By By DAN WEISS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- The 1999-00 edition of the Niles High School varsity basketball team produced more than a district and regional championship and a trip to the Class B Final Four.
Seven members of that team are currently playing college basketball, and two of those returned to the Niles gymnasium Thursday night.
Class of 2000 graduates Matt Brawley and Derek Cox are now members of the Olivet College men's basketball team which routed Andrews University 105-48 Thursday night in a non-conference contest.
Cox and Brawley started for the Comets (2-4) as they have all season and helped Olivet take an early lead that only grew as the game progressed.
Cox, at 6-9, was the go-to guy for Olivet early in the game as Andrews' tallest starter was 6-6. Cox nearly reached his career-high of 13 with all 12 of his points coming in the first half.
Brawley made two of Olivet's six 3-pointers and finished with eight points to go along with three assists.
De'Andre Pruitt led all scorers with 18 points for the Comets, including an array of breakaway dunks in the second half as Andrews committed 43 turnovers in the game.
Alex Rosario led Andrews with 11 points. The Knights (0-10) are in their first season.
With the lopsided score, the two Niles graduates sat much of the second half as Olivet's reserves took the floor. That didn't bother Brawley, however, considering the fact that it was only the Comets' second victory of the season.
Olivet…….105
Andrews….48
Olivet: Travis Schellhammer 3 0-1 7, Matt Brawley 3 0-0 8, De'Andre Pruitt 7 3-4 18, Ronnie Pearson 5 0-1 11, Derek Cox 5 2-3 12, Thad Mitchner 1 0-0 2, McKinsey Golfin 2 0-0 4, Dan Bonnell 1 0-0 3, Richard Britton 0 0-0 0, Derek Kurtz 0 0-1 0, Steffan Cornell 1 0-0 2, Steve Johnson 7 3-4 17, Eddie Ward 3 1-1 7, Willie Jonnson III 1 0-0 2, Andy Storey 5 2-4 12. Totals: 44 11-19 105
Andrews: Alex Rosario 5 0-0 11, Garrett Trubey 3 3-3 10, Justin Weaver 4 0-0 8, Solomom McCullum 5 0-1 10, Jamahl Coleman 1 0-0 2, Jeff Lee 0 0-0 0, Irvin Cabana 0 0-0 0, Marquis Grant 0 0-0 0, D.J. Patton 0 0-1 0, Ryan Whitehead 0 0-0 0, Fred Boothby 2 3-3 7. Totals: 20 6-8 48
Halftime score: Olivet 47, Andrews 26
3-point shooting: Olivet 6 (Brawley 2, Schellhammer, Pruitt, Pearson, Bonnell), Andrews 2 (Rosario, Trubey). Team fouls (fouled out): Olivet 15 (none), Andrews 16 (McCullum). Team records: Olivet 2-4, Andrews 0-10