Advertisement

Khoi Thurmon, Amire Robinson lead Buchtel to City Series boys basketball postseason title

michael beaven, akron beacon journal
·4 min read
Buchtel senior guard Khoi Thurmon puts in a lay-up off of a fast break during Friday night’s City Series Championship game against East High School.
Buchtel senior guard Khoi Thurmon puts in a lay-up off of a fast break during Friday night’s City Series Championship game against East High School.

Buchtel senior Khoi Thurmon lived up to the billing of City Series boys basketball Player of the Year on Friday night at Firestone.

Thurmon defended and delivered scoring, passing and rebounding to lead Buchtel to a 72-60 win over East in the City Series postseason championship game. He totaled 25 points, five assists, four steals and four rebounds after receiving the league’s top individual honor.

Buchtel (15-6) and East (15-4) split their regular-season matchups and Buchtel won the City Series regular season championship. Friday's win gave Buchtel six victories over East in the past two seasons.

“The series was tied this year, so we had to come and get the victory in our last year,” said Thurmon, a 6-foot-2 Purdue University Fort Wayne basketball recruit. “There was a great atmosphere. They brought the energy and we came out and played hard.”

Buchtel boys basketball:Marcel Boyce Jr., Khoi Thurmon lead Buchtel boys basketball to successful business trip with win over East

Khoi Thurmon cuts down part of the basketball hoop net after the Buchtel Griffins defeated the East Dragons in the City Series Championship game.
Khoi Thurmon cuts down part of the basketball hoop net after the Buchtel Griffins defeated the East Dragons in the City Series Championship game.

Thurmon scored 10 points in the first quarter as Buchtel jumped out to a 22-12 lead. The Griffins led 38-23 at halftime and 56-41 through three quarters.

Thurmon made his third and final 3-pointer of the game to conclude the third quarter, and opened the fourth quarter with four points in the opening two minutes.

“That’s pretty much who Khoi has been all season for us,” Buchtel coach Rayshon Dent said. “He has been the guy that has been answering the bell for us. Whatever we need, he has been stepping up and doing for us from scoring to facilitating to rebounding and defending.”

Senior Amire Robinson made a jumper and a free throw with 5:36 remaining in the fourth quarter to extend Buchtel’s advantage to 63-44.

Robinson, a 6-foot-2 University of Nevada basketball recruit, finished with 16 points, seven assists, four blocks, three rebounds and two steals.

Buchtel boys basketball:Khoi Thurmon, Amire Robinson 'helping galvanize' the Buchtel boys basketball team

Buchtel’s Marcel Boyce drives to the basket while East’s Kardiay Tyler defends during Friday night’s City Series Championship game at Firestone High School.
Buchtel’s Marcel Boyce drives to the basket while East’s Kardiay Tyler defends during Friday night’s City Series Championship game at Firestone High School.

Buchtel's Jayden Maxwell, a 6-2 senior, had 13 points and five rebounds and 6-2 senior Marcel Boyce Jr. contributed 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

“Khoi, Amire, Marcel, Jayden, they really set the tone for the game and they worked together,” said Dent, the City Series Coach of the Year. “[Junior] Dakota [Taylor] was giving us a lot of energy inside as well. Those guys really understood what it was and what was the task at hand as far as coming into this game.”

“... My hat goes off to East. Coach Chad Hazard does a great job with the young men. We knew coming in that this team was going to be ready to give us their all because of the result in the last game, and I know they have got a sense of pride about them over there on the east side [of Akron].

“Our guys, they understand the style of play in which they play now. We have some things we do have to clean up because we did put them on the free-throw line an awful lot, but other than that I think playing each other so many times our guys are comfortable playing against them.”

East boys basketball:‘These guys are tough’: East opens boys basketball season with seven wins in a row

East’s Mike Woodall floats up a shot under the basket during Friday night’s City Championship game against Buchtel High School in Akron.
East’s Mike Woodall floats up a shot under the basket during Friday night’s City Championship game against Buchtel High School in Akron.

Senior Mike Woodall paced East with 22 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Dragons senior La’Grand Sowell totaled 17 points, three blocks and two steals, senior Ronin Kelley scored nine points and junior Da’Kavion Shufford had eight points and 12 rebounds.

“We played hard, we just didn’t make free throws and we didn’t make enough shots,” Hazard said. “I think we were 7 for 19 from the free-throw line. I don’t know what we were from 3, but it was a low percentage. We battled. I wanted our guys to battle for 32 minutes and play as hard as we can play and roll the dice. You gotta give credit to Buchtel. Khoi Thurmon is a heck of a player. He was the difference in that game.”

Buchtel won its fifth City Series postseason final in a row.

“It feels great to get this win, especially for all of the seniors,” said Boyce, a Wayne State University football recruit. “Going out with a bang and ending it the right way with a City Series win feels nice.”

East boys basketball:Just basketball: Clutch 3-point shot propels East past Buchtel in front of limited crowd

Buchtel’s Khoi Thurmon leaps up over East’s Da'Kavion Shufford during Friday night’s City Championship game at Firestone High School.
Buchtel’s Khoi Thurmon leaps up over East’s Da'Kavion Shufford during Friday night’s City Championship game at Firestone High School.

Junior Deairre Pride Jr., senior Tajh Poole and sophomore Stevie Diamond gave Dent quality minutes off the bench.

Maxwell said he and his teammates have “a certain type of chemistry where we can do anything we want when we play together.”

Friday’s game featured a spirited crowd with no issues in the crowd or on the court.

“I think you can really start to see the community care a little more and see that we have two great teams that can potentially go pretty far in the [OHSAA] tournament,” Robinson said. “I think they have started to notice that and don’t want to ruin it for us and for the community. I think people are focusing on the game more and enjoying it.”

Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ.

East’s Ronin Kelley drives to the basket during the City Series Championship game against the Buchtel Griffins.
East’s Ronin Kelley drives to the basket during the City Series Championship game against the Buchtel Griffins.
Buchtel High School head coach Rayshon Dent cuts down part of the basketball hoop net after the Griffins defeated the East High School Dragons in the City Series Championship game.
Buchtel High School head coach Rayshon Dent cuts down part of the basketball hoop net after the Griffins defeated the East High School Dragons in the City Series Championship game.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Khoi Thurmon leads Buchtel to City Series basketball postseason title