Gorman, Findlay Prep is ‘one of the best high school basketball rivalries in the country’

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Friday, Jan. 23, 2015 | 2 a.m.

They’ve spent most of the high school basketball season on airplanes and buses traveling across the nation to face top competition. Saturday, a quick trip to Las Vegas Boulevard South will bring the next game against a quality foe.

Bishop Gorman High and Findlay Prep, two local programs with a national appeal, will match up in the annual Big City Showdown at 2 p.m. at the South Point Arena. The game typically features close finishes, top college prospects and UNLV recruiting targets, and stands packed with fans.

“It’s turned into one of the best high school basketball rivalries in the country,” said Andy Johnson, the Findlay Prep coach. “Every year, there are bragging rights with this game. Every year, it is always competitive and always close.”

Last year, Gorman forced overtime with a buzzer-beater at the end of regulation, and prevailed by four points in the extra session for its first win in seven tries against Findlay.

“It validated the series a little bit,” Gorman coach Grant Rice said. “Findlay Prep, they have one of the top teams in the country. It showed our program can compete on a national level.”

Gorman, the three-time Nevada state champion, had already shown it could play with Findlay in previous meetings.

In 2011, Gorman lost in double-overtime on a 3-pointer at the buzzer. The following year, when Gorman had future NBA Lottery pick Shabazz Muhammad, tickets were scalped for $200. College coaches and local celebrities were in the crowd, taking the rivalry to a new level.

“Anytime you have so many good players from two schools get together, you have the opportunity for a good game,” Johnson said.

Findlay, who is ranked No. 1 in the nation by USA Today, is led by senior guard Allonzo Trier, an Arizona signee, and junior Derryck Thornton Jr., who has offers from UNLV, Duke, Kentucky and other heavyweights. Post player Horace Spencer is verbally committed to Auburn.

The Pilots were undefeated until Monday when they lost to 17th-ranked Wayne of Huber Heights, Ohio. The loss puts extra significance on Saturday’s game. Not only is Findlay trying to avenge last year’s setback against Gorman, it needs to get back on track after a rare defeat.

“Wayne is a very, very good team. They took it to us,” Johnson said. “We had a few opportunities to win the game. We couldn’t convert. Give Wayne credit — they deserved to win the game.”

Gorman, who opened the season ranked in the top 20 of every national poll, has been as good as advertised at times this season. At other times, though, they’ve come up short against other national teams.

That was the case on Monday when the Gaels (15-5) fell to Montverde Academy in the HoopHall Classic, losing by double digits in the ESPNU-televised game. They bounced back by easily beating Shadow Ridge in league play, but clearly have something to prove against an opponent of Findlay’s caliber.

Gorman typically has two of the best players on the court in post players Chase Jeter (a Duke commit) and five-star prospect Stephen Zimmerman. They are rarely matched on the inside. But finding consistency at other spots has been a work in progress.

“We need to play our best game. We need to handle their ball pressure,” Rice said. “We need to get a good game from several of our players, not just a few.”

The Big City Challenge is four games starting at 10 a.m. with Gorman’s girls team hosting Liberty in a potential state championship preview. At noon, Centennial High of Las Vegas plays Maranatha of California. And in the nightcap, Las Vegas High takes on California’s Santa Monica High.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and available at the arena box office or SouthPointArena.com.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21