Red duo steps up when it matters
Things looked a little bleak for the Red boys all-star basketball team early in the second half.
But a 15-0 run got things close and in the fourth quarter, point guard James Futch of Bellevue East and center Koang Doluony of Omaha Bryan came through in the clutch.
Their performances helped the Red rally for a 97-93 victory over the Blue in the Nebraska Coaches Association all-star game Monday at Lincoln North Star.
“That was a lot, but we talked at halftime that we had extra minutes,” Futch said of the 10-minute quarters instead of the eight-minute quarters of high school ball.
“Everyone is here for a reason and everyone is quick and runs hard.”
Futch connected on three three-pointers in the fourth quarter, his only baskets of the game. But it was a three-pointer by the 6-foot-7 Doluony that put the Red on top for good in the fourth quarter.
After Doluony made a pair of free throws with 6:22 left in the game, Jesse Carr of Ainsworth answered with a basket to tie the game at 81-81.
Futch found Doluony open on the wing and he nailed a three, his second of the game, to put the Red on top for good.
“I felt good from the beginning of the game,” said Doluony, who is headed to Indiana State on scholarship. “The dunk I got in the first quarter kind of got our team going.
“But at the end, we had a great general on the floor in Futch and that made the difference.”
The Red team played without Iowa State recruit Wes Eikmeier of Archbishop Bergan, who was ill.
Future Creighton University teammates Antoine Young of Bellevue West and Josh Jones of Omaha Central squared off against each other often. Young shared scoring honors with Doluony for the Red team with 21 points apiece and Futch added 13.
Jones had 18 points for the Blue team and Carr took scoring honors with 24 points. Andrew Palmer of Waverly added 18, coming on six three-pointers, which was good enough for an all-star record. It eclipsed both the Blue and Red team marks of five set by Tyler Peterson of Louisville and Jake Johnson of Grand Island Central Catholic last year.
“I’d been off the whole weekend, so it felt pretty nice to hit some in the game,” said Palmer, who is headed to Nebraska Wesleyan along with Futch. “This team was so unselfish and that made it fun.”
Minden coach Dave Mroczek, who guided the Blue team, said the togetherness of both teams was noticeable this week.
“We intermingled all the time, practicing together and doing stuff together,” he said. “We had Blue team guys rooming with Red team guys. That made this very special.”
Reach Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambleton@journalstar.com.
But a 15-0 run got things close and in the fourth quarter, point guard James Futch of Bellevue East and center Koang Doluony of Omaha Bryan came through in the clutch.
Their performances helped the Red rally for a 97-93 victory over the Blue in the Nebraska Coaches Association all-star game Monday at Lincoln North Star.
“That was a lot, but we talked at halftime that we had extra minutes,” Futch said of the 10-minute quarters instead of the eight-minute quarters of high school ball.
“Everyone is here for a reason and everyone is quick and runs hard.”
Futch connected on three three-pointers in the fourth quarter, his only baskets of the game. But it was a three-pointer by the 6-foot-7 Doluony that put the Red on top for good in the fourth quarter.
After Doluony made a pair of free throws with 6:22 left in the game, Jesse Carr of Ainsworth answered with a basket to tie the game at 81-81.
Futch found Doluony open on the wing and he nailed a three, his second of the game, to put the Red on top for good.
“I felt good from the beginning of the game,” said Doluony, who is headed to Indiana State on scholarship. “The dunk I got in the first quarter kind of got our team going.
“But at the end, we had a great general on the floor in Futch and that made the difference.”
The Red team played without Iowa State recruit Wes Eikmeier of Archbishop Bergan, who was ill.
Future Creighton University teammates Antoine Young of Bellevue West and Josh Jones of Omaha Central squared off against each other often. Young shared scoring honors with Doluony for the Red team with 21 points apiece and Futch added 13.
Jones had 18 points for the Blue team and Carr took scoring honors with 24 points. Andrew Palmer of Waverly added 18, coming on six three-pointers, which was good enough for an all-star record. It eclipsed both the Blue and Red team marks of five set by Tyler Peterson of Louisville and Jake Johnson of Grand Island Central Catholic last year.
“I’d been off the whole weekend, so it felt pretty nice to hit some in the game,” said Palmer, who is headed to Nebraska Wesleyan along with Futch. “This team was so unselfish and that made it fun.”
Minden coach Dave Mroczek, who guided the Blue team, said the togetherness of both teams was noticeable this week.
“We intermingled all the time, practicing together and doing stuff together,” he said. “We had Blue team guys rooming with Red team guys. That made this very special.”
Reach Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambleton@journalstar.com.
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