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Christ Presbyterian, TN 83 Ballard 71
#1
The Jalen Lindsey Show returned to Louisville and once again was a smashing success.

The 6-foot-7 junior scored a career-high 44 points and added 13 rebounds to lift the Nashville (Tenn.) Christ Presbyterian Academy boys' basketball team to an 83-71 victory over Ballard in Sunday's championship game of the Canfield Development King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic at Fairdale.

CPA became the third team in the 32-year history of the tournament to win consecutive titles, joining Greenwood (1994-95) and Apollo (2002-03). And Lindsey became the first player to win two Bob White MVP awards since the KOB introduced the honor in 2000.

Lindsey has 16 scholarship offers, including one from the University of Louisville. Cardinals coach Rick Pitino watched Sunday's performance from a VIP table.

"It was a championship game, and I'm always ready for big games," Lindsey said. "I love the intensity of it and the challenge of it. I was blessed enough to have this kind of game."

Thomas Richard added 12 points for the Lions (11-0), who went on to capture the Tennessee Class 2-A title after winning last season's KOB. Ballard coach Chris Renner said CPA deserves a national ranking after winning a second straight KOB crown.

"You want your program to be recognized for excellence, and I still think we're an unknown commodity a little bit," *Lions coach Drew Maddux said. "I'd hope doing something like this again would maybe get us some (national) recognition."

Sunday's victory over No. 1 Ballard completed a sweep of Kentucky's top three teams in The Courier-Journal's preseason poll of coaches, with the Lions also beating No. 3 Trinity (55-47) on Friday and No. 2 Bullitt East (52-51) on Saturday.

Kelan Martin had 25 points to lead the Bruins (6-3), who dropped to 1-3 against out-of-state opponents this season. Quentin Snider, who has committed to U of L, added 19 points despite facing a diamond-and-one defense focused on him for much of the game.

Maddux said he learned the defense from Kentucky's Rowan County during last year's KOB and used two football players -- cornerbacks Andrew Manuel and Thomas Richard -- to face-guard Snider on Sunday.

"It's a compliment to how good (Snider) is," Maddux said. "We wanted to try to make him earn everything he got."

Lindsey hit consecutive 3-pointers to give CPA its biggest lead of the night, 40-27, early in the third quarter, but Ballard fought back.

The Bruins pulled within four points on two occasions, the latter coming on Jalen Perry's basket that made it 69-65 with 2:21 remaining.

But the Lions remained poised, getting a 3-pointer from Jake Allsmiller and another from Lindsey to push their lead to 75-65 with 1:37 left. Lindsey's 3 sent much of the large crowd heading for the exits.

"We just couldn't get enough stops to get over that hump," Renner said.

Renner credited Lindsey with making several tough shots but added that his team is too unseasoned to make necessary defensive moves.

"Our team isn't disciplined enough right now to do the little things to make those adjustments," Renner said. "It's going to take more maturity, more focus and more time."

CPA shot 51.8 percent (29 of 56) for the game, compared with 41.9 percent for Ballard, and won the rebounding battle 40-30.

Maddux called it a "slugfest," with both teams battling fatigue while playing their fourth game of the tournament.

Lindsey hopes the victory will propel his team to more big accomplishments later in the season.

"We know it would be big coming back, and we had a lot of pressure on us after winning last year," he said. "Everybody was coming after us, and we came out and played great. Now we're ready to go back home and win another state championship."

http://www.usatodayhss.com/louisville/ar...2312230085
#2
I was at this game last night. Lindsey is the real deal!! Inside outside he can do it all. Ricky P sign him NOW!!!
#3
Christ Presbyterian has a very nice team!
#4
They looked more like men than boys.
#5
Was pulling for the KY Team but what a game to watch

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