Mentor, VASJ players win 3-point contests

It never hurts to ask. When the 39th annual News-Herald Classic tipped off on April 1 at Lakeland Community College, Maddy Moyer wasn’t signed up for the halftime 3-point contest.

But just prior to tip-off, Moyer asked if she could take part in the shootout. It’s a good thing she did. The senior guard from Mentor took home top honors in the halftime contest, scoring 11 points to beat out seven other shooters for the championship.

“I wasn’t signed up at the beginning,” Moyer said. “I asked if I could be in it because I am pretty confident in my shot. And I went up against one of the best in the area in Emily Kelley.”

Kelley, a Gilmour senior, entered the contest as the favorite. The 5-foot10 guard, who has signed with Winthrop, is the state record-holder with 375 career 3-pointers.

But it wasn’t Kelley who had the hot hand on this day. It was Moyer.

Each contestant took 15 shots. One rack of five was at the top of the key. Shooters could place the other two racks of five anywhere from the wing to the baseline.

Moyer made nine of her 15 attempts. But she helped herself by making a pair of “money balls,” i.e. the fifth and final ball on each rack.

“It takes a lot of hard work and practice,” Moyer said of being a good 3-point shooter. “It also takes confidence. If you miss the first one, you have to know in your head you’re going to make the next.”

Finishing second was Sydney Diedrich of Gilmour with nine, followed by Sharyn Tomm of Cornerstone (eight). The rest of the competitors were Riverside’s Brittany Prugel (six), Kelley (six), Euclid’s Rayjon Harris (five), VASJ’s Nasiah Joe (five) and North’s Ally Lako (two).

Moyer was the fourth shooter in the list, which she found to be advantageous.

“It’s funner when you go earlier,” she said. “The pressure builds up later.”

Moyer will play college basketball at Alderson Broaddus following graduation.

Boys

William “Syrup” Butler keyed Villa Angela-St. Joseph’s run to the program’s seventh state title with a number of timely 3-pointers that created massive momentum swings in the Vikings’ favor.

At halftime of the boys News-Herald Classic, Butler cemented his status as the area’s top marksman.

Butler notched 10 points in the halftime 3-point shootout, which edged nine-point efforts by Mentor’s Jack Korsok and Kenston’s Josh Kain.

“I had fun,” Butler said. “I came in with the mindset knowing I was going to win it. I was confident about it and coach was pressuring me to win it, so I had to do what I had to do.”

Hawken’s Brendan Paul finished with four points, Wickliffe’s Jaysen Lewis posted six and Benedictine’s Jamari Patterson had seven. Although Butler was confident in his chances at victory, he admitted some anxiety as Korsok and Kain took their turns.

Korsok and Kain each had chances to win on their final shots with the two-point moneyballs.

“Of course I was nervous,” Butler said. “(Korsok) had 11 against Euclid, so I knew it would be a great competition. Then he knocked in a couple, too, against us this year.”

The shootout featured four of the top five regular-season 3-point shooters in the area. The participants combined to make 297 3-pointers during the regular season.

Butler led a VASJ contingent that included himself, Terrance Lawler and Andre George. The group of Vikings was missing Danny McGarry, who left earlier that morning for a football trip to China. Butler enjoyed one final game with his teammates after their state championship, but also the chance to play alongside a few longtime opponents.

“It was fun playing one last time,” Butler said. “To play with guys like Jack and Brendan, guys I played against all my life in AAU, played against Mentor this year, it was kind of fun to be on their team this time.”