Porter leads Scott County Central boys basketball team past Malden at Oran tourney

ORAN, Mo. -- The Scott County Central High School boys basketball team no longer has superstar Otto Porter, who now is a key freshman contributor at Georgetown.

But Dominique Porter did a pretty good imitation of his older cousin Thursday night.

Dominique Porter poured in 47 points to help the top-seeded Braves rout fourth-seeded Malden 88-57 in the semifinals of the 56th annual Oran Invitational.

The Braves will shoot for their fourth consecutive Oran title when they face second-seeded Advance at 8 p.m. today.

"I didn't think I had that many. I was very surprised. It shocked me," Porter said about his outburst.

Malden's Romello McCoy looks for an open pass around Scott County Central's LaMarcus Steward, left, and Jaylen Porter during the first quarter of an Oran Invitational semifinal game on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, in Oran. Scott County Central won 88-57. (Kristin Eberts)

Porter, a 5-foot-11 senior, scored in a variety of ways. He hit three 3-pointers, buried several midrange jumpers and deposited quite a few layups, several after slashing moves to the basket.

"I'm just trying to play my game, do it for the team," Porter said.

Porter is the lone returning starter from last year's squad that won its third consecutive Class 1 state championship. He is ready to assume a leadership role along with the Braves' other five seniors.

"Being a senior, we're trying to show the younger ones what to do," Porter said. "Ever since we lost Otto, we had to become a family. We have to rely on basics rather than athletics. We have to do the small stuff."

SCC coach Kenyon Wright was impressed with Porter but emphasized that the Braves no longer are a team of individual stars.

Scott County Central's LaMarcus Steward shoots over Malden's Malik Perkins during the second quarter Thursday in Oran, Mo. (Kristin Eberts)

"He played his butt off. He set the tone," Wright said. "We don't have any superstars. We have some kids who like to play basketball and work their butt off.

"We are a basketball team. Some nights some kids are going to score. We're all in it for the 'W.' When they play together, nobody cares who scores."

Sophomore Larandis Banks added 15 points for the Braves (2-2) before leaving late with what appeared to be a sprained ankle. Junior Jaylen Porter contributed 11 points.

The Braves led from start to finish after scoring the game's first seven points. Their trademark pressure defense forced upward of 30 turnovers, but Wright didn't like the fact SCC committed 22 turnovers.

"I think we played real sloppy," Wright said. "We have to get our chemistry better if we want to get as good as we want to be."

Dominique Porter scored 23 points in the first half to help the Braves build a 49-26 lead. Malden (1-1) fell behind by 31 points in the third quarter but cut the deficit to 18.

It was 72-47 after three periods, and SCC cruised down the stretch, building the advantage to 34 points.

"Malden is a good team. They played hard," Wright said.

Porter likes the Braves' prospects of an Oran four-peat.

"I think we have a pretty good chance," he said.

Malden 11 15 21 10 -- 57

SCC 23 26 23 16 -- 88

Malden (57) -- Malik Perkins 8, Aaron Cooper 8, Quentin Johns 14, Jonsha Robinson 13, Romello McCoy 7, Anthony Hughes 7. FG 22, FT 9-23, F 18. (3-pointers: Perkins 2, Hughes 2. Fouled out: none)

Scott County Central (88) -- Dominique Porter 47, LaMarcus Steward 7, Antonio Johnson 3, Chris Brown 2, Jaylen Porter 11, Tyler Masters 3, Larandis Banks 15. FG 35, FT 12-20, F 20. (3-pointers: D. Porter 3, J. Porter 1, Masters 1, Banks 1. Fouled out: none)