Findlay back on track with 60-point victory

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009 | 11:23 p.m.

The Findlay Prep basketball team is back to its winning ways.

Not that the powerhouse Pilots lost a game, but their 69-63 victory against Quality Education Academy of North Carolina last Saturday in Peoria, Ill., was a little too close for comfort for the defending high school national champions.

So, with what coach Mike Peck calls his team’s toughest opponent of the young season on the horizon this weekend, Findlay tuned up Wednesday night with a 124-62 victory against the visiting Vicmet Academy from Victoria, Australia.

Findlay scored 15 unanswered points to open the game and sophomore reserve forward Winston Shepard established himself as a key part of the rotation with 17 points to help the Pilots get back on track.

Jabari Brown had a game-high 23 points, Cory Joseph finished with 21 points and Nick Johnson added 20.

“We wanted to create some momentum for the weekend and we did that tonight,” Peck said.

Findlay (8-0) plays two games this weekend at the Marshall County Hoopfest in Benton, Ky. They open Friday against Christ School of North Carolina, which has won four of last five state titles and is undefeated in six games this year.

“They have a legit eight-deep rotation. We will definitely be tested,” Peck said.

Findlay led 23-10 early against Quality Education Academy last weekend but couldn’t secure the win until the final two minutes. Most games are like Wednesday's, in which the Pilots, who are the top-ranked team in the ESPN Rise rankings, led by 40 points at halftime.

Eight of the nine Findlay players who dressed against the Australian travel team saw significant minutes. But it was Shepard’s consistent performance off the bench that impressed Peck.

Findlay will only travel nine for its trip to Kentucky and having confidence in Shepard gives the Pilots a boost.

“Winston proved tonight that he will provide that depth we need,” Peck said. “He gave us the confidence that we can trust putting him in the game.”

Shepard, who started as a freshman last year at Hightower High in Texas, said it took him a few games to get acclimated to his new teammates at Findlay.

“It just took me some time to get adjusted,” Shepard said. “I was the star at my high school and now I am playing with five stars. …My teammates really got my the ball in a good position to score tonight.”

Notes

Freshman guard Nigel Goss will miss at least two weeks after injuring ligaments in his left foot last week at practice. He was wearing a walking boot Wednesday and won’t travel to Kentucky. …Sophomore center Henry Uwadiae of Benin City, Nigeria, connected on both his shots in two minutes off the bench. Uwadiae joined the team last month. …Let the hype begin. Findlay will play defending Nevada high school champion Bishop Gorman on Dec. 12 at the Orleans Arena, and several from the Gaels program were at Wednesday’s game scouting. The Gorman contingent included sophomore Shabazz Muhammad, whose family lives in the area close to Henderson International School, the private school Findlay is affiliated with. The 6-foot-4 Muhammad is one of the top prospects for the class of 2012 and has scholarship offers from the likes of Arizona, Kansas, USC and UNLV.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or ray.brewer@lasvegassun.com.