VALPARAISO | Under the watchful eyes of Valparaiso men's basketball coach Homer Drew and his staff, Bowman Academy junior Tyrae Robinson knew that he had to deliver a courageous performance on Sunday.

Playing with a nagging groin injury, the point guard refused to take a rest and knocked down a key 3-pointer in the championship game of the Third Annual Valparaiso University High School Team Camp as Bowman defeated Munster 54-44 in the large varsity bracket. South Central knocked off North Judson 46-42 in the small varsity title game.

"I had to play through it and stay strong for my teammates," Robinson said. "We were shot at my position today, so I had to stay with it."

With the championship under their belts, Robinson and his teammates will now turn their attention to next season, when Bowman will become eligible to compete for an IHSAA state championship.

"We're excited about being able to play in the postseason," Bowman coach Marvin Rea said. "Last year, when we weren't eligible, we had to work to keep the kids motivated. This year, the job is a lot easier."

Rea's squad was just one of 41 teams from 26 different high schools that competed in the three-day event that was held at both the Athletics-Recreation Center and the Courts of Northwest Indiana.

"It's a year-round process to get schools here, especially when we are competing against the big state schools," Camp director Jack Gabor said. "We think that Northwest Indiana has great schools and that helps attract other schools from all over the place."

The Satellites, led by junior Jake Kitchell, came from behind to defeat No. 1 seed North Judson after trailing for much of the first half.

"This was really exciting, as we have a very young team," Kitchell said.

For athletes like Robinson and Kitchell, who are both sure to draw attention from college coaching staffs, playing in front of Drew and company was a thrill but nothing to get nervous about.

"It doesn't interfere when you're out on the court," Robinson said. "You have to handle your business regardless of who is watching."

After going undefeated through the first two days, the Valparaiso boy's varsity squad fell in the semifinals to Munster (51-38), but coach Chris Benedict was able to watch as the junior varsity team won its tournament with a 39-36 victory over Shelbyville. Lowell won the freshmen tournament by defeating Frontier 52-32.

"This was a good weekend for our guys as we got to see some different people on the floor," Benedict said. "This camp is really well run and coach Drew and his staff do a great job."