1st Annual National Prep School Championships – Day 1
Ron Bailey, Publisher
The first day of 1st Annual National Prep School Championship action, provided the crowd at the University of the District of Columbia (Wash., DC) with an opportunity to witness a high level of basketball, played by future college stars. Following is a recap:
Bridgton Academy 121 Hargrave Academy 118 (2OT)
In what was easily the most entertaining game of the day, Bridgton Academy (Bridgton, ME) eclipsed an early eight point second half deficit, and two overtime charges by a physical and talented Hargrave Academy (Chatham, VA) crew to prevail.
Though talented in their own right, Bridgton does not boast the height and size across the board that many of their prep school brethren, do, and nonetheless have recently won a third consecutive New England Prep School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC) title. The reason – a motion offense they execute consistently.
Jeff Allen (leftl) and Justin Burrell (right) battle for rebounding position.
That ability to stick with what they do was also on display yesterday. “That’s our offense” said the school’s coach, Whit Lesure afterward. “On nights when we run it right, it’s great. It gives us great looks”.
As it did, all game long, for Bridgton was able to tie the score with around 12:50 to go in the second half. If not for that scheme and good helping match up zones and man to man defenses, there would have been no way the team could withstand Hargrave’s Jordan Crawford (37 points), Jeff Allen (28 points) , Dorenzo Hudson (21 points), and Mike Scott (21 points).
The teams flip-flopped the lead for the remainder of regulation, with the score knotted at 101 at the buzzer. During the first extra period, that nip and tuck rhythm continued, with Hargrave’s Hudson hitting a leaning, three point bucket to send the contest into a second overtime period.
This picture epitomized the game: Brian Rudoph is shooting a three ball, while Jordan Crawford contests it. Allen and Burrell prepare to body-up to the right, while Mike Scott is to the left, preparing to break of a rebound is snagged.
Throughout the game, Justin Burrell (21 points) was a stalwart inside for Bridgton, while Greg Hill (29 points), Paris Horne (21 points) and Brian Rudolph (11 points) held down the perimeter. The first three (Rudolph fouled out in the first overtime session) also performed well to close the game, with Horne finding Burrell inside to gain a 115-113 lead, while Hill’s free throws with over a minute to play extended it to 119-115.
As Hargrave’s coach, Kevin Keatts said afterward the contest “was one where the winner would be who got the ball last…It was a great game”.