Indiana All-Stars beat Kentucky All-Stars 83-82
Hoosier pride on display
June 14, 2008
INDIANAPOLIS — For much of Friday’s All-Star game with Kentucky, Indiana looked overmatched. Kentucky was quicker, stronger and more athletic.
But one thing Indiana had going for it — and has throughout the 70-year history of the series — is savvy, and that is what carried the Hoosier boys to an 83-82 victory over their rivals from the south.
Indiana also had seven-foot Tyler Zeller, little Larry Stone and a supporting cast willing to play their roles.
With 22 points and sevenrebounds, Zeller lived up to his Mr. Basketball title and was the media choice for MVP.
Indianapolis Howe’s 5-foot-9 Stone was every bit as instrumental with 12 points, six assists and three steals.
But it was four free throws in the last 30 seconds by Northwest’s Alex Young that broke a 79-79 tie. Indiana needed all four as Kentucky’s Scotty Hopson hit an uncontested 3-pointer from halfcourt as time expired,making the margin of victory a single point.
It was Indiana’s eighth straight win in a series it now commands, 80-71. The teams will go at it again Sunday afternoon in the Louisville Gardens. The girls play at 2, followed by the boys at 4.
“This is a nice start to the series,” said Edgewood’s Garrett Butcher, who contributed five points, three rebounds and one assist in 12 minutes.
It was a Butcher jumper from the elbow that gave Indiana a 60-59 lead after several lead-changes in the second half. The Hoosiers would not trail again.
Seven points by NewCastle’s Chase Stigall and consecutive lay-ups by Stone helped Indiana stretch its lead to eight.
Indiana was a 79-72 leader with 1:41 left when Kentucky scored seven points in the next minute to tie it a 79-all. But Young was fouled on a drive to the basket with 31.4 seconds left and converted both free throws.
Kentucky passed up an open shot from 3-point range for a tying two and missed. Brownsburg’s Gordon Hayward rebounded and got it to Young, who was fouled and hit the decisive free throws.
Indiana trailed for all but the final second of the first half when Stone beat the buzzer with a lay-up, squaring the score at 40-40.
With Butler-bound Shelvin Mack scoring a game-high 24 points, Kentucky led by 10. Half of Mack’s points came by way of four 3s.
Keeping Indiana close were Zeller and Hayward. It was consecutive 3s by Hayward that quickly reduced a sevenpoint deficit to a single point with five minutes to go in the half. Hayward had 10 points at the break while Zeller had 12.
Kentucky eased out to a five-point lead in the half’s final minute, but a 3-pointer by New Albany’s Braydon Hobbs pulled Indiana within two.
Kentucky was playing for the last shot when Hobbs came up with a steal, saw Stone streaking toward the basket and found him in time to get a tying shot off.
“To get a win on our home floor is a big step,” Butcher said. “It was fun, intense. I was a little nervous at the beginning, but once you get warmed up, all that goes away. Then it’s just another game.”
After being a go-to guy at Edgewood, it didn’t bother Butcher to be a role player in a winning effort.
“Coach (Rick Baumgartner) likes the way I come in, get a rebound and play defense,” he said. “I could score more points, but I am accepting my role. This will help me in college.”
photos via IndyStar
MORE READS:
Zeller comes up big in Hoosiers’ victory
Indy’s Stone, Young come up big in boys game
Novak Does the Little Things in Indiana Win
Indiana All-Stars Beat Kentucky All-Stars 83-82
Ky. boys’ All-Stars cough it up
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