The boys put on a show in the first annual Central Kansas High School Basketball All-Star Classic on Sunday at Kirkman Activity Center.
Defense was in short supply as the Black team finished with a 115-105 win.
“For about the first thirty minutes of the game, almost every goal that we had was from an assist from somebody,” said Otis-Bison head coach Alan Clark, who coached the Black team. “Even a 3-pointer. We passed the ball and pushed it ahead. Instead of dribbling ahead, we passed ahead. It was a lot of fun.”
The White team got off to a strong start on the shoulders of 6-foot-9 post player Dominique Wilson of Kansas City Washington.
Wilson, who finished with 13 points, scored six of his team’s first 11 points and created problems for the Black team’s shooters.
The White team got off to a 11-2 lead to start the game before Wilson was substituted out and the Black team’s combination of perimeter shooting and strong post players began to climb back into the game.
With 8:31 remaining in the first half, Gunner Cordes of Meade went down with an injury. After that, both teams let up a little bit on defense.
“It was a really good experience, “ Great Bend senior Jace Bowman said. “I had a lot of fun playing with a lot of really good kids. It was a lot of fun. You really hate to see that (the injury) happen. I hope he’s OK. But after that, people started letting shots go. It was a little run-and-gun.”
Bowman finished with 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
The Black team led by as much as 29 points in the second half, but the White team, led by Nickerson’s Kyle McQuaige, started to make a comeback.
With runs of 9-2, 8-2 and 14-3, the White team closed the margin to 107-99 with 3:15 remaining.
McQuiage, who was selected as the White team’s MVP, dropped three 3-pointers on three straight possessions during the 14-3 run. He finished with a game-high 25 points.
Ashland’s Jay Luerman, a 6-2 post player, led the Black team with 24 points and 14 rebounds. He was selected as the team’s MVP.
“It was fun,” Luerman said. “Great teammates. We’re all small-town kids. We all knew each other kind of. We met some new guys, the guys from Kansas City. It was fun, a good experience.”
Ultimately, that was what the all-star game was about — having fun. It wasn’t just fun for the players. It was one last chance for the coaches to work with their seniors during a game.
“The thing I like about what Trevor (Keller) did tonight, you know, for (Otis-Bison) he was our leading scorer,” Clark said. “We looked for him to shoot the ball for us and score for us. Tonight, in this game, especially in the first half, he fed the post. We got some baskets inside, and Trevor made the adjustments from where he was at at Otis-Bison and adjusted to play a different role in this game. I tip my hat to him, the way he was able to adjust.”
Keller finished with two points on a team that had six players in double figures.
Wyatt Schroeder, a 6-6 post player from Lincoln, was the winner of the dunk contest.
There were 21 high schools represented between the two teams.
Trey Unrau, a prolific scorer who led Moundridge this season, was unable to play after having ACL surgery on Friday.
PREP BASKETBALL
Central Kansas
High School Basketball
All-Star Classic
At Great Bend
Kirkman Activity Center
BOYS
Sunday
Black team 115, White team 105
BLACK TEAM
Benn Kirmer 1 2-2 4, Trevor Keller 1 0-0 2, Gunner Cordes 2 0-0 4, Adam Oak 3 0-0 7, Jay Luerman 13 0-0 24, Derrick Kaiser 4 0-0 11, Travell Robinson 6 1-2 15, Bryant Miller 6 0-0 16, Riley Falk 6 2-2 14, Jake Stoppel 7 0-2 15. Totals 49 5-8 115.
WHITE TEAM
Jahman Hill 2 1-1 6, Jordan Bieberle 4 0-0 8, Quintin Crandall 5 4-5 17, Kyle McQuaige 10 0-0 25, JaRon Harris 2 0-0 5, Wyatt Schroeder 2 0-0 4, Seth Humphreys 2 0-0 5, Drew Clarke 1 2-2 4, Jordan Wahlmeier 2 0-0 4, Jace Bowman 3 2-2 10, Dominique Wilson 6 1-2 13. Totals 38 10-12 105.
Halftime — Black team 61, White team 52. Three-point goals — Black team 12 (Miller 4, Kaiser 3, Robinson 2, Luerman, Oak); White team 13 (McQuaige 5, Crandall 3, Bowman 2, Humphreys, Harris, Hill).
