Dayton Dunbar (Dayton, OH)

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

3/17/06

Woodward falls to Dunbar

Division II regional semifinal

BY CAREY HOFFMAN | ENQUIRER CONTRIBUTOR

FAIRBORN - Woodward came from 21 points down in the third quarter to cut the lead to four points but couldn't finish the rest of the comeback Thursday night in a Division II regional semifinal game against Dayton Dunbar.

Dunbar, the state's No. 3-ranked team in Division II, ended Woodward's season with a 68-55 victory at Wright State's Nutter Center.

Dunbar (23-2) advances to the regional title game on Saturday, where it will meet New Albany.

New Albany won Thursday's first semifinal in four overtimes, toppling previously unbeaten Tipp City 56-53.

Ohio State-signee Daequan Cook scored 28 points to lead Dunbar, while Woodward was paced by sophomore guard Troy Long, who hit eight 3-pointers on his way to 28 points.

"They've been together longer than us," Long said of Dunbar, which featured three three-year starters in its starting lineup. Woodward started three sophomores and two juniors.

"We're a young team, and need more time together. But the key is we have to play hard against anybody."

Woodward (13-10) had reached the state's final 16 in Division II by putting a 9-9 regular season behind them and upsetting three seeded teams.

The Bulldogs came out hot, hitting their first three shots, including a pair of long-distance 3s by Long to take an early 8-4 lead. Long added two more 3s later in the quarter to help Woodward to a 16-10 lead, but then came an 18-0 run by Dunbar, exacerbated by Woodward making only one more field goal the rest of the half.

"They got us out of running our offense. That was the key," said Woodward coach Lannis Timmons. "Their point guard did a good job of containing the ball, and then they got it inside and utilized (Aaron) Pogue."

Pogue is Dunbar's 6-8 junior center, who finished with 18 points and nine rebounds.

Woodward fell behind 43-22 in the middle of the third quarter, but Long started hitting 3s again, including two more in the first three possessions of the fourth quarter, allowing Woodward to pull within 51-47.

"We just relaxed and lost track of Mr. Long," said Dunbar coach Peter Pullen.

But Cook scored nine of Dunbar's next 10 points to help the Wolverines retake control of the game.

Long's dad, Troy Sr., was a starting guard on Woodward's 1988 state championship team. With so much youth featured in a first visit back to regionals after only winning six games combined in the previous two seasons, Woodward's program again appears to be on the rise.

"Hopefully, this gives these guys something even more to strive for in the spring and summer," said Timmons.

Dunbar (23-2) - Anderson 1 0 2, Pogue 7 4 18, Powell 3 4 11, Cook 10 8 29, Cole 1 0 2, Rakestraw 1 0 2, Benson 1 2 4. Totals: 24-52 18-27 68.
Woodward (13-10) - Johnson 3 0 6, Grimes 7 1 15, Bettis 0 1 1, Long 8 4 28, Mosley1 0 2, Allen 1 1 3. Totals: 20-55 7-14 55.
Dunbar14231417-68Woodward1641718-55
3-point goals: D 2 (Powell, Cook); W 8 (Long 8).

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

3/18/06

DUNBAR (23-2) vs. NEW ALBANY (20-4)

What: D-II final

When: 11 a.m. today

Where: Nutter Center, WSU

Summary: Dunbar scored 68 points in 32 minutes in the regional semifinal. New Albany scored 56 points in 48 minutes. That sums up how these teams operate. The Wolverines can bury teams behind McDonald's All-American Daequan Cook (29 points vs. Woodward) and 6-9 center Aaron Pogue (18). Mark Anderson, Norris Cole and Darran Powell have been the third options. Sound defensively and patient on offense, New Albany must hope Alex Emrich, Jake Worley and company recover from the four-OT defeat of Tippecanoe. Worley held down Tipp's Kellen Zawadzki, but whoever draws Cook will have a tougher task. New Albany may try to slow the pace and must shoot well to limit Dunbar's breaks. With a win, the third-ranked Wolverines are headed to their second straight state tourney.

[BuckBackHome]

Dunbar plays St. V- St. M next Friday.

Go Irish!!!

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

3/19/06

Dunbar keeps pact, makes state

By Mark Gokavi
Dayton Daily News

FAIRBORN | After a loss in a Myrtle Beach tournament Dec. 26, the Dunbar boys basketball team made a pact.

"We haven't lost to anybody (in Ohio), and we hope it ends that way," Dunbar coach Peter Pullen said Saturday. "They made a promise in Myrtle Beach when they lost. I've kept that in the back of my mind."

Dunbar defeated New Albany 77-54 in the Division II regional final Saturday at the Nutter Center. Daequan Cook led the way with 21 points, and Aaron Pogue added 18 points and 13 rebounds.

The win puts the Wolverines back in the state tournament. Third-ranked Dunbar (24-2) plays top-ranked Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (21-3) at 2 p.m. Friday in Columbus' Schottenstein Center.

The Wolverines started the season 5-2, including a 69-54 loss to powerhouse Lawrence North in Indianapolis. Then, Ridgeway (Tenn.) defeated Dunbar 51-46. That's when the team set its goal, even if the math wasn't quite right.

"They said they're going 18-0 from there," Pullen said. "It wasn't quite 18-0. If I remember correctly, this was our 20th in a row."

Actually, it was Dunbar's 19th straight win and a state title would be 21.

But, hey, the Wolverines have won so many it's easy to forget the exact number.

Last season, Dunbar fell in the state semifinals 95-90 to eventual champion Upper Sandusky. Now, the Wolverines have LeBron James' alma mater to contend with and then either Wooster Triway (25-0) or Columbus St. Francis DeSales (19-6).

"Hopefully we'll be down there for two games," Cook said. "Instead of one."
Contact Mark Gokavi at 225-6951.

DDN

3/19/06

Dunbar wins second chance at state title

By Mark Gokavi
Dayton Daily News

FAIRBORN | Dunbar is going back to Columbus for some unfinished business.

Some more big runs Saturday in a Division II regional boys basketball final gave Dunbar a 77-54 victory over New Albany at the Nutter Center.

"Hopefully we bring it back home this year," Dunbar's Mark Anderson said.

"We waited all year long to get here."

The Wolverines (24-2) return to the D-II state tournament, where last season they lost in the semifinals. Third-ranked Dunbar plays top-ranked Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (21-3) at 2 p.m. Friday at the Schottenstein Center. The title game is at 5:15 p.m. Saturday.

"One thing about this group, they turn it on," Dunbar coach Peter Pullen said. "They know it's game time, and they come to play. It's on them. When it's time to play, win or lose, they're going to give it their best."

Like usual, the Wolverines took their opponents' best shot early and responded with a game-changing run.

Trailing 21-14, Dunbar went on a 18-4 streak for a 32-25 lead. It started inside where 6-foot-9 center Aaron Pogue and 6-9 Anderson did some work.

Then, All-American Daequan Cook took the spotlight.

"They knew they had an inside power game that we couldn't match up with," said New Albany coach Sam Davis, whose team finishes 20-5. "They did a great job pounding the ball inside. And then you have Cook on the outside trying to create things and whenever you help off him, he's a great passer."

Pogue finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds 3 blocks and made 6 of 8 free throws. Anderson had 12 points before twisting his ankle. Cook had 12 of his game-high 21 points in the first half's final 5:31. The Ohio State-bound guard scored on a 3-point play, two jumpers, a 3-pointer and an offensive rebound. Cook also had three nice no-look passes as Dunbar led 36-29 at halftime.

"I just felt like I was laid back too much," Cook said. "I wasn't playing a big role. I was doing this and that, but that wasn't enough. I had to make a big difference and play harder."

Alex Emrich (18 points) and Jake Worley (11) each made 3-pointers to bring New Albany within 40-35. A 13-3 run stretched the lead to 53-43 after three quarters.

Norris Cole added 10 points and Darran Powell had 7 points and 7 assists. Dunbar shot 50 percent from the field, outrebounded the Eagles 36-27 and had more assists (17 to 12) and fewer turnovers (8 to 14).

"We figured they couldn't match our size," Cole said. "They were pretty tall, but as far as size-wise, we thought we had an advantage."

Possibly tired from a four-overtime win over Tippecanoe on Thursday, the Eagles couldn't handle Dunbar's streaks. Dunbar ended the game with 11-2 and 13-3 runs to set the stage for state.

"You turn on and off the light," Cook said. "Sometimes the light doesn't come on when you hit the switch. Luckily, it came back on today. The main thing is to go up (to Columbus) and achieve a goal we set for ourselves last year."

Contact Mark Gokavi at 225-6951.

[crazybuckfan40]

I think Dunbar will win by double digits in this game.

They are the better team IMO.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

3/21/06

Dunbar's Powell lends assists in setting up slams

Point guard makes Wolverines' offense click

By Mark Gokavi
Dayton Daily News

DAYTON | You always remember the oop but perhaps not the alley. Dunbar's Darran Powell is used to that.

One of basketball's most exciting plays is the alley-oop dunk. Dunbar's Daequan Cook, Aaron Pogue and Mark Anderson have thrown down several in the past few seasons.

"We don't practice it," said Powell, a 5-foot-10 senior guard who has played with Cook and Pogue for about six years. "If it's there, I throw it up and they go get it. I just throw it. I know they've got the ability to go get it.

You just have to know where they're at and where the rim's at throw it in between and hope they meet it."

That trio may get some dunks this weekend in the Division II state boys basketball tournament. Most of the time, it's Powell who perfectly passes the ball. The third-ranked Wolverines (24-2) play top-ranked Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (21-3) in a semifinal at 2 p.m. Friday.

Powell's scoring average is 3.3 points. But he also averages 6.7 assists.

Most are not as visible as an alley-oop but every bit as effective.

"I accepted the role of being a point guard, stepping up when I have to," Powell said. "It's not my role to shoot the ball. I've got Mark, Aaron and Daequan, why shoot? I'll get all the assists I need."

Powell can shoot. His father Albert, a Dunbar assistant, said his son averaged 12 points when he was younger. Powell may attend the University of Cincinnati to play football and/or run track.

But the younger Powell realized his basketball role early, playing on an AAU team with Cook, Pogue, Lawrence North (Indiana's) Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. and others.

"Sometimes Darran didn't play," said his father, also an assistant on the Speice Indy Heat AAU team. "That's a lot of sacrifice so (the team) could get all that exposure and improve our skills.

"He knew he was getting better when he was working against Mike Conley and Daequan could no longer take the ball away from him. He has cherished that role. It takes a lot to be that unselfish."

Powell scored 11 in the regional semifinal victory when others weren't hitting. His varsity high is 15 last season. But usually, he's shooting for his goal of 10 assists (his career-high is 18) and sometimes not seeing his name in the box score because he had no points.

"I'm pretty used to it," Powell said. "People don't look for steals and assists and blocks and stuff." But they do look for high-flying dunks, like alley-oops.

That's when the mild-mannered, quiet point guard gets to be involved in showtime.

"I concentrate on playing defense and going for the alley-oop," Powell said.

"I can get it to Aaron and Mark and Pooh (Cook). It's usually pretty good. If it's off you can't tell because they can usually go get them."

The alley-oops mostly come from non-verbal, on-court communication.

They look nice but can test the coaching staff's patience.

"It's usually just an eye connection between (Darran) and Mark or Aaron or Daequan," coach Powell said. "We sometimes go, 'Grrrr,' but nine out of 10 are there."

Contact Mark Gokavi at 225-6951.