High school basketball’s next great big man took center stage Saturday night.
Jason Gasaway, a sophomore forward in his first season as a starter, had a career-high 28 points and 8 rebounds in the Louisville Invitational Tournament Championship game at Valley High School. Unfortunately for the men, Gassaway’s performance was overshadowed by the Bulldogs’ 80–71 loss to Ballard High.
A loss to the Bruins (15-2) prevented Male (10-9) from winning their second consecutive LIT title. However, after starting the season 3-7, the defending champion entered the tournament as his 10th seed. Male went through Doss, Butler, Central and Western for an opportunity to defend the title.
more:How Ballard’s Men’s Basketball Beat the Boys at the Louisville Invitational Tournament Championship
“We’ve come a long way since just a week or two ago,” Gasaway said. “We are getting better every day and that’s all that matters.”
Since the offseason, there has been an improvement in the mind of the 6-foot-4 sophomore. Gasaway played on the Male freshman team last year and watched from the sidelines as University of Louisville commit and star forward Caleb Glenn led the Bulldogs to the 7th Region title.
But when Glenn announced he was moving from Male to La Lumiere, Indiana, for his senior season in April, Gasaway was pushed into the starting lineup. He said he spent countless hours with his shooting guns to prepare himself to succeed Glenn.
“I told him to ‘be yourself,'” said male coach Tim Haworth. “Don’t put extra pressure on yourself to perform. All you have to do is: It’s just that you have to work hard every day.”
Gasaway’s first season was solid. Gasaway, who averages 9.3 points per game and he averages 5.4 rebounds, is his fourth-best scorer for the Bulldogs and his second-best weapon on the grass. His numbers remained steady throughout his week, quietly posting 10 points and five rebounds in Male’s semifinal victory over the Westerns.
So what happened on Saturday?
Ballard had little answer for Gassaway. Whether it was pick-and-roll or finding his space along the baseline, Gasaway had little trouble finding the basket. and knocked down 3 of his 5 3-point attempts.
“Jason has put in a lot of effort and he shoots the ball really well,” Howarth said. I am really satisfied with
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With the Bulldogs trailing for most of the game, the Gasaways scored 10 of their 28 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Bulldogs by a 16-3 run, with just over five minutes to play on Ballard’s 10-point lead. Reduced lead to 4.
Male relied heavily on the Big 3 of Jack Ederen, Cole Ederen and Meechee White to pull out the game, but with the LIT title at stake, the Bulldogs trusted Gasaway. Playing his sixth game in seven days, the Bulldogs ran out of gas before completing their comeback.
“I won Ballard three times last year, and I will do it again,” Gasaway said.
This week was a big one for Bulldog’s confidence. After shocking the skeptics and returning to the championship, Gasaway believes the Bulldogs have enough tanks to win the regional title.
“We shoot the ball much better and we trust each other,” Gasaway said. “We have brotherhood in Marais. All we have to do is agree.”
Male 16 11 23 21 – 71
Ballad 28 14 19 19 – 80
Male (10-9) – Cole Ederen 12, Meechee White 15, Jack Ederen 11, Shamai Gate 2, Terrence Hall 3, Jason Gasaway 28.
Ballard (15-2) – Sam Frazier 18, Evan Childs 2, Nate Richardson 2, Miles Franklin 20, Matt Hayden 15, Gabe Sisk 15, Tim Fuller 6, Xavier Zubrick 2
Butch Sharmoli MVP – Gabe Sisk, ballad
Stanley Hardin Defense Award – Meechy White, male
All Tournament Team – Miles Franklin, Sam Fraser (ballad). Jack Ederen, Cole Ederen (male); Julius Edmonds (West); Brady Hurley (Manual); Drae Vasser (Trinity); Nelson Williams (St. Xavier); East); Cuerron House (Seneca); Brinson Moor (Jeffersontown).
Follow Courier Journal reporter JL Kirven on Twitter @JL_Kirven for the latest in Louisville prep sports.