Being in a giving mood helped the Indiana boys beat Ohio for a third straight year in the 20th annual Nancy Rehm/Border Wars Classic on Saturday.FORT WAYNE – It’s a game on a court with referees, a basketball and competitive players, so of course Ohio All-Stars Azia Bishop and Maleeka Kynard are out to win the girls matchup of the Nancy Rehm Border Wars Classic today at Saint Francis.
The fact that the last time the Toledo Start teammates were together in a game was March 18 when the Spartans (20-3) fell to eventual runner-up Fairmont in the division state semifinals just adds motivation.
“I feel like a lot of things could have been done different in the game we lost,” Kynard said. “I was really hurt because I knew that I will never get the opportunity to win a state title. I feel I gave my all but was still very disappointed.
“Our season was good, but not good enough. We played really hard as team. We won some big-time games and also lost some big-time games. We won the city championship, which is always fun, but our eye was on the prize – the state championship.”
Bishop said she expected the team to make it to the state final four, but she wanted the the state title.
“I did expect us to go all the way to state, and we did,” Bishop said. “I also expected to win because I felt we worked too hard to lose, but everything happens for a reason, and it just prepares me for the next level. I’m very disappointed. We really wanted to win it all, especially the seniors being our last year.”
So the two highly touted Division I recruits will be teammates again with the chance to bring their Ohio team a win in the 19th annual all-star basketball game against Indiana.
“I’m expecting to win, of course, because I am a competitor,” Kynard said. “All-star game or not, I like to win.”
Bishop, a 6-foot-2 center, averaged 15.7 points and 9.2 rebounds en route to being named the Toledo City and District 7 Player of the Year. She will play next season at Kentucky.
Kynard, a 5-7 point guard, averaged 17 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds and will play at Ohio State. She was named to the All-District 7 first team.
“Maleeka and I work well together, being that we played together for a while now,” Bishop said.
“And we just know each other’s game and what one another is going to do.”
That kind of chemistry is what made the Spartans’ pair so tough to play against.
“We have an eye contact to make certain plays. She knows when I need her to cut to throw her a nice pass, and when I get in the lane, she is just always in the correct place,” Kynard said.
