DAVID ZINK
PERRIS Hemet swingman Troy Bolden spent the 2015 season being the guy who did all the little things to help his team win games. On Saturday night, Bolden’s unselfish style played to his advantage as he used defense , steals and hustle to score 27 points and help lead Team Tarkanian to a 108-107 victory over Team Masi in the inaugural Inland Sports All-Star Classic at Perris Citrus Hill High School. The game, a high-tempo affair with teams exchanging baskets at will, was won at the buzzer with a 23-foot three-pointer by Moreno Valley Valley View’s Devin Fleming, who finished with 10 points. The game was played with a college clock (two 20-minute halves) and had a slam dunk competition, which was won by Centennial’s Kyle Hamilton. In the three-point shooting contest, Redlands East Valley’s Alex Ziska beat out La Sierra’s Michael Henry. The game was loaded with the Inland area’s top senior talent, including five NCAA Division I commits and several players still seeking a basketball home for the next four years. Corona Centennial’s Sedrick Barefield, an SMU commit, scored a gamehigh 29 points, and Cal State Fullerton commit Kahlil Ahmad, also of Centennial, scored 12 points. Montana State-Billings recruit Preston Beverly of Elsinore had 20 points, Hemet Tahquitz big man Nick Pete, a Southern Utah commit, had 10 points and nearly a dozen blocks, and recent Portland State commit Austin Bryant of Murrieta Valley added eight points. Still, Bolden wasn’t intimidated, he just saw the opportunity and ran with it. “I was trying to be a team player and was trying to get assists first,” said Bolden, who averaged 17 points, nine rebounds and two steals a game for the Bulldogs this season. “My goal going in was to make sure I play defense, and be vocal and try to get as many steals as I could and score. And score he did, netting 14 points to help Team Tarkanian jump to a 55-46 halftime lead. “I just had to keep working hard because hard work beats talent, right?” Bolden said. “I was very excited to have played so well in front of some college coaches and the crowd.” For a guy that was cut from his eighth-grade team, Bolden passes the eyes test. He has developed into a quality player and displayed that Saturday night. “I’ve come a long away from getting cut from my eighth-grade basketball team,” Bolden said. “I’ve just very worked hard and this is very gratifying and a great end to the season. “I’m just so happy I got to play in this game ... and, that I won the MVP.” CONTACT THE WRITER: [email protected]