Gaels fall short vs. Oak Hill

Spencer Patterson

Thursday, Dec. 21, 2000 | 10:53 a.m.

They turned out in droves to see if Nevada's top-ranked team could play with the best in the country.

And the standing-room only crowd at Green Valley High School got what it came for Wednesday night -- a classic between defending 4A state champion Bishop Gorman and Virginia's Oak Hill Academy, the nation's No. 1 team, in the Millennium Cup semifinals of the Powerade Holiday Prep Classic.

Though the Gaels ultimately succumbed 70-58, they kept the Warriors in their sights until the closing seconds, giving the prep powerhouse a serious scare and stating their case for a national ranking of their own.

"We showed the nation we come to play, not just us, but Las Vegas in general," Gorman center Jason Carter said. "We're not going to back down from anyone. We're coming straight at people this year."

Despite falling behind by 18 points in the first half, Gorman gave local fans reason to stand up and cheer, closing the gap to three points with five minutes remaining. And though the Warriors withstood the Gaels' best effort down the stretch, first-year Gorman coach Bob Hubbard came away quite proud of his club's inspired performance.

"The effort was incredible. Our kids left everything out there," Hubbard said. "We'll go back and learn from it. Basketball is all preparation, and with a game like this, we can get that preparation level higher."

Early on, the game went the way many expected it might, with the Gaels (8-1) falling behind by double digits six minutes in and the Warriors (12-0) stretching the margin from there.

With Syracuse-bound point guard Billy Edelin leading the charge, Oak Hill opened up a commanding 28-10 lead with six minutes remaining in the first half, and it appeared the rout might be on.

But to their credit, the Gaels refused to go away without a fight. Despite losing starting guard C.J. Watson -- their most consistent performer in the tournament -- to foul trouble early in the first half, the locals closed the gap with a run of their own, outscoring the Warriors 19-8 from there to pull within seven, 36-29, at the break.

"In the locker room (before the game) they were loose, but we played tight early," Hubbard said. "We're a good shooting basketball team, but we didn't shoot well (early). And there's nothing that can compare in the whole game to the loss of C.J. It would be like them losing No. 4 (Edelin)."

Nevertheless, the Gaels found a way to put the pressure on Oak Hill, pounding the ball in to Carter, who went straight at highly touted 7-0, 310-pound center DeSagana Diop in the low post. The Colorado signee forced Diop to the bench with foul difficulty, and Gorman took advantage of his absence, pulling within two points midway through the second half.

"We were in it from the tip," Carter said. "Even when we were down 18, the feeling on the bench was we were in it, no matter what."

After the Warriors built their lead back to eight points, 56-48, with 6:30 to play, Carter took matters into his own hands, tossing in a baby hook, converting a 3-point play off an offensive rebound and then throwing down a two-handed jam to pull his club within three, 58-55.

The Gaels nearly narrowed the margin to a single point moments later, but Watson's alley-oop pass to Justin Burns sailed high. The Warriors took advantage with a Rashaad Carruth 3-pointer on the other end, and never let the locals closer than four points the rest of the way.

"It's the No. 1 team in the nation, a chance to show everybody what you can do," Carter said. "And I feel that with our performance today, we should be recognized nationally."

Hubbard, whose squad is ranked No. 10 in USA Today's western regional rankings, said he understands his players' desire for national recognition, but that it isn't his chief priority at the moment.

"If you play the games and do the things you're supposed to do, the national rankings will come your way," Hubbard said. "In this telecommunications age, people will find out about you if you're good enough."

Carter finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, with Dinard Taylor and Brandon Knott adding 14 and 10 points respectively. Edelin led the Warriors with 23 points and nine rebounds, and got help from Justin Gray (19 points) and Diop (14 rebounds, nine blocks).

Oak Hill advances to play California power Mater Dei (9-0) in tonight's highly anticipated Millennium Cup championship at 7 at Green Valley. The Monarchs reached the final with a 94-73 victory over St. Mary's (Ariz.) Wednesday, with UCLA-bound Cedric Bozeman pouring in 30 points on 12-of-16 shooting to lead the Mater Dei attack.