Published: July 28, 2008 04:33 am      

D&D gets some revenge

DANVILLE — Flashing cameras, screaming fans, and action so intense you might think the players’ lives depended on the outcome.

The excitement of the 2008 Dustbowl Junior Division championship game couldn’t have been better if it was scripted. But it was just what Danville High School senior-to-be Mikel Brigham had in mind.

After playing in previous Dustbowl tournaments and coming up short, Brigham’s D & D Construction defeated Hard Head Entertainment 82-68 Sunday — marking the first time he has been able to raise the first place trophy.

But what might have made the moment even better for the tournament MVP was coming out on top against players that had frustrated his game during this past school season.

“We didn’t beat a Champaign team this year so it felt good,” said Brigham, who led all scorers with 26 points and grabbed a remarkable 25 rebounds. “They had most of their players from Champaign Centennial and Central combined. We were real intense this game. We really wanted to win it. There has been some talk between the teams and we knew they were going to play hard.”

The on-court intensity led to a combined four technical fouls and three players from Hard Head Entertainment fouling out.

D & D Construction built a 20-point halftime lead and never trailed after going up 4-2 in the opening minutes.

And with a considerable size disadvantage — aside from Brigham — the lead proved to be necessary as Brigham was forced to sit for the final nine minutes of the first half after picking up his third foul.

“I kind of thought that since I went out they were going to take advantage because we don’t really have any big men,” said Brigham. “But our team kept its composure and we just stayed with it.”

Big 12 rival and Champaign Central standout Jerry Exum agreed that the difference in how the teams handled the game was also the reason for the final outcome.

Hard Head Entertainment used a 12-0 run at the beginning of the second half to cut its deficit to seven — and at one point trailed by only five — but could never get the key defensive stop it needed to shift the momentum its way.

“We got a little bigheaded,” said Exum. “The first two games, we were beating everybody by 30 or 40 points, throwing (alley)-oops and just really playing around — not really showing respect for the game. That’s really what happened. We got a little bigheaded and came out here and they showed us that they came out here to play ball.

“Every time we faced them (during the school season), we always came out on top. I really feel that Mikel and Daveon (Allen) came out with something to prove. We came out here and we didn’t respect our opponent. That’s how we got behind. We came out in the second half and tried to turn it up but they were already hustling. They are scrappers. They like to play like that. They’re not a running team but if you give them a chance to get back in the game, they’re going to take it every time.”

Exum scored a team-high 16 points for Hard Head Entertainment and was supported by 15 from Jordan Walker and 12 each from Keith Biggers and James Kinney prior to fouling out. While Biggers’ leaving the game meant one less big man in the lineup, Kinney’s exit with nearly 12 minutes remaining was ultimately the turning point.

“When J.J. (Kinney) got taken out, everybody’s head went to the floor because he’s a good leader,” said Exum. “When he came out it was like we lost confidence.”

Collis Lillard finished with 17 points for D & D Construction with 15 coming in the first half. Lillard drained four threes in the half, including back-to-back baskets that put D & D up by 18.

Clowzell Adams scored 14 points, Wesley Kelly had 10, and Allen finished with six points, five boards, five assists and six steals.

“It feels good to get the MVP but I wish the whole team could get it,” Brigham said as he pointed toward his teammates with his trophy. “They did as much as I did. It was the whole team that contributed to this win. We always thought we could get it. Hopefully we can come out next year and do the same thing.”