The return of the Tribune/Star-News All-Star Classic had all the excitement a crowd watching the area’s best boys basketball players could possibly want. Not only were the players knocking down 3s and driving for highlight-reel layups but there was also an impromptu slam dunk contest following the Tribune team’s 114-95 win over the Star-News on Saturday night at Damien High School.
The Tribune boys leads the series with the Star-News 9-8 after the 17th meeting between the all-star teams, but never before had there been an end of game impromptu dunk contest that provided the perfect ending.
Diamond Bar’s Malcom Bell earned MVP honors for the Tribune team, scoring 17 points. He also won the spontaneous dunk contest after the game when the crowd cheered loudest for him after he and San Gabriel Academy’s Mazin Lumori traded dazzling dunks.
“A couple of my teammates suggested (a dunk contest between Bell and Lumori) so I said ‘Why not?’” Bell explained. “(Lumori) came over and he agreed so it was pretty fun.”
At the end of the night, Diamond Bar’s Malcolm Bell and San Gabriel Academy’s Mazin Lumori gave the crowd some fun with an impromptu dunk contest pic.twitter.com/OLFHf1wbGu
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) March 26, 2023
Boys Final: Tribune 114, Star-News 95
Tribune MVP Diamond Bar’s Malcom Bell, 17 points
Star-News MVP: La Canada’s Sam Guerrero, 19 points. pic.twitter.com/hswGHiWAhp— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) March 26, 2023
Bell, who’s playing basketball next year nearby at Cal Poly Pomona, got the crowd roaring on his last dunk when he threw the ball up high and toward the basket to create a high bounce. He then grabbed the ball in the air for a reverse windmill slam. Bell said this wasn’t the first time he tried it.
“After practice I would just mess around and try things,” he said.
Bell also added a two-hand monster slam during the game in the second half.
Bell’s dunk contest counterpart was impressive as well. Lumori, representing the Star-News team, lined up his two teammates, Jayden Mojica from San Gabriel Academy and Lavon Domino from Arcadia, in front of the basket. Lumori then jumped over both of them for a dunk that got the crowd jumping.
“It was fun,” Lumori said of the contest. “That was not my first time doing (that particular dunk). I did that back at San Gabriel Academy so I’m used to it.”
Mazin Lumori from @SGABasketball pic.twitter.com/EclRZfN8S3
— Donald Morrison (@BruinDonaldRuns) March 26, 2023
Lumori finished with 14 points and had four dunks in the actual game. One came in the second half when he leaped from several feet away for a power slam. The most electrifying dunk came as the game was winding down. He threw the ball off the backboard and grabbed it in the air for a strong slam.
“I was just trying to make everybody have fun,” Lumori of his backboard dunk.
Bell and Lumori were just two of the many players who impressed in this game. La Canada’s Sam Guerrero’s earned MVP honors for the Star-News squad. He scored a game-high 19 points and knocked down five 3s.
“I had a lot of fun,” Guerrero said. “I love playing the constant up-and-down. I like the high-speed game. I love all these guys. I grew up playing with all these guys. It was great. We come from different schools so it was like a reunion. It was cool.”
Guerrero’s Star-News teammate, Mojica, agrees that it was a fun game.
“It was fun being able to compete against all the best talent in the San Gabriel Valley,” he said. “There’s no pressure. You feel like a kid again having fun.”
The game itself had nothing but scoring. It was a college-length game with two 20-minutes halves as opposed to a normal high school game of four eight-minute quarters. Both sides rained down 3s. The Tribune hit 16 3s while the Star-News hit 12.
Walnut’s Malik Khouzam hit three 3s and finished with 15 points which was second-highest on his team. He said it was great playing in the game with his dad, Joe Khouzam from Walnut, coaching the Tribune.
“It felt good,” Malik Khouzam said. “It was just like during the season. It was just one more time to go out and have fun and play together.”
Khouzam’s Walnut teammate, Joby Barnes, finished with 13 points for the Tribune. William Pacis from Sierra Vista added 13 points for the Tribune. He nailed three 3s in the process. Damien’s Elijah Brown added 10 points to help the Tribune pull away in the second half after a 53-53 tie at halftime.
Ethan Chavez and Aaron Park, both from San Dimas, scored eight points for the Tribune. Diamond Bar’s Dior Brown and Alex Kim each had eight points also.
Alec Smith from Maranatha was the Star-News’ second-leading scorer. He had 16 points, including a slam dunk and a couple reverse layups. Pasadena Poly’s Justin Odibo and Gabrielino’s Mike Otoguro added nine points each for the Star-News.
Halftime featured a 3-point shooting contest which was won by Pasadena’s Fidel Cabrera. He squeaked by Star-News teammate Jacob Pastor from La Canada in the final round with the contest’s winning points coming on the final rack of six balls.
Cabrera and the others had to take six shots each from five different areas of the court in just 1:30.
“On the very last rack my arm started to get tired,” Cabrera said.
Pasadena's Fidel Cabrera wins 3-point contest. @SGVNSports pic.twitter.com/eUP6BzYE8a
— Donald Morrison (@BruinDonaldRuns) March 26, 2023
He finished the actual game with six points but did not hit a 3.
While the Tribune was coached by Khouzam, the Star-News was coached by La Canada’s Tom Hofman who earned career win 800 this year in the regular season finale against Temple City.
With the win, the Tribune now leads the series over the Star-News 9-8.
Impromptu dunk contest. Malcolm Bell!! pic.twitter.com/v0lvwoKlJ9
— Donald Morrison (@BruinDonaldRuns) March 26, 2023
One more time pic.twitter.com/IN2ZWMINpl
— Donald Morrison (@BruinDonaldRuns) March 26, 2023
🏀 @SGABasketball 2023 Mazin Lumori trends BL for the💥
Tribune 12 Star News 7. 14+ pic.twitter.com/aFERF280Oj— Matthew Kovach (@MattyK31) March 26, 2023
🏀🧲from @walnut_bball 2023 Joby Barnes gets✌️for @BrahmaHoops 2023 Alex Kim
Tribune 76 Star News 68. 12+ pic.twitter.com/usFHNr12IH— Matthew Kovach (@MattyK31) March 26, 2023
🏀Corner snap from @BrahmaHoops 2023 Alex Kim gets a💰via @GlendoraBasket1 2023 Landon Barragan
Tribune 76 Star News 70. 11+ pic.twitter.com/oM71edN9ZG— Matthew Kovach (@MattyK31) March 26, 2023
🏀Rescue tap from Keppel Aztec Darrin Chung gets a mid-range ✌️via @PasadenaPoly 2023 @JustinOdibo
Tribune 53 Star News 53 H pic.twitter.com/bzFpqsTm3M— Matthew Kovach (@MattyK31) March 26, 2023
🏀Quick slip from @walnut_bball 2023 @KhouzamMalik gets ✌️for @BrahmaHoops 2023 Malcolm Bell
Tribune 114 Star News 95 F pic.twitter.com/fyz5pGT9uZ— Matthew Kovach (@MattyK31) March 26, 2023
🏀 @SanDimasBBall 2023 Ethan Chavez fires off two for the✌️
Tribune 114 Star News 95 F pic.twitter.com/lQ3Zwj4QnD— Matthew Kovach (@MattyK31) March 26, 2023
🏀Amazon prime📦 from Walnut 2023 @KhouzamMalik gets a💰from @BrahmaHoops 2023 Malcolm Bell
Tribune 53 Star News 53 H pic.twitter.com/u5VtNkUYPu— Matthew Kovach (@MattyK31) March 26, 2023
🏀 @ApacheStrong 2023 Tim Kwon loads up for the💸
Star News 26 Tribune 19. 10+ pic.twitter.com/qOAuR2XsVb— Matthew Kovach (@MattyK31) March 26, 2023
