Prep Basketball: Dudek MVP, Gossett Oldani Award Winner

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With a 41-point blowout in the girls game fresh on their minds, fans at the 23rd Annual All-Star Classic Basketball Game couldn't be blamed for concern about the boys game after Bob Conte's white team raced out to a 22-4 lead over Bob Blondi's dark team.

Those concerns were quickly alleviated as the Dark Team rallied to pull even late in the first half and eventually took the lead in the second half, grabbing a 108-102 victory.

"When we got behind, we never felt like we were out of the game," said Blondi. "We just kept saying go after them."

Team Blondi never led until there was 4:05 left in the game when Nashville's Brock Pries buried a 3-pointer to put his team ahead 96-94. After Team Conte tied the game for the sixth time in the second half, David Wiegmann of Breese Central delivered the knockout punch with a 3-pointer to put the Dark team ahead for good at 99-96.

Salem's Zeke Light then iced the game for Blondi's squad by scoring his team's next seven points including a steal and basket and a 3-pointer. Light's late-game efforts earned him MVP honors for Team Bondi.

Team Conte scored the game's first four points, and exploded early for a 22-4 lead. But the White team couldn't hold on, and when the Dark team went on a 17-6 run, the gap was closed to 33-28.

Team Blondi continued its rally to pull within two points twice in the final minute of the half, 51-49 and 53-51 when Olney's Brandon' Berry hit an eight-footer at the first-half buzzer.

Team Conte tried to pull away again in the second half, building a 66-56 lead with 17:30 remaining in the second half. But Blondi's squad scored the next 10 points to create the game's first tie.

The lead was never more than three points until Light's run late in the game stretched the margin to 103-96 with 2:29 left.

Light was one of five Team Blondi players to score in double figures with 18 points. He shared team-high honors with Wiegmann. Murphysboro's Dre'Shean Payne added 13 points, Justin Matyi of Sesser-Valier scored 11 and Berry netted 10.

Pinckneyville's Drew Dudek was the Team Conte MVP. Dudek scored a game-high 19 points, 14 coming in the first half. Garrett Gaffner of Central added 18 points and Martin Powell from Goreville chipped in with 10. They were the only three players on the White Team to score in double figures.

NOTES: Harrisburg's duo of Cain Sheldon and Lucas Elverd swept the 3-point and slam dunk competition. Sheldon, who lost the Class 2A 3-point shootout at the state tournament two weeks ago after two tiebreaker shootouts, used a tie-breaker to beat Nashville's Greg Guest. Both Sheldon and Guest made 10 shots in the first round. Sheldon edged Guest 5-4 in the tiebreaker. ... Elverd topped six other contestants to win the dunk contest. He edged out Nashville's Kyle Eggemeyer for top honors. ... The Ron Herrin Award, given in memory of long-time coach Ron Herrin, was presented to Berry from Olney. Berry was recognized for showing the same leadership, sportsmanship, friendship, good will and love of the game displayed Herrin in his time on the bench. ... The Shawn Oldani Hustle Award was given to Matt Gossett of Du Quoin. The award is presented in honor of former Christopher Bearcat Shawn Oldani to the all-star who shows Oldani's traits of hustle, tough play and sportsmanship.

DARK (108) - Baldridge (Patoka) 1 0-0 2, Guest (Nashville) 2 0-0 5, Witges (Waltonville) 0 0-0 0, Wiegmann (Central) 8 1-3 18, Payne (Murphysboro) 6 0-0 13, J. Lewis (Lebanon) 4 1-1 9, Pries (Nashville) 3 0-0 8, Matyi (Sesser-Valier) 5 1-2 11, Light (Salem) 8 0-0 18, Berry (Olney) 4 2-2 10, Mallow (Herrin) 3 0-0 6, Elverd 3 1-3 7, Kellerman 0 1-2 1. Total 47 7-13 108.

WHITE (102) - White (Sparta) 0 0-0 0, Johnson (Massac County) 1 0-2 3, Dudek (Pinckneyville) 8 0-0 19, Mieldezis (Marion) 2 0-0 6, Gibson (Sesser-Valier) 1 0-0 2, Reno (Carbondale) 3 0-0 6, Heggemeyer (Nashville) 2 0-0 6, Sheldon (Harrisburg) 2 4-4 9, Jo. Lewis (Waltonville) 2 0-0 6, Mitchell (Zeigler-Royalton) 1 0-0 2, Powell (Goreville) 4 2-3 10, Gossett (Du Quoin) 2 0-0 4, Gaffner (Central) 9 0-0 18, Woodward 1 0-2 2. Total 38 6-9 102.

Halftime Score - Team Conte 53, Team Blondi 51. 3-point field goals - Team Blondi 7 (Pries 2, Light 2, Wiegmann, Payne, Guest), Team Conte 11 (Dudek 3, Heggemeier 2, Johnson, Sheldon, Lewis 2, Mieldezis 2).