Wednesday, March 21, 2001
Elder foe scoring machine
Brookhaven unselfish in averaging 83.9 ppg
By Dave Schutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer
With an enrollment of just 481 boys, Columbus Brookhaven is the smallest Division I school remaining in the boys state basketball tournament. But the 26-0 Bearcats, ranked No.1 in Ohio, are a scoring machine, averaging 83.9 points a game and allowing an average of 51.2.
Brookhaven, which will play Elder (20-6) in a Division I state semifinal Friday, averaged nearly 90 points during the regular season, defeating opponents by an average of 40 points a game.
“We went 18-7 last year and have seven players back from that team,” Bearcats coach Bruce Howard said. “But we can go four deep on the bench because a couple of sophomores have stepped up.”
One of those sophomores is Brandon Foust, a 6-foot-6 forward who averages 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds a game.
The other is Andrew Lavender, a 5-7 guard who averages 11.2 points and 7.3 assists a game.
Forward Ronald Lewis, a 6-4 junior, is the Bearcats' leading scorer, averaging 17.2 points a game. Junior guard Raheen Moss averages 14.2.
Other key players for Brookhaven are Anthony Murphy, a junior center (4.9 ppg), and senior guard Chris Edwards (7.1 ppg).
Junior Dante Patterson (10.8 ppg), who has committed to Wright State University, and seniors James Harden (2.7 ppg) and Kieran Johnson (5.1 ppg) also are significant contributors.
The Bearcats' balance is reflected in the fact that no player has started more than 13 games. Howard said he wasn't sure which of his players would start against Elder. But he knows what his strategy will be against the Panthers.
“We prefer playing a pressing man-to-man defense, which has given opponents a lot of problems,” Howard said. “Elder is a physical team, and if we get into foul trouble, we'll drop back in a zone.”
Good team chemistry and the ability of the players to accept their roles are factors in the Bearcats' success. They are making their first appearance in the state final four.
“This is the most unselfish group of kids I've had in nine years,” Howard said. “Winning is the most important thing to them. Sometimes they pass up too many shots for an easier one, and we seldom have a player score 20 points in a game.”
This is Brookhaven's first appearance in the state final four. while Elder, making its sixth, won championships in 1973, '74 and '93.
Brookhaven is on a mission to regain respectability for the Columbus City League, which used to dominate the big-school division but hasn't won a title in 21 years.
Beginning in 1963, Columbus City League teams won eight of 15 big-school state championships. East, Linden McKinley, Marion Franklin and South won in 1963, '65, '67, '68, '69, '75, '77 and '79. Since then, the City League has overshadowed by suburban Columbus teams such as Westerville North, Westerville South and Pickerington.
“I think it would be extremely good ... if someone from our league was able to win the state title,” Howard said. “It would bring back a lot of respect.”
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