Banneker Tops Jefferson in PSAL Quarters
BROOKLYN, NY - Banneker just kept grinding and grinding. Jefferson was the visiting team in the first round of the Brooklyn Borough Championship. They come from the toughest league in the PSAL, Brooklyn AA and are one of the best basketball programs in the city. Banneker is in the A division, but they were 18-0 in league play. The PSAL seeding committee rewarded them with a home game for such a fantastic season.
Jefferson had a big lead in the third quarter, seemingly controlling the game 51-36. Banneker was able to lock up Jefferson on defense and they clawed their way back through the rest of the 2nd half, finally taking a 68-67 lead with less than a minute left when Tajuan Simpkins ‘21 scored on a lay-up. Once Banneker got the lead, Jefferson still couldn’t get a good look offensively. The result was an exciting 73-69 first round win in the tournament. The students stormed the court after the buzzer, momentary bedlam at halfcourt. The Warriors are now 24-1 overall this season.
Banneker held Jefferson to only 22 second half points after going into halftime trailing 47-34. When Jefferson held that 15 point lead in the third quarter, Banneker turned the tables and started to gain momentum, finishing the period with a 15-6 run.
There was a dynamic sequence of plays late in the third quarter that may have been a sign of things to come. Banneker went to the free throw line multiple times with an opportunity to make their free throws. However, despite missing a few, they never lost possession. They kept getting new chances, getting offensive rebounds or the ball getting knocked out of bounds by Jefferson . Unofficially, it seemed like that sequence happened on 4 or 5 straight possessions.
The fourth quarter was the breakthrough for Banneker. The momentum they had built up in the third continued into the fourth quarter. They only trailed Jefferson 57-51 when the fourth quarter began and ended up outscoring Jefferson 22-12 when it was over. Takai Simpkins ‘21, the twin brother of Tajuan, scored 8 points of his 12 points in the quarter to lead the way. After Tajuan scored the go-ahead basket, Banneker made 5 out of 6 free throws to close out the game.
The most important reason Banneker was able to achieve success was the suffocating defense they played in the 2nd half. Jefferson missed a couple of open shots that they had made earlier in the game. However, the truth is they struggled because Banneker kept harassing whoever had the ball or tried to make a shot for Jefferson.
Banneker head coach Willie Jackson was asked how his team was able to get the well-deserved win.
“Relentless on defense, we’re not giving nothing up. We’re going to play hard until the last buzzer and we believe in the process” Jackson said after the game just outside of the locker room.
Tajuan Simpkins finished with a game high 18 points. Gabriel Holley ‘21 added 11 points for the winners. Kevin Tabb ‘20 led Jefferson with 17 points, while Jaquan Carlos ‘21 finished with 13 points for Jefferson. Carlos shot a ball in the first half that actually hit a pipe that was attached to the ceiling. That was another precursor to how hard it was going to be to put the ball in the basket on Banneker’s home court.
Jackson was emotional after the game, clearly happy that he was able to coach a team that beat Jefferson. He was asked why he was emotional.
“Just a big win. My guys don’t give up. There was a lot of talk on social media, and just to beat one of the perennial teams in New York City. It's a big win for us and for our program”
Banneker continues in the Brooklyn Borough tournament, travelling to Bed-Stuy to play another Brooklyn AA team Boys & Girls. Boys won the league and are the top seed in this week’s tournament. It’ll be another chance for the Warriors to make some noise this season.