ZACH LOFTON TO TRANSFER TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Zach Lofton will be transferring to the University of Minnesota. Lofton graduated from Columbia Heights in 2011.

 

According to Marcus Fuller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: “Lofton, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard, averaged 11.3 points as a sophomore with the RedBirds this season but said he wanted to play closer to home and didn't get much resistance from Illinois State, which suspended him for the final three games of last season for undisclosed reasons.”

H.S. Hoops Star Lofton Hopes To Keep Rising « CBS Minnesota

According to Mike Max of WCCO  Zach Lofton is a basketball talent – he just needs to get on track since leaving Columbia Heights High School in 2011.

He now has a plan, and he also has game.

“I need to do a little bit of everything,” he said. “I don’t think I do anything great, but I do some things OK.”

Lofton’s had a stop at a prep school in Iowa, and spent this summer in the Howard Pulley League here in the metro area.

He’s trying to jump start his career that was filled with so much potential. Next stop? A high profile junior college in Houston, Texas.

“I could have gone Division-I,” Lofton said. “There were a lot of opportunities, but I thought I’d be better going off to a junior college for a year, and see if I get some major offers.”

 

It would be a shame if Lofton didn’t take his talent somewhere. Talent like his doesn’t come around often.

“If I do well at the universities; if pro scouts come, they come,” he said. “If overseas scouts come, they come.”

Says coach Antwan Harris, “The sky is the limit for this kid. He’s a tremendous talent.

Check out the report below for more on Zach Lofton.

H.S. Hoops Star Lofton Hopes To Keep Rising « CBS Minnesota

MILLER TIME TOOK ON FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND ATHLETICS IN THE HOWARD PULLEY PRO CITY SUMMER LEAGUE

Miller Time battled Fundamentally Sound Athletics in a Howard Pulley Pro City Summer League basketball game.

Miller Time played without guard Troy Bell due to an injury in his previous game. Bell was in street clothes on the bench cheering on his team.

The game got off to a quick start as each team traded baskets in the first 3:00 of the contest.

Fundamentally Sound Athletics got the ball into the hands of Siyani Tahir Chambers. Chambers was quick on the offensive end. He was able to beat the defense down the court on a consistent basis.

Rodney Williams came up with some nice slam dunks that kept his team and the crowd into the game. On the defensive end he was able to apply defensive pressure within the paint and on the wings.

At the end of the first quarter the score was Fundamentally Sound Athletics 25 and Miller Time 19.

Fundamentally Sound Athletics continued to drive to the lane as they looked to get easy lay-ups. Miller Time didn't want to give up any easy baskets so the fouled hard in an attempt to discourage their opponents.

Both teams picked up the pace of the game on the offensive end and put their shots up early and often.

Bobby Fong for Miller Time found his shot as he was able to nail some deep three-point line. Wally James Ellenson also for Miller Time was not afraid to also dial up the long distance three-point shot.

Miller Time made a run late in the second quarter as Fundamentally Sound Athletics went cold from the field. This enabled Miller Time to close the gap to one point at halftime.

The first half was close. Neither team gave up easy shots and played hard throughout the game. At halftime the score was Fundamentally Sound Athletics 56 and Miller Time 55.

As the second half got underway Miller Time continued to attack the glass and looked for their scoring opportunities. The game stayed close in the third quarter as neither team was able to go on a run.

At the end of the third quarter the score was tied at 85.

The fourth quarter got off to a quick pace. That shouldn't be unaccepted as the game had a quick pace throughout. Fundamentally Sound Athletics kept their composure late in the contest.

Fundamentally Sound Athletics was able to come away with the 117-107 victory over Miller Time

Neither team really went on a run in the contest. I thought that the game was very competitive and hard fought throughout. Both teams played hard and players made nice moves with and without that ball. That made this game a good game and competitive.

The leading scorers for Miller Time were Akieem Cabie with 37 points, and John Vaudreuil with 15 points.

The leading scorers for Fundamentally Sound Athletics were Joe Coleman with 32 points, Rodney Williams with 28 points, Josh Fingin with 18 points and Siyani Chambers with 17 points and Zach Lofton with 16 points.

ERROL CARLSTROM PLAYAZ TOOK ON FUNDAMENTALLY SOUND ATHLETICS

Errol Carlstrom Playaz took on Fundamentally Sound Athletics in a basketball game in the Howard Pulley Procity Basketball League.

Both teams shot the ball well and often in the opening quarter. They were each were able to find the range. The score went back and forth in the first quarter.

Rodney Williams for Fundamentally Sound Athletics came up with some nice slam dunks in the first quarter. He also was not afraid to shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor. He also came up with some pretty impressive slam dunks. Joe Coleman also had a few two handed slam dunks.

The score went back and forth. Each team had plenty of chances to score. Neither team gave up easy shots either. They were going at each other trying to figure out what the other team was going to do.

Joe Coleman who plays for the University of Minnesota kept his team in the game. He handled the ball well on offense and got his team involved in the offense. On the defensive end he was able to lock down his guys that he was guarding.

Marcus Alipate took the ball hard to the basket and was able to get fouled and he was able to get to the line and make his free throws.

At the end of the first quarter the score was Errol Carlstrom Playaz 28 and Fundamentally Sound Athletics 25.

As the second quarter got underway both teams raced up and down the court. Neither team took a lot of time off the shot clock.

Jamar Diggs for Errol Carlstrom Playaz took the ball hard to the basket and was able to get his shot going midway through the second quarter.

Coleman came up with some impressive nice dunks that kept his team involved in the spirit of the game. He was unstoppable on the offensive end.

Both teams went hard after rebounds on both ends. They also dove on the floor after loose balls. The score went back and forth throughout the second quarter. Neither team went on a run. The defensive pressure and both teams contributed to the good pace of the game.

Zach Lofton came up with some incredible baskets late in the third quarter to keep his team in the contest.

Siyani Chambers was all over the floor for Fundamentally Sound Athletics. He was able to get into a shooting rhythm late in the second quarter to keep his team in the game.

At the halftime the score was Errol Carlstrom Playaz 48 and Fundamentally Sound Athletics 47.

As the third quarter got underway both teams kept battling after loose balls and rebounds. Neither team seemed to loose their intensity.

The score continued to go back and forth throughout the third quarter. The game would come down to the wire as each team battled for their respective points.

Rodney Williams and Siyani Chambers had good court awareness and they fed off each others enthusiasm. They knew where each other was on the floor at all times.

Jefferson Mason for Errol Carlstrom Playaz got in the offense when he was able to knock down some inside jumpers.

Cameron Rundles and Jamar Diggs also had good court awareness. Those two looked for each other and they were able to give each other assists while keeping other teammates involved in the offense as well.

Cameron Rundles got hit above the eye and took himself out of the game because of some bleeding.

Both teams got a little testy with each other late in the contest. Everyone held their composure for the most part. The officials were not afraid to give warnings and issue technical fouls to offending players.

Rundles got taped up and returned to the game late in the third quarter.

Ken Maxey made some good moves around the basket. He was a force on the low block. When Maxey got the rebound on either end he was able to find his guard on the floor.

At the end of the third quarter the score was Fundamentally Sound Athletics 72 and Errol Carlstrom Playaz 68.

As the fourth quarter got underway both teams turned up their intensity. The pace of the game picked up and Fundamentally Sound Athletics stuck with the quick pace and was able to make shots they put up.

Both teams played with a lot of emotion and heart. The game was filled with a lot of nice passes and slam dunks by both teams.

Fundamentally Sound Athletics came away with the 105-93 victory over Errol Calrstrom Playaz.

The leading scorers for Fundamentally Sound Athletics were Joe Coleman with 40 points, Rodney Williams chipped in with 24 points and Zach Lofton scored 19 points.

The leading scorers for Errol Carlstrom Playaz were Jefferson Mason with 21 points, Jamar Diggs with 23 pints and Camron Rundles with 19 points.

FUNDEMENTLY SOUND ATHLETICS TOOK ON HIGH PERFORMANCE ACADEMY IN A SUMMER LEAGUE GAME

In the second game of the evening Fundamentally Sound Athletics took on High Performance Academy in a basketball game.

The game had a quick start as Fundamentally Sound Athletics was a little quicker and a little stronger. Rodney Williams who attends the University of Minnesota made some very nice slam dunks. He was all over the court. His teammates got him the ball by the basket for an easy slam dunk it or lay-up.

There were two brothers that played against each other. Siyani Chambers went up against his younger brother Kamali Chambers. Those two had fun guarding each other.

At the end of the first quarter the score was Fundamentally Sound Athletics 30 and High Performance Academy 16.

As the second half got underway Fundamentally Sound Athletics looked for their shots from inside the three-point line. They played under control throughout the game and the composure under pressure was one of their greatest assets.

High Performance Academy got the ball into the hands of Quinton Lee Hooker. Quinton was all over the floor he was not afraid to shoot the ball from anywhere on the floor if he thought that he had a good look. They did stay in the game emotionally they didn't let the score get to their heads as the score widened.

With a 19 point deficit starring them in the face, High Performance Academy called a timeout with 3:14 left in the second quarter. The score was Fundamentally Sound Athletics 49 and High Performance Academy 30.

David Hicks for Fundamentally Sound Athletics was able to get wide open layups. The other team didn't know how to handle his shooting capabilities.

At halftime the score was Fundamentally Sound Athletics 57 and High Performance Academy 36.
With a 21 point lead at half-time the fans were wondering if the game was going to remain a blow-out.

The second half got off to a quick start as each team launched shots at the basket. The shot clock was never a factor in the game. This was a run and gun up and down the court game similar to the old Loyola Marymount days under coach Westhead.

Hooker went hard after rebounds. He didn't get frustrated. Kamail Chambers also found his shot in the third quarter. He was athletic enough where he could stop on a dime and pull up and hit a 15 foot jump shot without even thinking about it.

Zack Lofton for Fundamentally Sound Athletics looked for his shot around the basket. He was a high jumper and had good coordination so he could maneuver with the ball in the air. The opponent closed the gap and were only down 7 points at the end of the third quarter.

At the end of the third quarter the score was Fundamentally Sound Athletics 78 and High Performance Academy 71.

As the fourth quarter got underway both teams continued to shoot the ball and kept going after loose balls and rebounds on both ends of the floor.

High Performance dug-in on the defensive end and manage to close the scoring gap within three-point's with 5:00 left in the third quarter. This was a very high scoring game. Despite the high scoring contest it appeared as though the teams played defense only when the needed to or wanted to play. Had High Performance Academy played tougher defense throughout the game the outcome may have been different.

Fundamentally Sound Athletics was just too quick for a lot younger High Performance Academy team and came away with a 22 point margin. In the end Fundamentally Sound Athletics came away with the 119-97 victory over High Performance Academy.

The leading scorers for Fundamentally Sound Athletics were Joe Coleman with 33 points, David Hicks with 27 points, Rodney Williams with 23 points and Siyani Chambers with 15 points.

The leading scorer for High Performance was Quinton Lee Hooker with 31 points.

ZACH LOFTEN IS ATTENDING QUAKERDALE PREP IN IOWA

Former Columbia Heights boys’ basketball player Zach Loften is attending Quakerdale Prep in Iowa.

Some other kids from the Minnesota area enrolled at Quakerdale Prep this fall include Minneapolis North's Malik El-Amin who is the nephew of former North basketball star Khalid El-Amin, Minnesota Transitions' Rodney Owens, Bloomington Kennedy's Cullen William Russo and Robbinsdale Cooper's Raheem Tyner.

COLUMBIA HEIGHTS TOOK ON ORONO IN THE CLASS AAA MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL BOYS' BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Columbia Heights took on Orono in the class AAA boys’ basketball state final game.
 

At the first media timeout with 14:54 the score was Orono 4 and Columbia Heights 2.
 

Rodrick Logan for Columbia Heights took the ball strong to the basket. He knew where his teammates were on the floor.
 

The score went back and forth throughout the first half. Neither team was able to go on a run.
 

Rodrick Logan revived a technical foul with 10:57 in the first half.
 

At the second media timeout the score was Orono 8 and Columbia Heights 7.
 

Orono went on a run after the first media timeout.
 

Columbia Heights had a hard time making shots in the first half. They didn't get discouraged though.
 

Columbia Heights went on a run with just under 8:00 left to go.
 

With 6:55 left in the first half the score was Orono 17 and Columbia Heights 14.
 

Orono went to a zone defense late in the half. They wanted to slow down Columbia Heights who went on a run to end the half.
 

At halftime the score was Orono 34 and Columbia Heights 32.
 

Jordan Millls went hard to the basket. He had an easy time getting to the basket.
 

Columbia Heights did a good job of getting the ball out of the basket and going the other way with it.
 

The game was tied at 45 with 14:00.
 

Lofton picked up his fourth foul with 11:54 in regulation. He went to the bench.
 

With 10:35 left in regulation the score was Orono 52 and Columbia Heights 49.
 

The score went back and forth throughout the half.
 

Wohler found the basket in the second half. He was able to get into his shooting rhythm.
 

With 5:40 in regulation the score was Orono 70 and Columbia Heights 57.
 

Columbia Heights went on a run after the media time out.
 

Orono came away with the 85-76 victory over Columbia Heights.
 

The leading scorers for Columbia Heights were Zach Lofton with 19 points, Ben Glover and Jordan
Mills with 17 points. Keaun Glover scored 12 points.
 

The leading scorers for Orono were Brady Wohler with 23 points, Jeremy Borg with 19 points, Jordan Smith with 21 points, and Erik Peterson with 11 points.
 

After the game I was able to talk to Orono's Jeremy Borg, Brady Wohler, Jordan Smith, and head coach Barry Wohler about winning the state championship game.