Ohio-KY All-Star game honors fallen player
The 23rd annual Ohio-Kentucky Boys' All-Star Basketball Game began on a somber note Saturday night. But once the players hit the court in an entertaining display of team basketball, smiles emerged and so did Ohio with a 100-91 victory, giving it a sweep of the girls' and boys' doubleheader showcase.
Proceedings at Thomas More College began with a moment of silence for former Pleasure Ridge Park and University of Kentucky basketball player Kerry Benson, who passed away March 3 following a car accident. The game was dedicated to the memory of the 2007 Ohio-Kentucky All-Star Game participant.
Three Kentucky all-stars from Pleasure Ridge Park and their coach were presented at midcourt with a framed picture of Benson in UK Wildcats uniform No. 20 holding a basketball on his shoulder with his right hand. The players accepted the dedication with great emotion, then helped stake their team to a 54-50 halftime lead against a smaller but supremely skilled Ohio squad.
Kentucky, with three of 15 all-stars committed to play in college next season, couldn't sustain the momentum against Ohio and its 11 college recruits, including six heading to NCAA Division I. Ohio grabbed the lead early in the second half and outscored Kentucky 50-37 after the break, giving their side the consistency it was looking for from a team-first group.
Gahanna Lincoln's Javon Bess, a Michigan State recruit, scored 13 points and dished five assists. He could have had more assists if his deft passes were not mishandled by teammates. Bess encouraged every player who lost the handle, and was named Ohio MVP.
"I thought it was a lot of fun," said Bess, Ohio's Division I player of the year. "In an all-star game, the goal is always to play your hardest for the team, and that's what we did."
Locals lending a hand to the winning effort were Summit Country Day's Antonio Woods, Ohio's co-leader with 16 points, Moeller's Grant Benzinger, who hit a pair of 3-point baskets and scored eight points, and Winton Woods' Ronnie Rousseau who hit a trey, one of 10 for Ohio, and scored three.
"What a great experience," Rousseau said of the three-day event, which also included a Friday skills competition. "The one thing I got out of this was seeing how humble great players can be. We bonded and we played as a team, and we won."
Justin Johnson, a Perry County Central standout heading to Western Kentucky, scored a game-high 17 points and was named Kentucky MVP. He was the lone Kentucky player scoring in double figures. Pleasure Ridge Park's Antonio McDaniels and Hopkinsville's Quan Poindexter were next with nine each.
Northern Kentucky had two of the three Kentucky all-stars who've committed to college programs. Covington Catholic's Scott Ruthsatz, heading to University of Findlay, hit a trey and scored six points. Newport Central Catholic's Jake Schulte, a South Carolina Upstate recruit, also scored six.
"It was fun," Ruthsatz said. "We had a bunch of great players, but it took us a while to get in a rhythm. I wished we could have won."
Ruthsatz, who is trying out today for the Kentucky-Indiana All-Star Game, isn't used to losing. CovCath went 33-2 and won the Kentucky state championship for the first time in the school's storied history.
Play of the game
After Kentucky cut the advantage to 74-69 with 7:10 to play, Ohio's Jeff Thomas hit a soaring put-back, and Rousseau came up with a steal and hit a trey, pushing the lead to 10 and starting an 18-8 run.
View from the sideline
"What we enjoyed was how they bought into the team concept," Ohio assistant Tom McBride of Lake High School said. "I thought a key was we pack-lined it on defense in the second half and forced them to shoot over a high hand. We didn't really do that in the first half."
Players of the game
In addition to the MVP performances turned in by Bess and Johnson, Ohio's Thomas, a Georgia State recruit from Norwalk, also was a big factor with 16 points. Kevin Vannatta, an Upper Arlington standout heading to UNC Ashville, added 11 for Ohio.
Quotable
"I think our team gave a great effort," said Kentucky coach Tommy McKenzie of Johnson Central. "I though we did well until their overall talent took over."
Box Score
Ohio 50 50 -- 100
Kentucky 54 37 -- 91
OHIO (100) - Grant Benzinger 8, Javon Bess 13, Steve Carpenter 0, Mike Deleon 2, Evan French 0, Jalen Hudson 9, Cameron Kuhn 0, Dakota Mathias 6, Teddy Metzen 7, Ronnie Rousseau 3, Mitch Spotelson 4, Jeff Thomas 16, Kevin Vennatta 11, Nic Williams 5, Antonio Woods 16.
KENTUCKY (91) - Tra Edwards 6, Jordan Green 5, LaMontray Harris 4, D'Angelo Hunter 5, Joe Jackson 2, Justin Johnson 17, Montrell Little 8, Antonio McDaniels 9, Daulton Peters 4, Quan Poindexter 9, Nick Ruthsatz 6, Jake Schulte 6, Cory Thomas 5, Brandon Trotter 4, Bryan Wallace 2.
Free Throws: Ohio 20-32; Kentucky 15-25. 3-pointers: Ohio 10 (Benzinger 2, Hudson 2, Mathias, Rousseau, Thomas 2, Vennatta, Woods). Kentucky 8 (Hunter, Daniels 2, Peters, Poindexter, Ruthsatz, Thomas, Trotter)