BAYSIDE, NY- It was late night at the Beacon 158 EYAC Back 2 School Tournament as the Quarterfinals took place on Monday with the final game not seeing the final whistle heard until 10:15 at night. That just meant every game played was of top quality with the biggest margin of victory of the four games being just 3.

That says all you need to know about how competitive and exciting the games played at JHS 158 were on Monday, and with NYCHoops.net in attendance for all four contests here is exactly how they played out with a recap of just how the high intensity games turned out.

A big reason for why the games did fall so far behind started in game one between the Friars and the Jets. It all started out roses for St. Anthony's as Jack Garvey '20 was lethal from the outside draining three triples in the first five minutes of the game showcasing his range, while Andre Snoddy '20 was proving to be a very difficult defend for Law and Tech.

Be it attacking the rim at his 6'5" size off the dribble, posting up inside, or shooting the ball with good range from the perimeter, Snoddy became more than a handful as the Friars took a 30-18 lead with 2 minutes to go in the half.

It was at that point a confrontation between one of the referees from the game and Law and Tech coach Kenny Pretlow forced a stoppage of play with a commotion occurring after a technical foul. The situation got heated for about 20-25 minutes with the game halted until things were diffused and cooler heads could prevail.

That could've been looked at as a break for Brooklyn Law and Tech as they were being thoroughly outplayed at that point, but even once the game resume it still was all Friars as a couple late buckets enabled St. Anthony's to take a 36-22 lead into halftime.

Even though it wasn't a great opening half of basketball for the Jets everyone in the gym knew that they would make a comeback and would make this game a fight down the stretch, which proved to be true as the outside shots that weren't falling early on from the likes of Isiah Folk '21 and Kamani Perch ‘22 were beginning to fall meaning a new game was about to take place.

Especially in the closing 6 minutes of the game the lead for St. Anthony's started to drip down from 14 down to 10, then down to 6, and eventually the Friars were needing to find a big bucket, one that did come from Snoddy with just over 1:30 to go.

Folk did all he could with a couple late shots as well, with a bucket in the closing seconds getting it to just a 2 point game, but at that point there was just under 3 second left to play and even after St. Anthony's missed the front end of a one and one there wasn't enough time for the Jets to get off a good look at the win as behind the 21 points from Snoddy, and 11 points from Garvey it was he Friars holding on late to take the 52-50 win.

On paper this one coming in had all the makings of Cardozo moving onto Wednesday's semifinals as they were maybe the biggest "name school" left, but that's why they play the games as the Bayhawks finished the opening half strong, and closed the game out even stronger to surprise many and come away with the 3 point victory.

Midway through the first half it did look as if the Judges were about to pull away as Errol White '20 was a complete dominating force inside getting second and third chances as using his size and skill to really be an unstoppable weapon inside to allow Cardozo to go up 21-13.

That was with just over 5 minutes left in the opening half and it would be the last points that the Judges would score in the first 20 minutes of play as Kobe Thomas '20 could come down the other way and finish off a transition layup, and with Willy Ford '20 proving to be a handful on the defensive end with his prowess to force Cardozo mistakes, it was a 21 all game with 12 second left in the half.

Ben Toussaint '21 was fouled and hit on two FT's late to give St. Dominic their first lead at 23-21 and a three pointer at the halftime buzzer was off for the Judges meaning the Bayhawks would hold a 23-21 halftime lead.

Out of the second half gate it was Cardozo once again looking to assert control as led by the shooting touch of Chamarri Baskerville '20 the Judges would go on a 12-0 run to open up a double digit 33-23 lead. That was all she wrote many had to think as the pressure defense that Cardozo was beginning to apply seemed to rattle the St. Dom's guards and force several early mistakes coming out to start after the break.

A three from Toussaint finally got St. Dominic on the board just under 5 minutes into the second half, and that bucket was followed by a steal and a finish up the court from Thomas as the Bayhawks came back and said they were not going to go away.

St. Dom's got within 33-32 before a Nick Trail '21 three upped the Cardozo lead back up to 4. That stemmed the tide for the time being but the Bayhawks were aggressive and not backing down, with Darien Matthews '20 eventually tying the game at 41 with a beautiful drive taking on a pair of Judges defenders.

With momentum fully on the side of the Bayhawks they would take their first lead of the second half after a Ford short jumper, with 2:10 to play and from that point on to maintain the lead it would be St. Dominic needing to make FT's. They missed 8 from the charity stripe in the first half and struggled at times in the second half as well, but Thomas would drain a couple big ones, with Ford also confidently in a big spot hitting a pair.

It was 49-46 with 4 second to play and Toussaint going to the FT line to put the game away but he missed two from the charity stripe giving Cardozo a last chance to tie and send it into OT but a long falling away Baskerville three was off the mark as the final buzzer sounded to give the Bayhawks a much deserved and hard fought 49-46 victory.

Ford led St. Dominic with 15 points while Matthews and Thomas added 12 and 11 respectively as well for the winners while it was White who had 19 points to pace all scorers for Cardozo in the defeat.

A competitive and tight game throughout, Banneker was able to hold a 29-28 lead at the break after trailing for much of the first half of play, but it was at the start of the second half that the Warriors really asserted their control.

Takai Simpkins '21 was able to push the ball and find a cutting Tyler Gordon '20 as the big man was a consistent finisher around the rim as the game went along, as along with the shooting touch of Tyreek Barlow '20, it was Banneker who extended a 1 point halftime lead to as many as 12 with under 8 minutes to go.

Elmont wasn't about to fold though as Jordan Lawson '20 began to show why he must be considered among Nassau's best this season as he drained three balls on three straight possessions, while also proving to be a hardnosed and tough defender on the ball as well.

He took a break from his three-point prowess until it became a 58-55 game when he hit on his fourth three of the halves, and sixth overall in the game to tie the game up at 58. Gabriel Holley '21 would miss a three on the other end for Banneker giving Elmont the ball for chance to steal it and take the win.

Gordon was able to block a drive attempt from Jevon Santos '20, and the fight for the ball inside led to a foul call on Elmont with 0.1 seconds left. Roderick Terry '20 was the Banneker player fouled sending the senior who had yet to score in the game to the FT line for a pressure packed 1 and 1 opportunity.

With ice in his veins Terry knocked down the front end to give the Warriors the 59-58 lead. He would miss the second FT but with just 0.1 seconds left that wasn't enough time or Elmont to do anything as it was that clutch FT that helped Banneker hold on for a 59-58 victory.

Gordon, Barlow, and Simpkins each had 12 points apiece to lead the way for the Warriors in the win, with Lawson doing all he could with 26 points for Elmont though it wasn't enough as it is Banneker moving on to Wednesday's semifinals.

Another game that was close, Portledge had a chance in the closing seconds to shock one of the PSAL favorites this season in the Wildcats but a reverse layup would've fall, and then a long wing three was no good as well as John Bowne held on to take the 1 point win.

For most of the first half it was the inside play of Bowne that was holding off any Panthers charge as Agiubou Balde '21 and Mouhamed Dioubate '22 that were able to use their size and strength to control the glass and keep the Wildcats with a comfortable lead.

Amadou Diallo '21 was proving to be a quick and elusive finisher once he was able to get a head of steam going, and with Tyshawn Trail '21 pulling up and connecting from the midrange it was no surprise why John Bowne held a 28-21 lead at the break.

Aazayah Ross '22 was the one Portledge player in the early going who seemed to be unintimidated by the setting as he had 10 points in the opening half and was consistently going north and south right at the big and physical Bowne defenders.

As the game wore on it seemed that Bowne wasn't finishing as strongly as they were early on, and with Anthony Follett '23 coming up big with a number of steals and easy finishes in the opening floor it was the Panthers slowly but surely creeping their way back.

The shooting touch from the outside started to come as well for Portledge as Zaire Baines '22 and Dante Brooks '22, a pair of super sophomores, were able to come up big from the outside and before anyone knew it at 10pm it was a game again with the Panthers having a chance to shock the Wildcats.

Down by just one in the closing seconds it was Jahmir Primer '21 who had a good look at a reverse layup that would've given Portledge their first lead of the game, but that didn't go. The Panthers would get another shot after a mistake by Bowne saw their inbounder along the baseline on an out of bound play move causing a turnover and giving the ball back to Portledge with 4.8 seconds to go.

A mix-up on who the inbounds pass from the Panthers was intended for hurt Portledge as Follett had to run down the pass with his back to the basket on the left wing. He spun and put up a three that was no good, with the putback from Ross also off the mark as the final buzzer sounded allowing John Bowne, in what was far from their best effort, to hold on and defeat a very game Portledge team 50-49.

Leading all scorers for the Wildcats was Diallo as he had 13 points, with Trail and Dioubate adding 11 and 10 as well for Bowne. Baines would be the high man in this one overall as he had 14 points to pace Portledge in the very hard-fought loss.

With Monday's quarterfinals now in the books here are the matchups and times for this coming Wednesday's Beacon 158 EYAC Back 2 School Tournament semifinals:

6:30pm- St. Anthony's vs. St. Dominic

7:30pm- Benjamin Banneker vs. John Bowne