Make that two in a row for Texas teams in the Real Deal in the Rock.
Admon Gilder, a 6-2 shooting guard, scored 28 points and made three steals in leading the Dallas Mustangs to a 68-65 victory over All-Ohio Red in Sunday’s championship game of the 17-and Under Division of the 10th annual tournament at P.A.R.K.
Gilder scored 20 of his points in the second half as the Mustangs overcame a 38-29 halftime deficit.
“He’s the best guard in the state of Texas,” Mustangs Coach Chris Williams said. “He is the best player in the state, I think. He just [executes] on the biggest of stages. He’s a pleasure to coach. He made big play after big play after big play.”
T.J. Ford Elite, a Houston-based team, captured the 2013 title with a victory over the Texas Select of Dallas.
All-Ohio had a chance to send the game into overtime, but a three-point attempt by guard D’Mitrick Trice bounced off the front of the rim as time expired.
“We just wanted to come out and play the hardest we could,” said Gilder, who was selected as the tournament’s MVP and who has led Dallas Madison High School to back-to-back state championship. “We’re from Dallas, that’s what we do.”
Craig Martin, a 6-0 guard from Dallas Wilson High School, added 19 points and five rebounds. Terrance Eason, a 6-6 forward from Mansfield, Texas, led the Mustangs with seven rebounds.
All-Ohio Red scored the game’s first 7 points, led by 12 after 4 minutes, and by 9 at halftime, surging late after Dallas closed to 24-22 at one point.
Jordan Dartis, a 6-2 guard from Newark, Ohio, hit 3 three-pointers to spark All-Ohio’s early push, scoring 14 of his 18 points in the first half.
Esa Ahmad, a 6-8 forward, led All-Ohio with 20 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Trice handed out a game-high six assists.
“That was a good team we played,” All-Ohio Coach Marcus Gill said. “But with their style of play, they are not going to get too far behind nor are they going to be up by too many. Both teams were capable of making runs.Our intensity wasn’t there the whole time, plus we were 13 of 24 from the free-throw line. That’s not good enough.”
“Our game plan is to throw different defenses at them throughout the game,” said Williams, whose team eliminated the Arkansas Wings Elite in Sunday morning’s quarterfinals. “We love to pressure full-court and not let the other team get into their offense. We want to cause havoc on the defensive end. … I was thinking about the 40 Minutes of Hell. Well, we’re in Arkansas and that’s right up our alley.”
16-UNDER CHAMPIONSHIP WINGS ELITE 56, TEAM PENNY 55, OT Payton Willis hit a late free throw in overtime and earned MVP honors as the Arkansas Wings Elite defeated the Memphis-based Team Penny.
Trey Lenox, a 6-4 sophomore from Hot Springs, led the Wings with 14 points while Eric Curry added 12 and Willis finished with 10.
Sports, Pages 18 on 04/21/2014