NEW CASTLE -- You bet Ebony Robinson had a story. So did Teirenney Fincher. When you play together for so long, as these two former Elmhurst basketball standouts have done and will continue to do in college, how could you not have at least one about the other?

And so, on the floor of New Castle Chrysler High School's Fieldhouse, in Saturday's aftermath of the Class 3A East-West All-Star game, they told their tales about each other.

Robinson remembered their sophomore year at Elmhurst, when she sacrificed her comfort to save Fincher from a team initiation (a practice that has since been stopped).

“I got thrown in the shower three times to save her,” Robinson said.

Fincher mentioned Robinson's knack for pulling her pants up and dancing like an old man, an act she declined to perform Saturday.

“She's one of my best friends,” Robinson said.

“We're very close,” Fincher added.

That closeness will continue at Huntington College. Both have basketball scholarships there and look to provide the kind of full-court defensive fury Huntington needs.

“We planned to go to the same college,” Fincher said. “Besides, the same coaches were recruiting us. Huntington offered the best deal -- a full ride for five years.”

Added Robinson: “We play well together. And it's good to go to the same school. It makes it easier to adapt. It's hard to go to school alone.”

Huntington's Christian emphasis and small enrollment, Fincher said, clinched the deal.

“It's a place I'll be a person and not a number.”

While Fincher and Robinson didn't play Saturday to impress the college scouts who attended the event (representatives from at least 12 colleges made the trip), they did play to win. Both had their moments in their East team's 66-53 win over the West.

Robinson had five points. In the final four minutes of what had been a three-point game, she had two steals and a block. In those same four minutes, Fincher had a rebound and dribbled around the West's desperation pressure.

“This was fun,” Fincher said, “but it also was kind of nerve wracking because if you're a competitor, you don't like to be down.”

Fincher didn't score Saturday, but don't be fooled, Robinson said, because “when we have to make a shot, just get the ball to her. She'll make it.”

Fincher and Robinson honed their chemistry during four years at Elmhurst. Their success on and off the court, said former Trojans boys coach Keith Edmonds, was no surprise.

“They come from strong families and have a good support system at home,” Edmonds said. “Plus, they're excellent students. You have all that ,and it usually translates into a strong performance on the court.”

It also figures to translate into success at Huntington.

“They played together for four years,” Edmonds said, “and you do that and you develop good chemistry.

“They're great kids. Elmhurst was lucky to have kids like that.”

In Saturday's Class 2A girls' game, former Bishop Luers standout Amanda Pedro scored a game-high 13 points as the East beat the West 67-45. In the A girls' game, Canterbury's Aubrey Holle scored seven points as the East beat the West 68-44.