FOUNTAIN CITY, Ind. – There were numbers on the scoreboard on Saturday night, but it didn’t seem to matter.
There were smiles everywhere as the Mid-Eastern Conference and Tri-Eastern Conference All-Star Games were played at Northeastern.
“We had a good time,” said Lincoln Head Coach Rodney Klein, who led the TEC squad. “We told them to come out and play hard and represent your school and your conference.”
For the record, the TEC won the senior contest 69-66 and also the earlier junior game 60-48.
Northeastern’s Freeman Brou led the TEC senior squad with 13 points with the final two coming on a dunk that delighted the large crowd.
“It was special,” Brou said. “It was pretty fun to play with all of the guys.”
Late in the contest, Brou was on the floor with Lincoln’s Garrett Pumphrey. At one point, Brou found Pumphrey with a pass as he cut to the basket that led to an easy score.
“I watched him play so much,” Brou said of the regular season scouting reports of his new teammate. “I knew it was coming. I was used to trying to defend that.”
As far as the dunk was concerned, he praised his Centerville teammate Justin DuPree.
“It was a really good pass by Justin,” Brou said.
Every TEC player got into the scoring column as Dupree finished with 10 points, while Tri High’s Nick Wilson had eight and Pumphrey tossed in seven.
Israel Nash of Monroe Central led the MEC with a game-high 20 points. Nash had an opportunity to tie the game in the final 10 seconds, but both trey attempts bounced in the basket and then out.
Addison True of Eastern Hancock and Payton West of Wapahani ended with 14 apiece for the MEC.
Northeastern Head Coach Brent Ross was pleased with the first-time event that featured 48 players.
“You never know what to expect,” he said. “We put a lot of time and effort to reward these players.”
Ross visited each locker room prior to the games.
“I talked to each team,” he said. “I told them to feel honored they were selected. They put on a good show and the attendance has been great by all of the communities.”
Klein hopes the games continue.
“I really think this is a special thing,” Klein said. “If we can continue to build on this and make it a climax to the TEC season, I think that will be tremendous.”
Junior Game
Centerville’s Dante Torres led the TEC with 11 points with eight coming in the first half. Northeastern’s Jalen Hillard was next with eight. Union County’s Cameron Sanford and Tri High’s Elijah Davis finished with seven each.
For the MEC, Alex Wiggington of Randolph Southern led the way with 13 points. Wes-Del’s Chevy Bullock contributed 10.
Senior Box Score
MEC (66) – Israel Nash (Monroe Central) 7 1-2 20, Jarrett Randolph (Wapahani) 3 0-0 7, Addison True (Eastern Hancock) 6 0-0 14, A.J. Muegge (Eastern Hancock) 0 0-0 0, Tyler Castle (Eastern Hancock) 1 0-0 3, Jaden Retter (Randolph Southern) 1 0-0 2, Peyton West (Wapahani) 5 1-2 14, Gavin Bullock (Wes–Del) 1 0-0 3, Jake Stephenson (Wes–Del) 0 0-0 0, Luke Cross (Blue River) 0 0-0 0, Trey Klein (Blue River) INJ, Tristan Parrish (Union) 1 0-0 3. Totals – 25 2-4 66.
TEC (69) – Caleb Craig (Lincoln) 1 0-0 3, Nick Wilson (Tri High) 3 1-1 8, Jalen Oliver (Hagerstown) 1 0-2 2, Mason Miller (Union County) 2 2-2 6, Cameron Donovan (Union County) 1 0-0 2, Justin DuPree (Centerville) 4 0-0 10, Michael Brewer (Centerville) 1 0-0 3, Isaiah Jordan-Miller (Winchester) 2 0-0 6, Trey Graft (Winchester) 2 0-0 6, Masen Phelps (Tri High) 1 0-0 3, Freeman Brou (Northeastern) 6 0-0 13, Garrett Pumphrey (Lincoln) 3 1-1 7. Totals – 27 4-6 69.
Halftime score – MEC 36, TEC 34.
3-pointers – MEC 14 (Nash 5, West 3, True 2, Randolph, Castle, Bullock, Parrish). TEC 11 (DuPree 2, Jordan-Miller 2, Graft 2, Craig, Wilson, Brewer, Phelps, Brou).
Junior Box Score
MEC (48) – Declan Gill (Cowan) 1 0-0 2, Caleb Wissell (Randolph Southern) 2 1-2 5, Matt Poole (Monroe Central) 1 0-0 2, Alex Wiggington (Randolph Southern) 4 2-3 13, Skyler Schrope (Eastern Hancock) 0 0-0 0, Caleb Smith (Wapahani) 0 0-0 0, Easton Heffernan (Wapahani) 3 0-2 7, Jackson Thornburg (Blue River) 1 2-2 5, Chevy Bullock (Wes-Del) 4 0-0 10, Zach Jessee (Randolph Southern) 0 0-2 0, Peyton Gray (Eastern Hancock) 2 0-0 4. Totals – 18 5-11 48.
TEC (60) – Jalen Hillard (Northeastern) 2 3-3 8, Cody Swimm (Hagerstown) 1 1-1 3, Dante Torres (Centerville) 3 5-6 11, Dalton Stevens (Centerville) 0 0-0 0, Cameron Sanford (Union County) 2 2-2 7, Jose Olivo (Knightstown) 2 0-2 6, Wes Mote (Union City) 2 0-0 5, Elijah Davis (Tri High) 2 1-2 7, Noah Dale (Hagerstown) 2 0-2 6, Caylor Fisher (Northeastern) 1 0-0 3, Blake Hancock (Northeastern) 0 0-0 0, Ryan Hensley (Union County) 2 0-0 4. Totals – 19 12-18 60.
Halftime score – TEC 33, MEC 26.
3-pointers – MEC 7 (Wiggington 3, Bullock 2, Heffernan, Thornburg). TEC 10 (Olivo 2, Davis 2, Dale 2, Hillard, Sanford, Mote, Fisher).