Area juniors shine in All-Star classic conclusion
Jun. 20—ANDERSON — The 13th annual Indiana Class Basketball All-Star Classic wrapped up Saturday with a pair of games involving seniors-to-be, including three players from the area who proved their skills fit right in with a talented field of All-Star players.
Frankton's Cagney Utterback scored seven points, grabbed four rebounds and handed out two assists to help the White team to a 75-66 win in the first Juniors Girls game.
In the finale, Utterback's Eagles teammate Lauryn Bates posted a double-double while Madison-Grant's Azmae Turner chipped in scoring help and defense as their Red team pulled away for a 68-52 win over the White stars, one of the more lopsided games of the eight played over the weekend.
In many ways, it was a typical stat line for the 5-foot-2 Utterback, including limiting her errors to just one turnover.
"I just tried to do my part," she said. "As a point guard and not super tall, I just try to benefit (my team) in as many ways as possible."
She showed plenty of toughness, including trapping a 6-2 player at the center court line and forcing a turnover.
"I try to be," she said. "Height isn't in my favor, so I try to make up for that with speed."
Bates finished her game with 11 points and 10 rebounds as her Red team was never threatened, leading by as many as 21 after heading to halftime up 11 points. She was big after the break, scoring seven points and pulling down eight rebounds after intermission.
"I was really nervous coming in to it," she said. "But once I started getting going — I had amazing teammates — so playing with them helped calm my nerves. When the game was over, I was glad. It was a good experience."
Bates and Turner could both be classified as point-forwards, with enough size to play inside and the ball-handling and shooting skills to play outside. Both felt comfortable in the all-star atmosphere where defense is not always a priority.
"You've got to play great players to be great," Bates said. "I had to use all my skills, rebound and shoot and play off the other players. It was a good experience."
"I was a little nervous coming in because the team I played with yesterday at a showcase were all shooters, and I wasn't used to that," said Turner, who added a pair of steals and a blocked shot. "I thought today we played as a team. It was a lot of fun."
After the game, Bates was presented with her team's Kent Benson Mental Attitude Award, named for the Indiana Hoosiers great who has long been a part of the Classic through his involvement with the Fellowship for Christian Athletes.
"It's a great honor," Bates said. "On the court, I feel like I'm kind of mean. But today it was just a fun experience playing with them."
Contact Rob Hunt at rob.hunt@heraldbulletin.com or 765-640-4886.
