Findlay gets title matchup of unbeatens with New York Rice

By Rob Miech

Monday, Dec. 29, 2008 | 9:26 p.m.

As anticipated, Findlay College Prep has a Rock Holiday Classic title match against New York (N.Y.) Rice on Tuesday night at the Henderson International School.

Findlay just got a few more headaches than it had bargained for in a semifinal against Miami (Fla.) Ransom Everglades.

Ransom (7-3) often sat on the ball, taking its time to work for a good shot, and Findlay finished with a 60-32 victory to improve to 11-0.

The Pilots, ranked second in USA Today’s national Super 25 poll, had been beating their foes by an average of 37 points.

“We wanted to make them play defense,” said Ransom coach Claude Grubair. “We know how great they are, so we wanted to wear them down. I’m proud of what my guys were able to do.

“We don’t play teams of that caliber, ever, so it’s tough for us.”

Findlay coach Mike Peck said his players might have been a little frustrated with the Raiders’ deliberate style, but they mostly took it as a challenge.

“They said, ‘That’s the game plan so we’ll execute it,’ ” Peck said. “(Grubair) does a good job. He knows exactly what they have to do for success. If it took four minutes to score, so be it.”

Findlay senior forward Victor Rudd scored a team-high 12 points, forward Godwin Okonji and guard Cory Joseph had 10 apiece, and center Carlos Lopez and guard Avery Bradley both tallied 8.

“They tried to slow down the game, and we tried to get them to play faster,” said Rudd, who has narrowed his recruiting list to UNLV, Gonzaga and Arizona.

His guardian, Bill Hankins, the father of Findlay guard Willie Hankins, said that’s Rudd’s list in order of preference, but Rudd denied that.

“There isn’t a 1, 2, 3,” Rudd said. “But that’s the list, right there.”

He said he will have no trouble getting a score on his ACT test next month that is required for collegiate eligibility next fall.

The next test for Rudd and his teammates, however, will be Tuesday at 5 p.m. against Rice (3-0), which beat Lake Mary (Fla.) Prep by 29 points in the other Monday semifinal of the Classic.

“I don’t think they’re as good as they’ve been in past years,” Rudd said. “But they’re still pretty good. Durand Scott is their best player, but he’s coming off an ankle injury.

“We might try to pressure him all night.”

Scott, a 6-foot-5 swingman, will play at Miami next season.

Rice (3-0), one of the top teams in the Northeast, was one of several teams that watched UNLV practice Sunday afternoon at the Thomas & Mack Center.

The Rebels’ attention to defense, said Rice senior guard Charles Fenner, was impressive.

“Their drills and the way they executed and the way they talked, all of that helped us,” Fenner said. “That’s how we want to play in games, and that’s how we hope to play Tuesday.”