By Pat Dailey (For OzarkSportsZone.com)
SPOKANE — Long-time AAU teammates and best buddies Collin Clark and Cody Voysey went against each other Saturday for the fifth time in their prep careers, with Clark gaining bragging rights.
Clark collected 29 points and 12 rebounds to power Greenwood to a 66-63 triumph versus Strafford in the 39th Annual Spokane Tournament championship game.
Clark and the Blue Jays have three wins in five games against Voysey and the Indians over the past three seasons.
For Clark and Voysey, their friendship has withstood their teams’ annual matchups.
“Me and him stick together. I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Clark said. “I love this guy. He is probably the best player I’ve played against all year. I’d rather have him on my team. But it’s always fun to play against Cody.”
“I was looking forward to this all tournament,” said Voysey, who paced Strafford with 18 points. “I’m happy to hook up with this guy anytime I can. He’s such a skilled player and is fun to be around.”
Clark and Voysey, who are both generally considered among the best players in SWMO in the Class of 2025, have been AAU teammates with the Missouri Kings since they were in the fourth grade.
They’ll surely be reliving Saturday’s dramatics this summer. The teams combined for non-stop, fast-paced, back-and-forth action in front of a delighted crowd.
“Instant classic,” Greenwood coach Darren Taylor said.
“It was so much fun,” Voysey said. “The atmosphere was crazy. Going back and forth, it was a blast.”
“Oh my gosh, this game was so much fun,” Clark said. “I wish all of our games were like this.”
Clark put together one of the finest efforts of his burgeoning career. He shot 11-of-15 from the field while making five 3-point goals. Most impressive, he scored 11 straight points to turn a 55-46 deficit into a 57-55 lead.
Come crunch time, the 6-foot-7 Clark repeatedly posted up outside of the paint with his back to the basket. Upon receiving the ball from 15-18 feet out, he swished three turnaround jumpers over shorter defenders.
It’s a shot his older brother, Cooper, has encouraged Collin to work on plenty over the years.
“My brother knew I was going to be taller, so he said I should have a shot like Kevin Durant when I have (the ball) in the post and I should (shoot it) as much as possible,” Collin said while referring to Cooper, who was on Greenwood’s Class 2 state championship team in 2019. “It’s an easy shot for me because I’m taller and can shoot it over the defender. But once Cody started guarding me, I got a little nervous because he knows my moves.”
“He’s going to make those. Props to him,” Voysey said, “You’ve just got to live with those, get the ball out of the net and keep hooping.”
CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS OF THE GAME
Greenwood and Strafford combined for 49 3-point attempts. The Blue Jays were 8-of-21 from downtown while the Indians were 6-of-28.
Over the second and third quarters, Strafford was 6-of-16 on its 3-pointers. The Indians, who fell behind by 10 points in the first quarter, took their first lead at 39-38 and were up by as much as six, 49-43.
Backing up Voysey was Jordyn Eldelstein, who had four 3s in his 14-point night.
Voysey feels Strafford’s players should be happy with the way they played.
The Indians (8-8) had a shot to tie with :04 remaining, but a 3-point try was off target.
“I was proud of our boys the way we fought back,” Voysey said. “We’ve won four of our last six games and the losses have been to Fair Grove and these guys. Both of those losses were (great) games. I like the way we’re playing right now. We’re getting better.”
Greenwood’s winning effort also included 11 points from both Garrett Winslow and Tyler Harrell and 10 points from Logan Sanders.
Winslow scored six points late in the fourth quarter to help earn himself a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
“The (first three) quarters weren’t so good. But I didn’t let that get to me and I turned it on in the fourth,” Winslow said. “My teammates were finding me and I got some offensive rebounds.”
It was a sweet homecoming for Winslow, who played at Spokane through his freshman year, before transferring to Greenwood.
“When I heard we were in the Spokane Tournament, I got super excited,” Winslow said. “Coming into this, I knew it would be a great experience to play here again. Seeing all these faces, I know everybody here. It means a lot to me.”
Clark was named Tournament MVP. In addition to Winslow, he was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Voysey, Blue Eye’s Colton Spinning, Southwest’s Brendyn Paulson and Ash Grove’s Brady Nicholson.
Greenwood (17-1) has won six straight since a second-round loss to Sparta at the Blue & Gold Tournament.
“This has been a fun group to coach,” Taylor said. “They’re all on the same page. They’re very unselfish and share the ball the best they can.”
