Brooks takes title from Waubonsie
In the 27th and last championship game at Waubonsie Valley's Matt Laurich Warrior Christmas Classic, Jared Brownridge carried the host team as far as he could.
The 5-foot-11 sophomore guard made his first five 3-point shots, hit eight 3s for the game and finished with a personal-high 31 points.
Led by point guard and tournament most valuable player Michael Powell, however, Brooks College Prep had too much, winning the title game 73-66.
Powell scored 20 points and dished out 10 assists, as 6-foot-6 twins Kevin and Keith Gray benefitted with 17 and 16 points, respectively, for the Eagles (7-1).
Initially playing man-to-man defense, Waubonsie Valley (9-4) switched to a zone, mainly to block out the Grays. Waubonsie outrebounded Brooks 38-28, but Powell eventually picked the defense apart.
“I knew they'd play us kind of like a matchup 3-2, try to keep Mike out of the lane. That's a hard thing to do,” said Brooks coach Robert Locke, who three games ago lost Wisconsin-bound point guard George Marshall to a broken left hand.
Brownridge's right hand was A-OK. He scored all 17 of Waubonsie's points in the first quarter on quick catch-and-release shots from wherever — right corner, top of the arc, left elbow — plus a spin move for space to launch another.
Brownridge hit two 3s and scored another basket in the second quarter for 25 of Waubonsie's 33 points, tying Brooks at halftime.
His secret?
“I got a good night's sleep,” Brownridge said.
“That's not the only thing. I just had the confidence to come out here knowing we're in the championship game. All the other games meant something, but the championship game, we had to come out here and play our hardest, so that's what I came out to do.”
In games Tuesday and Thursday Brownridge made a combined 2-of-14 3-point attempts.
“He came out today and after about four he made I turned to the bench and said, ‘I think he's out of his slump,'” said Warriors coach Steve Weemer.
Brownridge's sole dry spell came in his scoreless third quarter. Despite Jakobi Johnson scoring 7 of his 12 points and the Warriors grabbing 7 offensive rebounds and putting up 22 shots they converted few, and Brooks starting pulling away.
“So now we have to go into January, we have to win our games there, get some momentum built back up so we can go ahead and get a good seed for the regionals in the playoffs,” Johnson said.