Prep turnovers.
Carlos Lopez was named game MVP and led the victors with 22 points and six rebounds. Lopez was 10 of 13 from the field and one of one from the free throw line. 6-8 Jr. Clarence Trent added 17 points including three crowd-pleasing dunks. Jorge Gutierrez chipped in with 15 points and six rebounds. DeAndre Liggins recorded six points, six rebounds, and six assists. Milan Moncrief led Western Reserve Academy with 26 points including five of seven from beyond the arc. Nate Kasper added 10 points and six rebounds.
| Findlay Preparatory | 83 | Western Reserve Academy | 47 |
| School | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
| Western Reserve Academy | 11 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 47 |
| Findlay Preparatory | 19 | 20 | 20 | 24 | 83 |
| Western Reserve Academy | (47) - | Wrigley 4, Kasper 10, McCulloch 0, Rodriguez 2, Moncrief 26, Songer 1, Morse 2, Hopkins 2. |
| Findlay Preparatory | (83) - | Dulkys 9, Dennis 8, Lopez 22, Gutierrez 15, Liggins 6, Trent 17, Streeter 3, Okonji 3. |
Rose Hill Christian Coach Tim Fraley started the following lineup: 6-4 So. Mike Davis, 6-1 Sr. Tony Arthur, 6-8 So. Dakotah Euton, 6-2 Fr. Robbie Barber, and 6-4 So. Chad Jackson. Lexington Christian Academy Coach Tommy Huston countered with 6-2 Jr. Tyler Townsend, 6-5 So. Will Evans, 6-5 Jr. Grant Sparks, 6-0 Sr. Trace Helton, and 6-2 Sr. Cameron Marshall.
LCA held on down the stretch to defeat Rose Hill 58-53. The Eagles once led 45-30 but Rose Hill battled back to a three point deficit late in the game. LCA forced a turnover and Cameron Marshall connected on two free throws to ensure the victory.
LCA shot 51.4% from the field including six of 14 from the three point line. The Eagles connected on 14 of 16 free throws, pulled down 20 rebounds, and scored 21 points off 15 Rose Hill turnovers. Rose Hill shot 43.2% from the field including two of 11 from beyond the arc. The Royals connected on 13 of 20 free throws, grabbed 28 rebounds, and scored nine points off 12 LCA turnovers.
Trace Helton was named game MVP for LCA and recorded 17 points. Tyler Townsend and Cameron Marshall added 17 and 11 points respectively. Dakotah Euton led Rose Hill Christian with 29 points and nine rebounds. Chad Jackson added 20 points and nine rebounds.
| Lexington Christian Academy | 58 | Rose Hill Christian | 53 |
| School | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
| Rose Hill Christian | 11 | 10 | 18 | 14 | 53 |
| Lexington Christian Academy | 14 | 14 | 17 | 13 | 58 |
| Rose Hill Christian | (53) - | Davis 0, Arthur 4, Euton 29, Barber 0, Jackson 20. |
| Lexington Christian Academy | (58) - | Townsend 17, Evans 4, Sparks 3, Helton 17, Marshall 11, Burdette 2, Crain 2, Shotwell 2. |
This was an excellent well-run event thanks to the hard work of the LCA coaching staff and volunteers. Kentucky signee DeAndre Liggins is not called on to score for the powerful Findlay Prep squad but displayed a smooth and efficient floor game. This was also a homecoming for former Lexington Catholic Athletic Director and Head Boys Basketball Coach Danny Haney. Findlay Preperatory is a member of the Meritas Family of Schools where Mr. Haney is the Director of Athletics.
A special thanks to Brad Carter, Assistant Boys Basketball Coach, for an excellent job coordinating this event. Also a note of appreciation to WLStats for providing the comprehensive computer statistics for tonight's games.
Please feel free to send your comments and questions concerning the event, teams, or players to me at prephoops@yahoo.com.
Ron Harrison’s reports on this and other basketball events appear on http://www.kyprephoops.com.