2 Hard Fought Wins for Playaz Club Srs.

SOUTH JAMAICA, NY - Everyone at iS8/Nike was talking about the 61-point offensive onslaught Kyle Anderson put on the opposition his last game with his Playaz Club Sr team. With two games scheduled for the Playaz Club Sr team on Sunday, the crowd wanted to see if Anderson could repeat his same offensive destruction and was not disappointed. He scored 61 points over the course of two games.

Playaz Club fight past South Shore, 73-71

Kyle Anderson and Chris Jones opened the game up with two baskets of their own but South Shore Basketball Club's Shamiek Sheppard had his agenda mapped out. Sheppard displayed his freakish athleticism by getting to the cup with ease. Sheppard carried his South Shore Basketball Club crew in the 1st stanza while Anderson did what he has best: plays at his own speed. "Slow-Mo" finished out the 1st period with a dribbling exhibition against a South Shore Basketball Club defenders. Playaz Club Srs. team was up, 19-17.

Terrence Samuel (12 points) may not have put the ball in the basket as much in the 1st half, but Samuel ignited a South Shore Basketball Club run to put his team ahead at halftime. Samuel found a cutting Wayne Martin with a full court chest pass for a lay up. Martin's lay up cut their deficit to three points, 41-38, with under 1:30 to go in the 1st half. Sophomore Doumdy St. Hilaire put his South Shore Basketball Club up by one point, 42-41, with a buzzer beating lay up. Anderson led all scorers with 20 points. Sheppard led the South Shore Basketball Club with 12 points.

The Playaz Club Srs. team came out gunning in the 3rd period. After a crowd-pleasing Sheppard dunk, everyone who was on the floor for the Playaz Club Srs. team hit an open jumper. Anderson and Jones paced the Playaz offensively in the 3rd quarter. The Playaz Club looked as if they were in control of the game with a double-digit lead. The score was 62-50 going into Phase 4.

South Shore Basketball Club was down but not out of the game. I guess someone woke up Terrence Samuel as he calmly knocked down back-to-back three pointers. Samuel even woke up Ayodele Akinmola (7 points). Akinmola became a pest on the defensive end but also made two key free throws to cut the Playaz Club lead to two points, 71-69, with under three minutes to go.

On the next possession down, Norvelle Fincher took off on the baseline for a rim-rattling dunk to put the Playaz Club ahead by two points . As the South Shore Basketball Club went down the court to set up their offense, tempers flared up. Fincher and Sheppard got into a fistfight that caused both teams to leave their respective benches. The schermish had both teams in the right corner of the gym for about five minutes. When the fight was broken up and everyone had calmed down, the decision was made: The game was terminated and the Playaz Club, who were ahead, was awarded the victory.

The primary combatants, Fincher and Sheppard were suspended for one and two games respectively. Samuel and Martin were suspended for the remainder of the tournament for excessive behavior.

Kyle Anderson led all scorers with 31 points. Chris Jones chipped in with 12 points. Shamiek Sheppard led his South Shore Basketball Club team with 18 points. Wayne Martin contributed 13 points.

Playaz Outpace Riverside Church Hawks, 85-82

This is another tough game for the New Jersey team. Without Norvelle Fincher, who is going to command the middle against the Riverside Church penetrating guards? Who is going to fight on the boards against the Riverside Church bigs? The answer to this question is, Grant Ellis.

Ellis (18 points) stepped it up in the absence of Fincher, finishing around the basket and playing some defense too. Kyle Anderson (30 points) led the charge in the win over the Riverside Church Hawks.

In their victory over Riverside Church Hawks, the Playaz Club Sr team executed their offensive sets. Even though at times defensively they weren't in sync, the Playaz Club played defense when it counted. Fatigue could have played a factor in the game but freshman Isaiah Briscoe (8 points) provided a spark off of the bench. Briscoe is "The Future".

Thaddeus Hall (22 points) and Emile Blackman (15 points) paced Riverside Church. Hall was hitting NBA three pointers while Blackman had anger problems with the rim. Blackman caught a put back dunk over two Playaz Club defenders. The announcer had to ask them if Playaz Club defenders were okay. Riverside Church fought the whole entire game.

The announcer nicknamed Kyle Anderson "Slow-Mo" but top recruits new nickname should be "The Clinic." After a Briscoe lay-up, Anderson performed a dribble series on a Riverside Church Hawk defender. Anderson was the drill instructor. It was too easy. One spectator just shook his head in amazement. Anderson finished the game at free throw line making 5 of 6 free throws from the charity stripe.

Chris Jones and Deandre Noble each chipped in with 11 points for the Playaz Club Srs. team.

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