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Esta página no está disponible en español. THE ORLANDO SENTINELLamour Leads Celebration To 3 More VictoriesBy Frank CarrollJanuary 29, 2003 KISSIMMEE -- Citing a NBA ticket for motivation, Jerry Lamour's offense mirrored Tracy McGrady's in leading Celebration School basketball to victories over Titusville Temple Christian, Avon Park Walker Memorial and Lake Wales Vanguard. "I had a bet going with [Celebration girls' leading scorer] Aubrey Medrano," said Lamour, 18, a 6-foot-2 senior shooting guard and the Sentinel's Osceola County athlete of the week. "She bet me a Magic ticket that she would outscore me. I beat her by 20 points." Lamour dropped in 27 points in a 77-31 win over Temple Christian, 18 in the Pride's 65-40 thumping of Walker Memorial, and 12 in a 45-34 victory over Vanguard. Additionally, he contributed 24 rebounds, 13 assists and 13 steals as Celebration improved to 11-5 and 9-3 in district competition. Coach Beltran Munoz marvels as the Pride captain's improvement given that Lamour's experience prior to joining the varsity three years ago came playing street ball in Carolina, Puerto Rico. "The biggest difference between organized ball and street ball is you make your own calls in street ball," he said. "There still are times I wish I could do that here." Lamour's team highs are in points (15.5 per game), rebounds (4.9), steals (3.6) and 2-point field goal percentage (52.7). Not too shabby for a guy who grew up playing volleyball. Lamour's high-point outing this season is 28 and he has managed to score a minimum of 11 points in each of 15 games. "He has evolved into a leader," Munoz said. Lamour credits Munoz for educating him on organized ball. "It was hard at first," Lamour said. "I was used to doing whatever I wanted to do instead of playing within a team concept. Now, I enjoy sharing the ball, playing the game as a team. "There are times, especially in games that we're losing, that I don't know what to do and some street ball creeps back into my mind. I end up trying to do everything myself." Injuries have devastated Munoz's lineup of late, forcing Lamour to dig a little deeper to try and do a little more. Forty percent of an already limited roster of 10 will be on the bench tonight when Celebration plays host to Lakeland Sonrise Christian, hoping to avenge an earlier loss. Lamour, a better-than-average student with a 2.8 grade-point average, would like the opportunity to play at the college level. "I'll go anywhere," Lamour, who left his mother and a sibling behind for "a better opportunity" in Florida with his remarried father, stepmother, stepbrother and stepsister.
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