I made the right choice

It was hyped as one of the top boys’ basketball games in the metro area. The date of the Osseo-Park Center rematch was set for Friday, February 10. The rematch became a must-see event after Osseo narrowly escaped with a 70-69 victory on their home court.

Then the email came: BRIAN JAMROS, the associate athletic director at Concordia University-St. Paul, indicated that CU wanted to honor my father KWAME MCDONALD between the women’s and men’s basketball games (vs. Southwest Minnesota State University) at Gangelhoff Center on the school’s campus.

The date they chose to honor my father? You guessed it: Friday, February 10.

Here is one of the biggest prep games of the year (I had this date marked on my calendar), and here is this invitation to honor my dad the same evening.

Needless to say, I chose to attend the celebration at CU. As I waited for the women’s game to conclude, I couldn’t help but think of that high school matchup in the northern section of the metro.

However, the trip to CU ended up being the right choice. Not only did the school honor my father by reading his biography and naming their Player of the Game award after him, but both contests featured some players who first made their mark in the metro area as prep players.

Final rematch score: Osseo 88, Park Center 58.MANDY POKE (Richfield), JOLENE BLOOD (Irondale) and CARISSA WOLYNIEC (DeLaSalle) joined tolead the CU and contributed to a 59-51 women’s victory over SWMS.

In the men’s contest, TEREZ VAN PELT (Osseo), ISAIAH THOMAS (Fridley),PETER OLAFESO

(St. Paul Harding) and KENNY OLAFESO (St. Paul

Harding) all made significant contributions for CU in an 88-77 loss to SWMS led by WILLIAM GIDDINGS (Blaine) and VINARD BURCH (Eastview).

I definitely made the right choice.

Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to mmcdonald@spokesman-re corder.com.