NT Recruit, Harold Stewart, Named MVP of

UNTLifer · January 2, 2005

This is a great tournament and a great accomplishment by a future Mean Green player.

By Mercedes Mayer

Star-Telegram Staff Writer

BURLESON - Crowley's Harold Stewart has all the tools -- he's physical, can draw the foul while making circus jumpers and he has a knack for grabbing rebounds.

Stewart, a 6-foot-7 senior and University of North Texas signee, earned Whataburger White MVP honors by leading Crowley to a 73-54 win over Southwest in the championship game Thursday at Burleson High School.

Stewart scored 21 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, both game highs, and added three blocked shots and three assists as he battled Southwest's Luke Tauscher, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

"It feels great -- we had to go through a lot of good teams to win this," Stewart said.

Tauscher, a 6-foot-10 junior who has committed to play at TCU, was selected to the all-tournament team, along with teammate Eric Jordan. Crowley's John Moore and Jordan Newton, who scored 14 Thursday, were also all-tournament team members.

Crowley (15-2), the 10th different Whataburger White Division champion in the past 10 years, took a nine-point lead at 20-11 in the second quarter, but Southwest made a comeback behind Tauscher's low-post play.

Tauscher scored six of the Raiders' eight points in the last two minutes of the half to bring Southwest within one at 24-23 at the break.

Jeremy Brown's putback gave Southwest a 25-24 lead to start the third quarter, but Stewart's dunk for Crowley started a 16-3 run that ended with 11 straight points and gave Crowley a 40-28 lead.