Local hoop stars put on show at Roundball Shootout
Anderson, Ickert named Star of Stars at all-star games
By Paul Valencia, Columbian
High School Sports Reporter
Published: March 30, 2014, 5:00pm
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Girls all-star player of the game Union's T. Anderson drives to the hoop against Prairie's Nicole Goecke in the second half of the Roundball Shootout at Clark College on Sunday March 30, 2014.
It hit T. Anderson soon after the game was complete.
“Reality really set in. I’m about to move on to the next chapter in my life,” said Anderson, a senior from Union who was named the Star of Stars in the girls game Sunday at the Les Schwab Tires Roundball Shootout at Clark College.
This was her last high school basketball game, and she left a winner, with 27 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Blue jerseys to a 71-69 victory over the White jerseys.
Skyview’s Aubrey Ward-El had a big night, too. She won the girls 3-point shooting contest at halftime, then made the game-winning shot with 52 seconds left in the game.
A couple hours later, an athlete from a Class 1B school was named the Star of Stars for the boys game.
“I came into it expecting not to get the ball very much because I come from a small school,” said Parker Ickert of King’s Way Christian. “I wanted to show everybody I could play.”
He and Jalen Ballard of Evergreen put on a showcase on how to play. The teammates from the Blue jerseys each made five 3-pointers and each scored 29 points in a 116-98 victory over the White jerseys.
Ickert buried three consecutive 3-pointers in the closing minutes to wow the crowd — and the MVP voters.
“I watched this event all the time, growing up,” Ickert said. “I always dreamed of being able to play in it. Now … it’s kind of unreal to me. I just didn’t expect this.”
Sounding more like a NASCAR driver than basketball player, he also thanked the sponsor — Les Schwab Tires — for its support of the event that features some of the best senior basketball players from Southwest Washington in two games, two 3-point contests, and a dunk contest.
Jack Klodt of Hockinson got the biggest cheer of the night when he slammed his first attempt in the dunk contest. That was good enough for the win, too.
Torey Jones of Columbia River won the boys 3-point contest. He also made four in the game for the Blue squad, finishing with 14 points.
Ballard and Ickert each scored 13 in the first half, then 16 each in the second half.
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Ballard had seven in a row in the second half when the Blue pushed its lead to 12 points.
“It was good to run again and play with some old friends and make some new friends,” Ballard said. “I wanted to go out here and put on a show.”
Jamie Ford of Battle Ground finish with 16 points. Connor Wonderly of La Center added 11 for Blue.
Jahmil Johnson of Evergreen led the White jerseys with 20 points. Alex Torson of Mountain View made three 3-pointers and finished with 17 points. Tre Eisenhut of Fort Vancouver and Klodt had 13 apiece, and Josh Mason of Ridgefield scored 10.
The girls game featured 16 lead changes. Anderson made a free throw with 1:23 left to tie the game for the Blue squad. A half minute later, Ward-El untied it with a basket for a 71-69 lead. Defenses ruled the final 52 seconds.
“There are a lot of really great players in this game, and I’m honored they thought I deserved it,” Anderson said of the MVP award.
Anderson, who has signed with Colorado State-Pueblo, made four 3-pointers, too.
Jocelyn Adams of Skyview led the White jerseys with 27 points and 24 rebounds. She said Anderson was the right choice for MVP because Anderson’s team won the game.
Ward-El finished with 21 points and 11 boards for Blue. Breanna DuBois of Mark Morris scored 12 points.
Nicole Goecke of Prairie scored 16 points for White, and Tessa Vanderpool of Union had 10 points.
LES SCHWAB ROUNDBALL SHOOTOUT
Girls game
BLUE 71, WHITE 69
BLUE — T. Anderson 27, Breanna DuBois 12, Ashley Edwards 5, Bailey Freeman 2, Rachel Rice 0, Brianna Sorenson 4, Aubrey Ward-El. Totals 29 (7) 6-14 71.
