O'Brien shows shooting touch in Powers victory

By Anthony Fenech
Free Press Special Writer

Patrick O'Brien has a message for anyone that says big men aren't expected to shoot from the outside: "Everybody has to be able to shoot on the floor."

The Flint Powers junior forward shot 5-for-6 on three-pointers and scored 28 points as the Chargers beat West Bloomfield, 78-66, in Monday's Roundball Classic at Harper Woods Chandler Park Academy.

"It was just one of those days where you know you're feeling it and they just go in," O'Brien said.

With four minutes remaining and the Chargers ahead by seven, O'Brien delivered a near-knockout blow to the Lakers by converting a three-point play on a long-range jumper just inside the top of the key.

West Bloomfield wouldn't go away easily, rattling off seven straight points in just over a minute to cut the deficit to five.

The Chargers never relinquished the lead, however, and put the game out of reach a few moments later when center Rodney Anderson slammed home a two-handed dunk over two Lakers, leaving one of the victims to grimace and shake his head in awe.

Coupled with O'Brien's big perimeter night for Powers was Shane Moreland's 22 points (including four three-pointers), six assists and six steals.
Game results

Detroit Cody 51, Gary (Ind.) Lew Wallace 47: Demetrius Ford had 22 points, eight rebounds and eight steals. Angelo Lewis added 18 points and 10 rebounds. Lew Wallace's Brandon Dawson scored 25 points and grabbed 14 rebounds.

Detroit Consortium 68, Canton (Ohio) Hoover 62: Desmond Barnes scored 31 points, and Brendalle Smith had nine points, seven rebounds and four blocks -- including one on Hoover's Dan Daugherty with about a minute left.

Davison 50, Milwaukee Vincent 48: Cory Gobles scored 11 points, including a jumper with 10 seconds left that quelled a comeback bid by Vincent, which trailed by 12 early in the fourth quarter. Davison's Ryan Schultz led the team with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Michael Weems scored 20 for Vincent.

Gary (Ind.) Westside 51, Detroit King 47: Xavier Jones had 19 points and 11 rebounds and hit six of his eight fourth-quarter free throws to end a comeback bid by King. Anthony Cannon had 16 points and 10 rebounds for King.

Oak Park Academy 53, Chicago Crane 46: Kalante Miller had 16 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, and Jalen Crawford scored 15 points for Oak Park. Bill Lee had 17 points and collected six rebounds for Crane.

White Lake Lakeland 63, Harper Woods 42: Blake Heiman scored 13 points to lead four Lakeland players in double figures. Brett Burmeister scored 12, and Matt Acitelli and Michael Fugate each added 11. Michael Childs and James Patrick each scored 13 for Harper Woods.