The iS8/Nike 2009 Tip-Off Fall Classic is only four games old, but if game #3 -Thursday night's square-off between The Bronx' B-Ballers (John F.Kennnedy HS) and Brooklyn's Boys & Girls HS Kangaroos- doesn't wind up in the top 10 of the season, the iS8 faithful are in for a hell of a ride.

The wall to wall action between two of Lincoln's biggest perennial PSAL rivals ended in a nail-biting 78-77 B-Ballers win, courtesy of an electrifying 42 point performance from Jeffrey Short and clutch game winning free throws from Naquan Pierce.

"This was an exciting game for both teams", said B-Ballers Coach Star Jones. "All these guys know each other from playing with Metro Hawks."

Neither team wasted a millisecond in setting the action packed tone of the game. The 6-foot-4 Short came right out of the gate with a long trey, and when B-Ballers came up with the steal on the next play, Pierce drained a long two only seconds later. Boys & Girls guard Mike Taylor ended a relatively quiet summer with a loud bang, as he matched the duo's 5-0 run by himself to tie the game up. From that point onward, Taylor played with an aggressive vengeance not seen in months. Clearly looking for his offense early, Taylor drilled threes over the Ballers' 2-1-2 zone and attacked the rim furiously, accounting for 15 of Boys & Girls 22 first quarter points. He also got some help from Jeff Neverson in the post, keeping things close. However, Short and Bud McQueen would provide an offensive spark for the Ballers, and sure enough, the score would be tied after 8 minutes.

Boys & Girls would receive a heat check early in the second, as Taylor -although still aggressively looking for offense- went cold and their turnovers allowed Short to lead a 6-0 charge for the Ballers. However, the Bronx team wasn't scorching by any means, as both teams applied swarming defense and prevented any legitimate momentum. After a 3+ minute scoring drought, Boys & Girls' forward Leroy Isler would lead a reciprocal 6-0 charge, and again, the game was tied at 28. In a second quarter with four ties and four lead changes, it's a given that Boys & Girls would only be up by a free throw at the half, 35-34.

The tight game wouldn't last much longer though, as Boys & Girls turned up the defensive dial and began to allow their supporting cast to shoulder some of the scoring load. 5-foot-8 guard Antoine Slaughter defied his size, breaking down the Ballers' defense and converting on a handful of acrobatic finishes. Neverson would add to the Slaughter (no pun intended), as The Ballers began to falter via stunted offensive production and carelessness with the ball. By the time Calvin Sterling nailed a three for Boys & Girls midway through the quarter, their lead had cruised into double digits, 52-40. Short would be the only real threat for the Ballers offensively, but Boys & Girls' defense was making him work for every basket, and the Bronx team was still down ten, 58-48, going into the fourth.

What a difference a quarter makes.

The iS8 moniker of "Bring Your Game, Not Your Name" resonated loud and crisp with what transpired in the final 8 minutes. The under the radar Short decided it was time to put on a show -and hopefully win a game against a solid defensive team from a 10 point hole- and there was nobody that was going to stop him. Pierce would start the quarter off with a long three to bring the Ballers within seven, 58-51, but that was pretty much the only help Short would get until the waning seconds. The senior shooting guard single-handedly torched the hop out of the Kangaroos, as he put on an offensive display that will surely go down as one of the season's best when the dust settles. High-arching threes, aggressive drives to the hoop, crafty post moves and a 5-6 showing from the line -including four in a row that brought the Ballers within two, 69-67- all assisted in pulling the Ballers back on track. Pierce, the only other Baller to score in the final quarter, would tie it up at 69 with a clutch basket, capping a 21-11 Ballers run. It would then make sense that on the next play, Short would convert a Boys & Girls turnover into a one handed jam and give the Ballers their first lead since the second quarter, 71-69. A pair of free throws from Slaughter would tie it up on the next trip down, and with under 2 minutes left, the squeeze was on. With Short circuiting in an electric fourth quarter, Boys & Girls smothered him on the Ballers next trip down, but senior shooting guard broke through three defenders for a lay-up to regain the lead, 73-71. However, offense wasn't the only trick in Short's bag. The athletic senior pulled off two crucial blocks in the waning minutes, keeping Boys & Girls in check. But Isler would get out on the break and convert a traditional three point play, putting the Brooklyn school back on top, 74-73, with a minute left. Short (who else), however, would come up with a steal and put the Ballers back on top, but Brandon Williams would score with 14 seconds left, see-sawing the lead. Taylor would then go 1-2 from the line, and Boys & Girls appeared to be smooth sailing, up 77-75 with 4 seconds left in the game. Not so fast. With time running down, Taylor fouled Pierce shooting a desperation three with only a second left in the game. Pierce, who shot 4-6 from the line up until that point, calmly drained three life or death free throws in a row to seal the come from behind win.

"Mike shot the ball extremely well today", said Coach Jones. "But Jeffrey played great, he's a prolific scorer. This was an exciting game to see."

22 of Jeffrey Short's game high 42 points came in that memorable solo act fourth quarter for the senior. Naquan Pierce was next in line for B-Ballers with 22 points. Mike Taylor led Boys & Girls with 29 points, while Leroy Isler added 20.

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