Re-capping the East-West All Stars basketball games..

NCCA East-West All-Star Games

Women’s Basketball
West 78, East 73

Trumae Lucas, a Florida-bound point guard from Greensboro Grimsley, scored seven of her game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter en route to MVP honors in a 78-73 win for the West in the 34th annual North Carolina Coaches Association East-West All-Star Game at the Greensboro Coliseum. “It was a great way to finish,” said Lucas, who scored or assisted on all but two of the West’s 13 fourth-quarter points.

Cameron Sealey of East Gaston had 15 points and four steals for the West, which won for the first time since 2005. Secily Ray of Thomasville added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

The East was led by Shamia Brown of Hoke County (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Wakefield’s Kristen Hanzer (16 points, 11 rebounds). The West opened a 21-13 lead after closing the first quarter on a 10-2 run. Lucas hit the final two baskets of the spurt, including a layup just before the buzzer.
The East stormed back with a 14-3 run of its own to open the second, capped by a transition layup from Hoke County’s Shamia Brown. The High Point signee led all scorers at the break with 12 points. After a transition layup by the West’s Cameron Sealy snapped the run and brought the West within one, Amanda Sinclair of Red Springs nailed a 3-pointer and a layup to stretch the East’s lead. Deandra Cotton followed with another 3-pointer, and a layup by Sinclair gave the East its largest lead of the game at 37-29.

Once again, the West counterpunched, closing the half with an 11-2 spurt. Lucas followed a basket plus the foul with a 3-pointer to pull the West within one, and a triple seconds later by Kurie Washington put the West back on top. They took a 40-39 edge into the break.

The East regained the lead briefly midway through the third quarter, but the West sprinted to another run, this one a 15-2 burst, to close the quarter with a 65-56 lead. Ray, a Wake Forest signee, scored seven consecutive points during the run, including a basket plus the foul that put the West back up 57-54.

Like clockwork, the East scored the first nine points of the fourth to even things at 65. Wakefield forward Kristen Hanzer scored four points in the run, including the tying putback.

But Lucas took over from there, muscling her way into the lane for a basket that put the West back on top for good with 6:50 left. She added five free throws down the stretch and stole an inbounds pass with about 30 seconds remaining and the East trailing by two. Sealey blocked a potential tying 3-pointer by Shatara Jackson in the final seconds.

“I had the mentality that we were going to pull it out,” Lucas said.

“It was a game of spurts,” West coach Tim Epley said, “and I guess we got the last spurt.”

Men’s Basketball
East 99, West 93

Kinston’s Bo Ingram scored a game-high 24 points and earned MVP honors in the East’s 99-93 win Monday in the North Carolina Coaches Association East-West All-Star Game at Greensboro Coliseum.

“I felt confident because I’ve been in those types of situations before and I know what I have to do – step up and hit some shots,” said Ingram, who also earned MVP honors in the 2A state championship game.

Seven players scored in double figures for the East, which won for the first time since 2004. Justin Watts of Jordan had 14, Adonte McCarter of Rose had 13, Ty Walker of New Hanover had 12, Terrell Barrett of Farmville Central and Michael Bonner of Perquimans County had 11 and C.J. Williams of Jack Britt scored 10.

Virginia Tech-bound Victor Davila of Starmount led the West with 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Justin Johnson of Cherryville added 11 points and 11 rebounds in a game that featured 51 turnovers and 21 missed free throws.

The East led 87-78 midway through the fourth quarter before the West scored seven straight points to pull within two. A falling 3-pointer by Marcus Wright capped the run. But the West couldn’t land a knockout punch. Davila could have tied it from the line with 1:28 left but only made one of two free throws. About 30 seconds later, Malik Stith of East Mecklenburg missed two free throws with the West down by two. And after Williams missed two free throws for the East, Kendall Smith of Glenn fired a potential go-ahead 3-pointer that rattled out.

*****from Jim Modlin of GREENSBOROSports.com, courtesy of David Willoughby North Carolina Coaches Association media*****