West is best at McDonald’s games

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

Brandon Knight’s 3-pointer from the right wing with 3 seconds left gave the West a 107-104 victory over the East in the McDonald’s boys All-American game on Wednesday night at Ohio State’s Value City Arena.

Knight, out of Pine Crest School in Coral Springs, Fla., is undecided about his college.

He drove the right wing and stopped short as a defender fell down, pulling up to hit the winning 3.

Columbus native and Ohio State-bound Jared Sullinger, the MVP of the East squad with 22 points, just missed with a long 3-point heave at the buzzer.

Harrison Barnes, who is going to North Carolina, led the West with 18 points, Terrence Jones had 14, Doron Lamb had 12, Jereme Richmond (Illinois) had 11 and Keith Appling (Michigan State) and Joshua Smith (UCLA) each had 10.

women’s game

No one was more surprised than Meighan Simmons that she ended up as the player of the game.

The Tennessee signee scored 21 points in 14 minutes and Texas A&M-bound Karla Gilbert added 15 points to lead the West past the East 84-75 in the McDonald’s All-American women’s game.

“To be honest with you, I wanted to come here and have fun,” said Simmons, from Steele High School in Cibolo, Texas. “I wasn’t expecting anything at all. It’s just a blessing to be in a game like this.”

Chiney Ogwumike, headed for Stanford, had 14 points and Duke’s Richa Jackson added 12 points for the West, which built a big early lead and then hung on as the East mounted a furious comeback.

Natasha Howard, who will play at Florida State, was the East MVP with 20 points, while future Connecticut teammates Bria Hartley and Stefanie Dolson had 17 and 12, respectively.

Howard, Ohio’s Ms. Basketball out of Waite High School in Toledo, was supported by several dozen relatives and fans who drove down for the game.

“That was my high school team, my mom and some friends,” she said. “They were the loudest people in the crowd.”