City Legendz Invitational Day 1

BRONX, NY - The 4th Annual City Legendz Invitational kicked off on Saturday at the Gauchos Gym and day one did not disappoint. Here are brief recaps of the five games.

Thurgood Marshall Academy Splatters Green Tech, 72-48

Visually, the athletic Green Tech team looked more than capable of handling Thurgood Marshall but basketball is primarily a game of skill. T.M.A would play a solid defensive game beat Green Tech in transition.

An offensive push by 6'1" Jalen Suber '17 would put the Panthers ahead throughout the first quarter. A strong finished spearheaded by 6'3" Reggie Quezada '16 would extend Thurgood Marshall's lead to 10 point at the half.

Green Tech continuously had trouble finishing at the rim and the team's star player, 6'4" Dasier Lukes '16 had to fight for every point he made. Quezada kicked into high gear in the third quarter and propelled T.M.A. to a19 point lead to start the final quarter.

6'3" Keyshaun Miller '16 offered some resistance to the Panther's surge but the Albany Team simply didn't have the firepower and would ultimately lose by 24 points.

Quezada led the way for Thurgood Marshall with 31 points with Suber adding 16 points. Lukes was the high scorer for Green Tech with 16 points.

Wings Academy Rewrites Constitution (PA), 81-60

In the first of two Philly vs New York games, Wings Academy jumped out in front 8-zip early as 6'3" Boubacar Kamissoko '17 and 6'5" Jose Perez '17 scored buckets. Constitution responded as 6'6" Maurice Waters '17 scored inside. 5'8" Tamir Green '17 pushed the pace and closed the gap to a bucket with a 1:31 left in the opening quarter.

6'2" Kevin Saylor '16 countered for Wings and ended the quarter with a three-ball that put the Bronx high school ahead by 8 point entering the second quarter. Constitution tried to narrow the margin but 6'3" Alonzo Christian '16 came off the bench to reenergize Wings Academy who led 40-30 at the midway point.

With 5'9" PG Malik Mooving '16 pushing the pace and solid rebounding and rim protection by 6'7" Malik Diallo '16, Wings increased its lead to 19 points while holding Constitution to only ten points in the quarter.

Green and Waters kept the game entertaining but a strong finish by Kamissoko, would finish of the PA team.

Saylor paced Wings Academy with 32 points with Perez and Kamissoko adding 14 points and 11 points respectively. Green led Constitution with 21 points with Waters contributing 18 points.

Imhotep (PA) downs St. Ray's, 73-65

After a triumphant victory on Friday over Iona Prep and its Virginia bound PG Ty Jerome, St. Ray's faced off against a tough Philly squad in Imhotep and its speedy point guard 5'11" Daron Russell '17 in the final game of the day.

The Ravens pushed forward early as Sid Wilson '17 and Dallas Watson scored but it not be enough to halt the forward progress of Imhotep as back to back jumpers by 6'0" Bernard Lightsey '18 would set St. Raymond back 19-12. Isaiah Washington '17 would help close the gap at the end of the opening quarter to a deuce, scoring from the perimeter.

Imhotep, a big athletic and talented team began to wear down the Ravens on the interior and with a 1-3-1 zone. 6'6" Fatayn Wesley '19 would soon extend the lead to 15 points with 4:55 left until the half. The momentum was shifting into the Philly team's favor but was briefly interrupted by an emphatic dunk in transition by Wilson.

Russell began to heat up offensively while also continuing to facilitate teammates. Washington also stepped up his point guard game and pulled St. Ray's to within four points of the lead as Russell went down and out for the remainder of the half after falling in his tailbone. Teammate 6'0" Jaekwon Carlyle '16, who played the two-guard closed out the half for Imhotep who led at the half, 39-29.

Imhotep maintained a double digit lead throughout the third quarter and appeared to be en route to a cake walk into victory but the Raven had other plans. Down 9 point as the fourth quarter began, the Raven made a push to pull off a comeback win.

Washington netted a trey that cut Imhotep's lead to six. Russell countered with two from the foul line but 6'3" Omar Silverio '18 nailed three from the corner. After an offensive foul by Lightsey, a floater from Washington would leave the Raven down 68-65 with a 1:07. Lightsey redeemed himself nailing a clutch tree-ball with 28.4 secs that put a final damper on St. Ray's

Russell finished with 19 points with Carlyle adding 18 points. Washington led St. Ray's with 24 points while Wilson contributed 14 points.

In other action :

Mt. Saint Michael walloped Holcombe Rucker, 66-44

Believe Prep Academy knocked off Coastal Academy, 81-72