Special kids get chance to play
Benefit held for crash victim
WSU vs. Milwaukee
Flyin' to the Hoop
Wayne gives No. 1 team a run for its money
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
KETTERING — To get to 20-0, the Findlay Prep Pilots got pushed to the limit.
Their record remained unblemished as Rivals.com's No. 1 team in the nation.
But the Wayne Warriors didn't go quietly. They made the quicksilver stallions from Henderson, Nev., earn their undefeated status.
Avery Bradley poured in 23 points, and brilliant plays by Rasham Suarez and Victor Rudd down the stretch sealed Findlay Prep's 66-62 victory in the fabulous final game of the Flyin' to the Hoop tournament at James S. Trent Arena on Monday night.
"I'm tremendously impressed by Wayne," Findlay Prep coach Michael Peck said. "It's as good a team as we've faced all year. Our guys were able to dig down and execute."
The Warriors (7-3), ranked No. 3 in the Dayton Daily News Division I poll, called time-out trailing 61-60 with 18.6 seconds to go.
But Suarez stole Markus Crider's inbounds pass at midcourt intended for Jordan Bazile and raced in for the layup and 63-60 lead.
Wayne's Travis Trice nailed two free throws for a one-point spread (63-62) with 10.9 seconds remaining.
After Findlay's Cory Joseph sank the second of two free throws, Rudd stole the inbounds pass and dunked at 6.0 for the final points.
Trice and Bazile led the Warriors with 22 and 16 points, while Lamar Mallory grabbed 11 rebounds.
"I wanted to find out if we were competitors and if we have heart," Wayne coach Travis Trice said. "We didn't get the win and I'm not into moral victories. But we were victors out there. I found out that we have the ability and potential to be great."
Tournament director Eric Horstman estimated that 15,000 fans attended the three-day event.
