Former Los Angeles Laker Mike Penberthy won the individual battle of the stars in Saturday night’s ChallengeBall game at Westmont College, but it was Josh Merrill’s Providence Hall All-Stars who came away with the 136-133 victory over Penberthy’s Past Prime-Time Players.
The exhibition was a fundraiser for Providence Hall’s athletic programs.
Penberthy scored 37 points for the Past Prime-Time Players, which featured a collection of “past-their-prime” local players with varying degrees of athletic retention.
Merrill, an All Big-West selection with the UCSB Gauchos, scored 27 points to lead the Providence Hall All-Stars, a team that also benefited from the services of former college players Landon Boucher, Emilie Johnson and Ariana Gnekow.
Boucher caught fire for the PH All-Stars and collected a team-high 36 points. Former Providence Hall student-athlete JT Royston also made an impact with 16 points.
After a 56-56 tie at halftime, the PH All-Stars took the lead for good in the third quarter.
Merrill, who went on to play professionally after college, came out shooting and knocked down multiple three-pointers. He is now a pastor at Shepard of the Hills church in Northridge.
“It felt good to get it going. I know it’s in there, it just doesn’t come out as often as it used to,” Merrill said.
Dave Goss, with 21 points, and Dave Newton, with 20, helped the Past Prime-Time Players stay close for the whole game.
Both teams were guided by local basketball dignitaries, with Westmont Women’s Basketball coach Kirsten Moore on the PH All-Stars bench and Don Ford, another former Los Angeles Laker, coaching the Past Prime-Time Players.?The event included performances by Westmont’s hip-hop team N’Step and halftime speeches by Merrill and Penberthy.
“It’s just a fun event with the great energy, the atmosphere of the game and what you’re playing for,” Emilie Johnson said, another former All-Big West player with UCSB.
Both Penberthy and Merrill have become extremely active with the church in their post-basketball playing careers and happily supported Providence Hall’s efforts in Santa Barbara.
“I’ve been blessed with basketball and being tall and having that gift. I really feel like God has given me that,” Merrill said.
Penberthy agreed to play in the game even though he doesn’t have any ties with Providence Hall. Penberthy, now 37, won an NBA championship with Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in 2001.
“I wouldn’t be able to do this without basketball, I mean, who’s gonna come listen to me,” Penberthy said. “Part of God’s plan was to put me in that situation.”
“Basketball has provided me the opportunity to share how great God is.”
