Win propels Findlay Prep into national title game

By Rob Miech

Saturday, April 4, 2009 | 3:40 p.m.

NORTH BETHESDA, Md. – The sting of Wednesday’s loss in the McDonald’s All-American Game in Miami still hurt more than Avery Bradley’s left eye here Saturday afternoon.

By the time a Rockville (Md.) Montrose Christian player accidentally poked the Findlay College Prep senior guard in his eye with about five minutes remaining, Bradley had stung the Mustangs.

He torched Montrose for 20 points in the first half and finished with 27 in Findlay’s 60-43 victory over Montrose in a semifinal of the inaugural ESPN RISE National High School Invitational.

That set up a scintillating championship Sunday showdown – noon in Las Vegas, on ESPN – between Mouth of Wilson (Va.) Oak Hill (40-0) and Findlay (32-0) in the Hanley Center at Georgetown Prep.

Cliff Findlay walked off the court wearing beige shorts, brown casual shoes and a wide smile. The third-year program that bears the former UNLV center’s name is in its second consecutive championship game.

“It’s just amazing,” Findlay said. “It’s wonderful. The kids played great and we have great coaches. I’m excited. Happy.”

A year ago, Findlay took a 32-0 record into the National Prep Championship against Hargrave Military Academy at Fordham in the Bronx, N.Y., and lost by two points.

After Saturday’s game, Pilots coach Mike Peck was blunt.

“We’re not satisfied,” he said, “unless we go back to Vegas with the whole thing.”

Multiply that sentiment by 10 and it would come close to how Bradley feels. He played for the West squad Wednesday that lost to the East by three points in the McDonald’s game.

He was poised for a last-second 3-point shot to tie it, but a teammate launched an awkward, off-balance bomb that clanged off the rim.

Sunday’s title game is another West vs. East matchup pitting USA Today’s No. 1 team, Findlay, against No. 2 Oak Hill. ESPN has the Pilots and Warriors flip-flopped atop its rankings.

“I feel like that gave me a big spark,” Bradley said of experiencing a rare defeat. “I don’t like to lose. From that, I wanted to come here and win it all on the big stage. Hopefully, we’re able to win tomorrow.”

Montrose was ranked sixth by USA Today. Bradley went 7-for-12 from the field in the first half, with a 3-pointer, and he got to the line, where he nailed 5-of-8 free-throw attempts.

Bradley also had six rebounds, four steals, three blocked shots and a pair of assists.

“Man, I saw fire in his eyes,” said Findlay senior shooting guard D.J. Richardson, the game’s second-leading scorer with 12 points.

“Everyone else followed behind him. My offense wasn’t going, so we knew who to get the ball to. We kept telling Avery, ‘Go. Keep going. Get 30. Get more than 30.’ We were egging him on. I’m glad for him.”

Bradley said he felt like it was his time to take over, that his teammates helped him and trusted him.

“It goes back to trust,” he said. “They trusted me with the ball and being able to make shots. I happened to be making the shots. I was calling for the ball, they were giving it to me and I was able to shoot them.”

When Richardson’s touch betrayed him, he clamped down even more on defense. Montrose junior guard Terrence Ross only went 1-for-9 from the field against Richardson in the first half.

Ross averages nearly 15 points a game but was held to six, on 2-for-12 shooting, against Richardson.

The Mustangs, who made only three of 26 shots in the first half to trail 27-13 at the intermission, struggled along with Ross. In the second half, they only made two of nine free throws.

“Findlay’s a terrific team,” said veteran Montrose coach Stu Vetter. “I knew going in that we had to play very, very well. They’re difficult to defend, with their guards. They have great guard play.

“And Avery is as good a guard as I’ve seen this year. I was impressed with him, defensively. A lot of good offensive guards don’t do it on the other end. He can change a game on defense. That had a lot to do with them getting a great start.”

Vetter’s only losses this season were to Oak Hill.

“No, not me,” he said, when asked which team might have an edge Sunday. “I think it’ll be a game everyone will enjoy and everyone will remember.”

Findlay big men Carlos Lopez, Godwin Okonji and Tristan Thompson all flirted with foul trouble against the Mustangs’ powerful inside players, namely Mouphtaou Yarou.

But that was the plan, according to Thompson. Make them earn it at the foul line. But Yarou sank only six of his 14 attempts at the stripe and went 0-for-6 from the field.

“Our bigs did a heck of a job,” Peck said. “Zero field goals for Yarou? If you had told me that before the game I would have said you’re absolutely crazy.”

Thompson scored eight points and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds in the physical battle, and Findlay beat Montrose, 51-46, on the boards.

“We have a great team and we went after it,” Lopez said. “They kind of gave up and laid down.”

Being just as physical with their opponents, while having quicker feet, might be the key against outstanding Oak Hill center Keith “Tiny” Gallon on Sunday.

“We didn’t want to give them anything easy,” Thompson said. “We were not going to let them stomp on us. That’s what everyone was talking about, that our bigs were a weakness.

“We showed the crowd and the media, everyone, that we’re not a weakness. Tiny, we’re probably faster than him. We can cut off his steps and make him ineffective.”

Oak Hill senior guard Lamont “Mo Mo” Jones, who went for 22 in the Warriors’ semifinal victory over St. Benedict’s earlier Saturday, might think the same way about Bradley.

As Findlay stifled Montrose, Jones walked by and someone asked him about Bradley and the Pilots.

“I’m not worried about them,” Jones said nonchalantly before turning his head and walking away.

That’s just what Bradley and his teammates want to hear.

“To us, we still feel like we’re the underdog,” Bradley said. “It feels like we’re No. 57 against No. 1 (in Oak Hill), to be honest with you. But we definitely want to bring the title back to Findlay and the West.”

NOTES -- In two games at the ESPN Invitational, Findlay has only allowed its foes to shoot 33.6 percent (38-for-113). “That’s a staple of our system and program,” Peck said … Bradley is 17-for-38, with 42 points, in the Pilots’ two victories, while Thompson (11-for-19) and point guard Cory Joseph (9-for-18) have been solid, too … Vetter believes the ESPN Invitational will only get bigger and better. “It’s a whole new era,” he said. “You’ll see every high school team in the country want to be a part of this. State high school associations will yield to that. This was the best tournament I’ve ever competed in. It’s like a Final Four. Everybody will look forward to it.”