Zion-Benton 76, Hononegah 63: Hononegah coach Mike Miller wanted some of the state’s best talent in his Martin Luther King Classic.

He just would have preferred to have his talent come out on top.

Ohio State recruit Lenzelle Smith scored 29 points to lead Zion-Benton to a 76-63 win over the Indians Monday at Hononegah’s King Classic. The loss cost Hononegah first place in the tournament. Neuqua Valley won with a 4-0 record, while Zion-Benton and Hononegah both finished 3-1.

Smith, a 6-foot-4 junior, shot four 3-pointers and scored 14 points in the third quarter to give Zion-Benton the lead for good.

“He’s the real deal,” Hononegah guard Matt Carroll said. “He’s definitely a Division I player.”

Senior Quintrell Love, another Zion-Benton player being highly recruited, then scored 11 points in the fourth to seal the win. He finished with 24 points.

Hononegah’s own Division I player, Western Michigan’s David Brown, finished with 23 points and six rebounds. He averaged 22.3 points in the six-team tournament and was one of six players voted to the all-tournament team by the participating coaches.

Hononegah had the lead early, getting four early 3-pointers from Jeff Lewis (2), Dustin Meier and Brown. Zion-Benton struggled against Hononegah’s zone defense early, and Hononegah led by as much as seven points with 1:08 left in the first half.

But the Zee-Bees finished the half with a 6-0 run to cut Hononegah’s lead to 33-32 at halftime.

Smith then took over in the third quarter, scoring eight of Zion-Benton’s 14-0 run to put his team up 51-41 with 3:29 left. Hononegah pulled within three points at the end of the third on a 3-pointer by Carroll, but the Indians never got any closer in the fourth.