Hillhouse soars at latest Saulsbury Invitational. Coach Saulsbury (right) with Olympic gold medalist Alexis Holmes and invitational founder Neil Richardson. Under the bright lights of the Floyd Little Athletic Center, shoes squeaked on hardwood. Bodies collided and scrambled for loose balls. The 800 people in the stands groaned over every missed jumper. The scintillating affair, between the Hillhouse High School Academics and the New London Whalers, was just one matchup in the annual Robert Saulsbury Basketball Invitational. In its eighth year, the all-day invitational took place on Dec. 27, and featured five marquee games.The annual event is ​“about basketball and a lot more,” said founder Neil Richardson, as the PA announcer named two MVPs, one from the winning team (Hillhouse) and also — unconventionally — the losing team (New London).That’s in keeping with Coach Saulsbury’s influence, according to Richardson, his former player at Wilbur Cross in the late 1960s. The first African American to coach in New Haven, Saulsbury authored a dynasty that included nine state titles, 497 games won with 10 All-Americans and 18 All-Staters, and a 1974 squad that the Washington Post named​“the best high school team in the nation.” The idea of dual MVPs came from the tournament committee. ​“Someone on the losing team played hard to win and came up short, and someone on the winning team played hard to win, and they both should be honored,” said Richardson in a phone interview after the event. ​“That’s all Coach Saulsbury. Winning was wonderful, but playing the game the right way was just as important.” He was a ​“great father figure who held his players to a high standard, a positive role model back when they weren’t saying ​‘positive role model,’” Richardson said. ​“He wanted his players to represent the school and the city in the best way possible, and that meant jacket and tie every day of the season.“That was unusual at the time, but it was about dignity and respect, about us projecting a positive image because he knew that would get us further than we could imagine,” he said.Following the Hillhouse-New London tilt, emcee Rodney T. Moore introduced Coach Saulsbury, 95, who was in attendance for most of the day. The crowd cheered. Then came the awards ceremony and the announcement of the four 2024 award recipients. Those included Hillhouse girls outdoor track coach Gary Moore and Hillhouse boys outdoor track coach Michelle Moore for their​“exceptional leadership and their positive influence on young people.” There was also Michael A. Jefferson., for his work as a civil rights lawyer, author, and community activist, and Wilbur Cross culinary educator Nathaniel Bradshaw.The common thread: ​“Each of them is furthering the legacy of Coach Saulsbury,” Richardson said, who thanked the tournament committee, in particular Sharon Bradford Fleming, for their hard work in putting the event together.Perhaps the highlight of the ceremony was the final award winner, gold medalist Alexis Holmes of Hamden, who anchored the women’s 4x400 meter final in the Paris Olympics last summer. “Be fearless in pursuit of your dreams,” she told the crowd, before being surrounded by fans. Proceeds from ticket sales benefitted the Robert H. Saulsbury Scholarship Fund. Two students from area universities, Shecardo Williams of Gateway and SCSU’s Christian McClease, were this year’s recipients of financial aid. Losing MVP from the New London Whalers with Maurice Williamson, Wilbur Cross assistant basketball coach and son of NBA standout Super John Williamson. A giant in New Haven hoops.