LLP gets Silver with Athletes in Action

from MGoBlue.com
http://www.mgoblue.com/basketball-m/article.aspx?id=141472

Lucas-Perry Helps AIA to Silver at Jones Cup

July 19, 2008

TAIPEI, Taiwan -- Guard Laval Lucas-Perry (Flint, Mich./Flint Powers Catholic HS) of the University of Michigan men's basketball team recently concluded his nine-day overseas trip (July 10-18) with Athletes In Action, helping the squad to a silver medal at the 2008 Jones Cup. AIA finished with a 7-2 overall record.

After AIA dropped their only game of round-robin play to Jordan, the two squared off in the championship game with identical 7-1 records. In one of the tournaments best games, AIA took Jordan (July 18) into overtime, but fell just shy in a 93-91 loss.

After a see-saw first half, AIA led by as many as 18 in the third quarter before Jordan rallied to tie the score at 79-79 with 11.7 seconds to go in regulation. Zaid Alkhas was then fouled on a three-point attempt and made two of three free-throws to put Jordan up 81-79. AIA's Brett Winkelman was also fouled on a three-point shot but missed two of the foul shots. Ben Woodside was fouled when he went for a rebound on Winkelman’s last miss and split the free-throws to tie the score at 81, sending the game into overtime. Experience and poise proved to be key down the stretch, however, as Jordan edged AIA in overtime to win its second straight Jones Cup title. Lucas-Perry had three points, three rebounds and an assist in the championship game.

Throughout his Jones Cup, Lucas-Perry saw action in all nine games and averaged 9.8 points and 3.4 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per contest. He scored in double figures in four games, including a tour-best 22 points against Chinese-Taipei (July 16). He also had 34 total rebounds (12 offensive and 22 defensive), including a tour-best nine boards against Australia (July 12).

After meeting for a four-day training camp in Xenia, Ohio, the AIA squad left for Taiwan and opened up their Jones Cup play with a hard-fought 67-63 loss against Jordan (July 10). In a back-and-forth game, Jordan capitalized on AIA's cold shooting to pull out a four-point win, 67-63. Lucas-Perry opened his tournament play with nine points and five rebounds.

After their opening game loss to Jordan, the AIA team rattled off six straight wins, outscoring their opponents by an average of 16.2 points. Lucas-Perry posted three straight games scoring in double figures as he had 14 points, three rebounds and two steals in the 85-65 win over Qatar (July 11), 13 points and a tournament-best nine rebounds in the 98-71 win against Australia (July 12) and 10 points and two rebounds in the 103-85 win against Korea (July 13), helping AIA improve to 3-1.

Lucas-Perry helped guide AIA to two additional wins with an 86-69 victory over Kazakhstan (July 14) and a 93-76 win against Egypt (July 15), boosting the squad's record to 5-1. In the final round-robin game against Chinese Taipei (July 16), Lucas-Perry helped AIA win their sixth straight, 102-86, as he exploded for a tournament-best 22 points, going 8-for-13 from the field while adding two rebounds and two steals.

In the semifinal, AIA and Lucas-Perry held off a late charge from Qatar (July 17) in a 97-90 win to advance to the championship game and rematch against Jordan. Lucas-Perry closed with four points, four rebounds, two steals and a block in the win. In the championship, Lucas-Perry and the rest of his AIA squad fought to the end, but fell 93-91 in overtime.

Lucas-Perry transferred from the University of Arizona to Michigan following the 2007 fall semester. Due to NCAA transfer rules, he was able to practice with the Wolverines in the 2008 winter semester. He will be eligible to play for U-M after the conclusion of the 2008 fall semester.