MaxPreps Classic Day 1: DeRozan Deals at Both Ends

By Mitch Stephens

MaxPreps.com

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - To be a true star, Demar DeRozan says, you have to excel on both ends of the court.

The Compton High standout did both in the final 11.4 seconds for his team to pull out a stellar 62-60 National Division win over Santa Rita (Tucson, Ariz.) in the arguably the best game of the night Wednesday in the 56-team, four-division MaxPreps Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines High School.

Sure, DeRozan, a strong, sleek 6-foot-7 senior headed to USC, scored a game-high 39 points including a game-winning three-point play with 11.4 seconds left.

But he said he was more pleased that he partially blocked a last-second shot beyond the 3-point line by sensational Santa Rita sophomore Terrell Stoglin, who scored 34 points and just 20 seconds earlier made a jaw-dropping 18-foot jumper over DeRozan to put his team ahead 60-59.

"That made me a lot more determined on that last drive," said DeRozan, who kept the large crowd entertained with a variety of dunks and drives. "I didn't want to settle for a jumper."

On his go-ahead bucket, DeRozan dribbled by one defender but met long 6-6 Santa Rita forward Byron Morgan, who had four blocks earlier. Along the baseline, DeRozan went high into the air, hipped Morgan, hung in the air and floated in a six-footer while being fouled.

He canned the free throw, putting Compton up 62-60, but his work wasn't done.

The 6-foot Stoglin had made a variety of shots all night but DeRozan faced him up in the backcourt. With two seconds left, Stoglin pulled up for a 3-pointer but the ball fell well short.

Santa Rita coach Jim Ferguson and Stoglin claimed DeRozan hit the talented sophomore all over the arm. It appeared there was contact.

"All ball," DeRozan said.

Said Stoglin: "It was all wrist."

Said Ferguson: "It's a shame. (Stoglin) should have been shooting three free throws to win the game."

As it turned out, it was Santa Rita's first loss of the season after 11 straight wins. The Eagles move into the losers' bracket of the tournament's top Division.

Other first-day winners in the National Division were Dominguez (Compton), Simi Valley, Campolindo (Moraga), Gahr, Campbell Hall (North Hollywood), Franklin (Seattle, Wash.) and Long Beach Jordan.

"We wanted to go the entire season undefeated," Stoglin said. "It was a dream game except for the end. We'll bounce back."

DeRozan and Stoglin were staged in quite a battle all night as both were the only players in double figures. The Compton star, ranked the fifth best senior in the country by CSTV, approached Stoglin, a polished left-hander, and gave him some props.

"He told me to keep it up," Stoglin said. "He said I could be a hell of a player and coming from him, that meant a lot. He's amazing."

Ferguson said what Stoglin did was nothing special for him. Santa Rita got the state championship game last year with Stoglin leading the way as a freshman.

"If there are five better sophomores in the country I'd like to see him," Ferguson said. "He's very special."

DeRozan agreed: "Man, he made some tough shots tonight. He's already good but he's really going to be something in a couple of years."

DeRozan, who came in averaging 29.5, was special all night. He drew ooos and ahhs throughout, especially when he drove past three defenders and sent down a one-hand tomahawk jam with 1:25 left in the third quarter to give his team a 47-45 lead.

Stoglin came back on the next possession, but under heavy duress from DeRozan fired up an air ball.

"I'm more happy with my defense than with the dunks and points," DeRozan said. "It's what I'm going to have to focus on in college."

Ferguson had hoped Santa Rita could hold DeRozan under 20 points.

"That was probably unrealistic," Ferguson said. "He made a lot of amazing shots. If we could have just held him under 30 we would have won."

That's a big if.

MORE NATIONAL DIVISION

At Torrey Pines HS

Simi Valley 82, Torrey Pines 76: In another great duel, Lorne Jackson, a 6-2 senior guard, scored 34 points as Simi Valley (11-0) outscored the host team 8-2 down the stretch to win going away.

Jackson was outscored by 6-4 Santa Clara-bound guard James Rahon, who busted loose for 38 points but Torrey Pines (8-2) came up short.

A 21-13 run in the third quarter was pivotal for the winners, who also got 21 points by Brad Lewis.

Lewis made a 3-pointer and a putback to tie the game 74-74 with just under two minutes remaining. Jackson then connected on eight straight free throws and Torrey Pines went cold.

Dominguez (Compton) 75, Sheldon (Sacramento) 48: Sheldon requested to move up to the National Division at the last minute and then paid dearly as it was ambushed by a very strong Dominguez team (8-1), which was coming off the championship of the Amare Stoudamire Classic in Florida.

Jordan Hamilton, a 6-7 guard considered one of the top juniors in the state, showed why with 26 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and five assists as the Dons rolled to a 45-19 halftime lead and never looked back.

Thurman Woods had 20 points for the winners, while teammate Myron Green added 10.

Darius Nelson, a 6-6 freshman and brother of the state's career scoring leader DeMarcus Nelson (now starting at Duke), led Sheldon with 15 points. Teammates Ramon Eaton and Marcus Jackson added 13 and 10, respectively.

Hamilton said the Dons were a little weary after traveling across country last week, then taking a two-hour drive from Compton.

"We had some trouble getting our legs underneath us early on," said Hamilton, who said his top college choices thus far are Texas, Connecticut, Syracuse, USC and Cal. "But we settled down and took care of business."

Campolindo (Moraga) 75, Arroyo Grande 58: Will Shields and Jack Trotter scored 25 points apiece as Campolindo used a 19-5 run in the fourth quarter to win going away. Shields made seven of his team's 11 3-pointers to help offset a combined 36 points from James Sanders and Jermaine Anderson.

Gahr (Cerritos) 88, Desert Vista (Phoenix, Ariz.) 69: Gahr busted open a close game by scoring 37 points in the third quarter to 16 for Desert Vista in an easy opening-round win. Casper Ware made 14 of 17 free throws and scored a game-high 27 points for the winners, who got 23 from Nasheed Wallick and a combined 28 from Karl Roby, Erwin Ware and Cameron Nettles. Michael Proctor led four Desert Vista players in double figures with 18 points. Teammate Marcus Lever added 15 before fouling out.

Franklin (Seattle, Wash.) 85, Pasadena 73: Washington's top-ranked team overcame a sluggish first half by exploding for 50 in the second half to win going away. Chris Holmes scored 27 points for the winners while Peyton Siva made all 10 of his free throws and added 20. Franklin had no answer for Keon Bell, a 6-3 senior who had 38 points.

Long Beach Jordan 61, Newark Memorial 51: Keith Davis had 24 points and Stephan Heard 12 as Long Beach Jordan went on a 23-8 run in the fourth quarter to knock off Newark Memorial, which got 13 points by Chris Jones and 12 from E.J. Farris. Newark Memorial had a 43-38 lead entering the fourth quarter before Jordan caught fire.

Campbell Hall (North Hollywood) 69, Country Day (Metairle, La.) 48: Jrue Holiday, the country's sixth best senior according to CSTV, was held to just 10 points but James Johnson, a 6-7 sophomore, had 19 points and Dallas Rutherford added 15 for the winners. Eddie Ludwig, a 6-8 junior, led Country Day with 19 points.  

AMERICAN DIVISION

At La Costa Canyon HS

Sylmar 78, Mission Prep (San Luis Obispo) 66: Tyler Honeycutt had 19 points and Gary Ricks 16 as Sylmar fought back from a 19-10 deficit at the end of the first quarter to win going away. The winners used a 26-14 run in the third quarter to take control over Mission Prep, which got a game-high 24 points from Jerry Casey.