ThisWeek Community Newspapers

During postgame handshakes after the Brookhaven High School boys basketball team's 56-39 loss to Cincinnati Moeller in a Division I regional final last Saturday that snapped its 29-game winning streak in the Fairgrounds Coliseum, Crusaders coach Carl Kremer whispered a few extra words to senior Jamelle Cornley.

The last three seasons, Brookhaven and Moeller have met in the postseason, with the Crusaders beating the Bearcats 73-65 for the state championship in 2003 and Brookhaven winning 52-48 in a regional final last year.

Kremer said he'll never forget the play of Cornley.

"In all of my years of coaching, I think he was one of the best warriors I've ever seen," Kremer said. "Him getting in foul trouble early helped us. Even though we didn't take advantage of it right away, I thought it still helped us in the overall scope of the game."

The two-time Division I district Player of the Year who was one of the state's co-Players of the Year last season picked up his second foul with 6 minutes, 53 seconds left in the first quarter and did not return until the third.

Although Moeller led 21-15 at the half and extended its advantage with a 7-0 run during the first 4:02 of the third period with Cornley back on the court, the thinking throughout both team's locker rooms was that the tone had been set in the first half.

During the first two quarters, Moeller created easy baskets in transition and won many of the rebounding battles. Overall, the Crusaders outrebounded Brookhaven 46-27 as 6-foot-8 senior Andrew Childress finished with 18 points and seven rebounds and 6-8 senior Tyler Dierkers added 14 rebounds.

Cornley was held to nine points and four rebounds. He bruised his tailbone with 3:36 remaining, and after coming out temporarily he returned for about a minute before finishing the game on the bench.

"There's a little bit of sadness and disappointment," said Cornley, whose team was led offensively by Larry Swann with 11 points and Terrence Fountain with six points, though Fountain was just 2-for-9 from behind the 3-point line. "I just told my teammates that I wanted them to go out and compete.

"I'm proud of these juniors and sophomores. My high school career's been fun."

Moeller, which improved to 22-3, led 36-24 after three quarters and 42-34 with 4:35 to go but never by fewer than eight during the game's remainder.

Brookhaven finished 21-5.

Cornley and backup guard Brandon McClendon were the only regulars who are seniors. Dmitri Craft, who missed the game's final shot, was the other senior.

Jeff Cumberland, a 6-6 junior, and 6-7 juniors Julian Young and Jamal Dublin likely will share the load in the post next year.

Brookhaven, which advanced to state each of the last four seasons, will return several juniors who found roles in point guards Marvin Jones and Jawanza Robinson as well as Swann, Fountain and Mike McGee.

"After (Cornley went out), we could not get ourselves upright," second-year coach Hali Robinson said. "You lose the heart of your team. We tried to establish our rudder over a rough sea. Moeller's a good team, and our outside shooting was not there."