There were big-time stats all over. Marshall’s Greg Gainey had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Jordan Watson added 11 points and 10 assists. For Flora Macdonald, North Carolina State recruit Luke Cothron had 29 points and 14 rebounds.
The Future Academy bench was a little slim. The High Point, N.C.-based team brought just six players and one coach to the event and dropped the Sunday opener 69-56 to host Fairmont, who got 21 points and 11 rebounds from Adam Westbeld.
Huntington Prep from West Virginia provided the dunk display of the day during their warm-up period. With a roster including eight players 6 feet 6 and taller, the Express pulled out a variety of alley-oops, reverses, 360-degree slams and high bounces to themselves for jams. They used that size advantage to aid in a 57-47 defeat of Alter, which was led by 23 points from Max Zukowitz.
Former Troy coach Barry Egan is still fiery at Cleveland Heights, which lost to Roger Bacon 55-45. After a post-game vocal thrashing that was clearly audible from the hallway, Egan told reporters, "Anytime that you can hear just the basketball in the gymnasium during a game dribbling, it shows that there's certainly not enough intensity."
Alfonzo Houston, a 6-5 guard who said he is likely to accept a scholarship offer from Wright State if he qualifies academically, led Cleveland Heights with 18 points.
Shooting performance of the day: Centerville senior Alexis Kemper, who plays for the girls basketball team, made 14-of-17 free throws in one minute to win a competition at halftime of Centerville's 47-39 loss to West Jessamine, a high school from Nicholasville, Ky. Some in the crowd joked that Wright State coach Brad Brownell, who was in attendance, should offer a scholarship.
— Kyle Nagel
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