He’s as good at dodging attention as he is evading defenders on the basketball court.
High-school hoops star Lance Stephenson was able to wash his hands of a sex-assault rap yesterday after a judge granted him an unscheduled court appearance that was so hush-hush, even prosecutors didn’t know about it.
The impromptu hearing — at which he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct — was meant to avoid press attention that has dogged the four-time city champion since he was accused of groping a 17- year-old girl in Coney Island last year, sources said.
Stephenson, 19, who played for Brooklyn’s Abraham Lincoln HS and has committed to the University of Cincinnati, was scheduled to appear before Brooklyn Criminal Court judge Alexander Jeong next Wednesday for trial.
Instead, his lawyer walked into the courtroom yesterday and asked the judge if he could squeeze him in immediately.
“Even the prosecutor didn’t know about it,” a source said. “He got a call from the court saying, ‘You’ve got to be down here.’ ”
Stephenson was sentenced to three days of community service and instructed to seek counseling.
A spokesman for the Brooklyn DA’s office said it wasn’t unusual for judges to agree to requests for unscheduled hearings on low-level misdemeanors.
The 6-foot-5 shooting guard — the leading scorer in New York state high-school basketball history — had faced up to 90 days in jail on the sex-assault rap.
Stephenson’s lawyer, Alberto Ebanks, said yesterday, “Mr. Stephenson is looking forward to transitioning to college life, and is pleased to put this matter behind him.”
He didn’t answer questions about why he requested the unscheduled hearing.