COLUMBIA, MO – In Vashon’s state semifinal victory on Friday, senior Nassir Binion found himself stuck on the bench in foul trouble and played less than one-third of the game.
He unleashed his pent-up energy on Saturday.
Binion scored 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds, helping Vashon earn a 68-37 victory over John Burroughs and capture the Class 4 state championship during the Show-Me-Showdown at Mizzou Arena.
Vashon (26-6), which won its 35th consecutive postseason game, earned its fifth consecutive state title and 15th overall.
Binion’s brilliant day started from the opening tap. He drained a three to open the game, then soared into the lane and converted an acrobatic tip-in.
“I knew it was going to be my night when we were at shootaround. I went to sleep on time, had a good breakfast and I felt really good,” Binion said. “I knew I had to turn it up. I didn’t do that much (in the semifinal) and I wanted to do everything I could to win.”
Binion scored seven of the first 11 points for Vashon, but John Burroughs stayed with the Wolverines for much of the first half.
John Burroughs did not risk passing around the perimeter, but instead, looked for available shots early in possessions. Junior Sheek Pearson converted a dunk in transition, junior Ramzi Salem drained back-to-back threes and when junior Max Steinbach banked in a tough, lefty floater, the Bombers evened the score 19-19.
Salem led the Bombers with 21 points, including a trio of three-pointers.
“They presented a lot of problems, especially early in the game,” Vashon coach Tony Irons said. “We knew their size was going to be a factor. We wanted to extend the game, make it a full court game and we were able to do that.”
Vashon found a defensive gear that proved too much for John Burroughs to handle. The Wolverines collected four steals in the final three minutes of the first half, and Binion quickly turned them into points. He converted a dazzling reverse layup, and seconds later, flushed an alley-oop to help the Wolverines open a 10-point halftime lead.
“Through the first five minutes of the second quarter, it was an even basketball game,” John Burroughs coach Darryl “Pee Wee” Lenard said. “But we had three or four turnovers and it went from a two-point game to a 10-point game. Trying to recover from that was pretty tough.”
The halftime intermission did not slow down Binion. His slick move in the paint opened the scoring in the second half and his short jumper put him at 25 points as Vashon opened a healthy 39-22 lead.
“Naz picked the right time to play his best game of the year,” Irons said. “The impact that he had today was incredible. Our guys did a really nice job of feeding him because he was hot.”
While Binion accounted for much of the offense, Vashon’s defense continued its ferocity. The Wolverines held the Bombers to 33 percent from the field, forced 21 turnovers and induced their lowest point output in two seasons.
“My mindset was on the defensive end, wanting to shut down their bigs,” senior Jordyn Richard said.
Thunderous dunks by Richard and junior Dehrio McCaskill punctuated a 27-5 Vashon run and sent the Wolverines to a familiar place – a championship celebration.
If there is any downside to the extensive success of Vashon basketball, it is the belief within the community that winning a state title is a formality.
“The hardest thing in the world is that people expect it. They sometimes take these moments for granted. They think, ‘You guys should win it,’ but we don’t think like that. We go into the season evaluating what we can do to continue to get better,” Irons said.
He added, “When we get to this point, our kids don’t get the luxuries of pep rallies and celebrations because our community sometimes thinks these things are guaranteed. We don’t take it for granted at all.”
And it shows. In their last four state title games, Vashon has not allowed a team to reach 50 points and has not allowed their last two championship game opponents to reach 40.
“That is one of the foundations of what we want our program to be,” Irons said. “We’ve had different teams as far as offensive abilities, but defense is something that takes heart and determination. It takes kids wanting to do it, buying in to doing it, and working hard at it.”
For Binion, the championship performance served as a thank you to the Vashon coaches and players for embracing him as a Wolverine this season.
“Last year, not even having an AAU team or being able to find a school, the Vashon coaches welcomed me in like I was family, like I was one of their own, like I had been there,” Binion said. “To become a state champion, I couldn’t believe it myself. It made me break down in tears.”
And those emotions make each title special.
“This doesn’t get old. These are moments they are going to remember for the rest of their lives and I am too,” Irons said.
