GLENSIDE, PA (Aug. 16, 2012) – Monday night saw the conclusion of the 7th Annual Danny Rumph Classic. Arcadia University played host for three of five days of great Philadelphia basketball. Alumni Gymnasium was live, packed and filled to capacity with more talent on the floor than the Kuch Center has ever seen.
The championship game of the double elimination tournament featured the two time defending champions Rumph Center versus ShowYaLove. Rumph Center featured former NBA player Ronald ‘Flip’ Murray and reigning tournament MVP Sharif Bray. Bray was the tournaments 8th leading scorer at 18.7 points per game and will also join the Arcadia Men’s Basketball staff as an assistant coach this upcoming season. ShowYaLove’s roster was highlighted by three NBA players: Marresse Speights (Memphis Grizzlies), Wayne Ellington (Memphis Grizzlies) and Dionte Christmas (Boston Celtics).
The two teams played on Day 2 which turned out to be an overtime classic. Flip Murray drained a 30 foot 3-pointer to break a 80-80 tie game with three seconds remaining in the extra session to give Rumph Center the victory.
Monday night’s game was no short of a classic either. ShowYaLove built a 15 point lead in the first half behind the sharp shooting of Dionte Christmas and stellar all-around play from former Temple standout Mark Tyndale (14 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, 3 blocks and a steal). Team Rumph Center scratched and clawed their way back into the game behind the stellar play of Flip Murray (22 points and 5 assists) and contributions from former St. Bonaventure standout Malcolm Eleby (11 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists). Both teams traded baskets and spectacular plays for majority of the second half until Christmas made a few big plays and shots in the closing moments to put ShowYaLove ahead for good and hold on to a 73-67 victory.
“The sole purpose of moving the Danny Rumph Classic to Arcadia University was to raise more money for the DERII Foundation”, states Arcadia University Head Men’s Basketball Coach Justin Scott. Scott is a Board Member for the Foundation and a huge reason the tournament was able to be played at Arcadia. “We set a goal to raise $30,000 which is triple the amount of what we raised last year. By the tip of the game, our goal was reached and more money was coming in as fans continued to file in and purchase apparel and make donations. Final numbers have yet to be determined, but we are very pleased that we surpassed our goal.”
The game was the culmination of a five-day event featuring eight teams playing a total of 14 games at both Arcadia University andthe Danny E. Rumph Rec Center, formerly named the Mallery Rec Center – the Germantown gym where Danny Rumph collapsed of a Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy over seven years ago. Rumph Classic founder Mike Morak started the event the following year, determined to raise awareness about Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy and provide heart screenings for the area’s youth through the DER II Foundation.
“We would like to thank the faculty, students and staff at Arcadia University for allowing us to utilize the facility and helping us take our foundation to the next level” states Morak. “We look forward to further integrating with the Arcadia community in the future. We received an overwhelming response from our fans about how great the facilities are at Arcadia. By allowing us to utilize the gym, we were able to triple last year’s fundraising total and surpass our goal for this year. We cannot say enough about how well everyone involved with the University treated us and we hope that everyone was able to enjoy the event as much as we did.”
Dionte Christmas was named tournament MVP after scoring 21 points in the championship. He also finished fifth in scoring, turning in 19.4 points per game. Notable participants and supporters include: Markieff and Marcus Morris (Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets), Hakim Warick (New Orleans Hornets), Thomas Robinson (Sacramento Kings), Rasual Butler (Toronto Raptors), Sean Singletary (formerly Charlotte Bobcats and Phoenix Suns), Mardy Collins (formerly LA Clippers and New York Knicks), Jason Thompson (Sacramento Kings), Maalik Wayns (Philadelphia 76ers), Courtney Lee (Boston Celtics), Matt Walsh, Mike Green, Lynn Greer and many more.
“All and all, this was a great event for an excellent cause”, states Scott. “The Philadelphia basketball community really showed up and supported the cause. We strive to carry on the legacy of our late friend and I truly believe that Danny is looking down on us with that huge smile of his and is pleased at how so many people are coming together through the game he loved. The money we raised will allow us to help screen young athletes in the area for heart diseases. This will go a long way in helping us Save the Next Bright Star!”
For complete tournament coverage, including: stats, highlights, videos, pictures and more, visit www.rumphclassic.com
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