Lamonte Cousar (white jersey) puts up a layup over the West’s Patrick Tivnan (43) during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar attempts a 360 one-handed dunk during warm-ups before the start of Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar shoots a 3-pointer during warm-ups before the start of Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar sits on the bench during team introductions before the start of Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar walks onto the court during team introductions before the start of Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) runs a play on offense during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) follows the West’s Patrick Tivnan (43) on defense during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) drives into the paint during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) attempts a shot at the basket during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) dribbles the ball during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) fires a 3-point attempt during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) sets a screen on a West player during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar, center, cheers on the bench after a basket by the East during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) drives into the paint during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) snatches a rebound away from the West’s Logan Crook (25) during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) inbounds the ball from the baseline during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) hits a 3-point shot during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) shoots a 3-pointer during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) and the West’s Philly Harris (11) both go for a rebound attempt during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) puts up a layup during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) hits a layup during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) takes a jump shot over the West’s Philly Harris (11) during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) attempts a layup over two West defenders during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
Lamonte Cousar (35) dives on the floor for a loose ball during Monday’s East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Brandon Hodge | The Laurinburg Exchange
GREENSBORO — Lamonte Cousar has officially played in his last high school basketball game.
On Monday night at the Greensboro Coliseum, Cousar, a recent Scotland High School graduate, and 18 other high school basketball players from across North Carolina played in the North Carolina Coaches Association’s (NCCA) East-West All-Star Men’s Basketball Game, where 10 players represented the West while the East only had nine due to a late dropout. The West won the game 111-86.
Cousar, who played for the East, finished the game 4-of-11 (1-of-2 from 3) and totaled nine points, eight rebounds, two assists, two turnovers, and three steals in 19 minutes.
“It was fun,” Cousar said. “(In) the first half, I’m not gonna lie, I was a little nervous. I’ve got to work on my game some more.”
Before the game had begun, it seemed as if the East’s head coach Gerald Melton, who’s the head men’s basketball coach for East Wake High School, elected to give Cousar the start at one of the forward spots after Cousar took off his warm-up shirt and headed on the court.
Cousar said it was just a misunderstanding between him and Melton, however.
“I thought he (Melton) called my name while I was sitting on the bench,” Cousar said. “He probably meant to point at someone else.”
Cousar made his first appearance in the game with just over six minutes left in the first quarter and remained in until the start of the second quarter. While he was aggressive early on, Cousar missed his first couple of shots before making a layup over the West’s Patrick Tivnan.
“The first couple shots, I wasn’t under control so they kind of rimmed out,” Cousar said. “The other team’s bigs, they were well-built, had nice size, were bigger than me. I was trying to attack them off the dribble and get aggressive in the paint. I know they really can’t contain me in the paint if I really drive well, am under control, and finish.”
Cousar returned to the game at the 4:59 mark of the second quarter, where he stayed in until halftime. At the break, the East trailed 62-38, and Cousar was 1-of-6 (o-of-1 from 3) with two points, five rebounds, an assist, and a steal.
In the third quarter, Cousar came off the bench again, but once he was back in the game, he immediately made an impact by knocking down a 3-pointer.
“In the second half, coach (Melton) told us to slow the ball down and stop swinging the ball. That’s what we did on that play,” Cousar said. “Got about two or three passes and they found me open for the 3, and I knocked it down.”
Cousar made his final check-in of the night with 5:05 left in the game, where he’d hit two contested layups and record a steal, before he was subbed out with 1:21 to go.
The West’s Markquan Gilbert (Ben L. Smith High School) won the Most Outstanding Player award for the game. He finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, and two turnovers.
In preparation for the all-star game, players arrived in Greensboro on Saturday to enjoy team bonding activities and get to know one another better.
Cousar didn’t find his biggest takeaways from the weekend on the court with his East teammates but rather off of it.
“I really enjoyed this weekend,” Cousar said. “I really enjoyed the guys. We had a nice time in the hotel, we went to a couple of events, ate some good food, so it’s nice to get a new scenery, (meet) new people from all over the state.”
With his high school basketball career now behind him, Cousar can focus solely on his freshman season at Livingstone College, where he signed to play college basketball on June 7.
“I need to get into the gym more, tone up a little more, get more aggressive in the paint because I’m playing in the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) and they’re more aggressive than any conference in college basketball,” Cousar said. “I know it’s gonna be tough there. I know I’ve gotta get more in shape. A good summer’s ahead of me.”
Livingstone’s 2023-24 men’s basketball schedule has not been released yet. The Blue Bears finished last year with an 11-15 overall record and were 7-10 in the CIAA, which was good enough for fourth in the Southern Division.
Reach Brandon Hodge at bhodge@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BrandonHSports.