McKinley Wright may have been the only person who wasn’t fazed by the chaos swirling around the Robbinsdale Armstrong gym Friday night.
After a Falcons’ run cut what was once an 11-point Champlin Park lead to just two points, Armstrong senior wing True Thompson missed four consecutive free throws.
But the Falcons retained possession after the Rebels knocked the ball out of bounds. On the ensuing play, Armstrong managed three layup attempts in the final seconds and each bounced off the rim, securing a 61-59 win for the Rebels.
“I don’t get nervous in situations like that,” Wright said. “I’m used to it from last season’s experience.”
Wright led the Rebels, ranked No. 4 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News, with 24 points in the win, taking on a more pronounced role after Rebels’ 6-foot-9 junior power forward Theo John picked up two fouls in the first 52 seconds of the game.
“A good team knows how to win without their main guys,” Champlin Park coach Mark Tuchscherer said.
One season removed from a runner-up finish in last year’s Class 4A State Tournament, Tuchscherer said that Wright has shown he can be the go-to guy if John is shut down defensively this season.
“McKinley hit some very timely shots when we needed them tonight,” Tuchscherer said. “He’s spent a lot of time with me and with our team and he knows when to make that big shot.”
24 points marks a career-high for Wright, a member of the Champlin Park varsity since his freshman year. As a sophomore, Wright averaged 13.8 points per game during the Rebels’ run to the title game.
But Wright wasn’t the only player hitting key shots for the Rebels on Friday. Junior guard Brian Smith came off the bench to score seven points and drew a key foul late in the second half to earn his way to the free-throw line.
“Brian knows that we believe in him,” Tuchscherer said.
Tuchscherer called Smith “a little microwave”, implying the guard can heat up fast when Champlin Park needs him to.
Smith chuckled when he heard the comparison, adding that he’s content with the title.
“I guess I can heat up whenever I need to,” Smith said. “And whenever the team needs me to.”
