Trevor Lacey, Butler (Huntsville, Ala.)
File photo by Jim Redman
T-Mobile Invitational participants Butler (Huntsville, Ala.) and No. 11 Winter Park (Fla.) were both in Fort Myers last week for the City of Palms Classic, but did not meet. Organizers of that event probably wish they had after a thrilling finish featuring the two schools Tuesday night at the Pete Hanna Center on the campus of Samford University.
Butler star junior Trevor Lacey beat Winter Park star junior Austin Rivers backdoor for a bucket with three seconds left to give the Rebels – Alabama’s two-time defending 5A state champions – a 60-58 victory after trailing by as many as nine points in the second half.
Lacey finished with a game-high 19 points. University of Alabama head coach Anthony Grant was in attendance to see the state’s top prospect.
Rivers struggled to even get touches as he was face-guarded throughout much of the game by Butler senior Fred Stewart. The Florida commitment managed just nine points after exploding for 45 in a game against New Jersey power St. Benedict’s Prep last week at the City of Palms Classic.
The victory put Butler in the T-Mobile finals against Yates of Houston, Texas, who got past Kentwood (Covington, Wash.) minus UCLA-bound big man Josh Smith.
Yates 82, Kentwood 62
Providence signee Joseph Young scored 20 points while teammate Darius Gardner added 17 plus 10 steals and seven assists as No. 3 Yates rolled past Kentwood and into the T-Mobile Invitational finals.
The Lions forced 40 turnovers and 11 players scored as they took a 17-point lead into halftime and never looked back.
Western Kentucky-bound guard Brandon Peters added 13 for Yates, Texas’ defending 4A state champions.
Jason Boyce led Kentwood with 12 points.
GIRLS
In a showdown between two of the nation’s top 10 teams, No. 2 St. Mary’s (Stockton, Calif.) got 26 points, 10 steals and four assists from Duke signee Chelsea Gray to get past No. 8 Mount Lebanon (Pittsburgh, Pa.), 61-52.
The Rams, coming off a disappointing loss to top-ranked Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona, responded by ratcheting up their full-court pressure, forcing 38 Mount Lebanon turnovers.
Led by junior Madison Cable (18 points, 12 rebounds), the Pennsylvania squad hung in throughout the second half but was unable to get the lead under three points.
Hoover 64, Hillsboro 32
After first-half foul trouble, Auburn signee Tyrese Tanner got on track in the second and led Hoover (Ala.) to blowout over Hillsboro (Nashville, Tenn.).
Tanner scored 15 points and spurred a 21-5 run in the third quarter that put the Tennessee squad away.
Hoover will meet St. Mary’s in Wednesday’s girls final.
T-Mobile Invitational Official Site
