Gaels Not Prepped for Jefferson

BROOKLYN, NY - The Iona Prep Gaels were undefeated when they entered the Jefferson Orange Wave's gym on Friday. They also touted, Ty Jerome '16, the #1 ranked 2016 player in New York. #2 ranked Shamorie Ponds didn't want to just beat the New Rochelle, NY team but set the record straight as to who he thought should be at the top of the player rankings.

"I took it personal even though [Jerome] is one of my closet friends," said Ponds. "We weren't friends on the court." The St. John's bound guard not only led Jefferson to a substantial 71-58 win but charged himself to check Jerome defensively especially in first half.

"My team had to get the win and I had to perform," said Ponds. With St. John's head coach Chris Mullin and assistant coach Matt Abdelmassih watching intently, Ponds netted a team high 21 points, dropping 5 three-pointers in the first half alone while holding Jerome to eight hard fought points in the opening half. Marques Watson '16 (15 points) was also an offensive factor for the Orange Wave adding four three-pointers.

"Jefferson played great. They beat us to the punch in every facet of the game," Iona Prep Head Coach Victor Quirolo said after the contest. "I think the [Gaels players] were a little full of themselves. They walked into the gym saying, we're 4 and 0. We beat Christ the King; we just beat Wings [Academy]. That's not who we are."

Knowing that Jerome runs the Gaels offense, Ponds and teammate Rasheem Dunn '16 (9 points) quickly took the Virginia bound star out of game as a facilitator, checking him closely when he had the ball and denying him from receiving the ball again once he got rid of it. That forced his young Iona Prep teammates to step up to the plate. "We didn't bring our A-game," said Quirolo of their performance.

A three-point barrage by Ponds put the Orange Wave ahead by ten points at the end of the first quarter. With Jerome's floor generalship abilities in a holding pattern and additional trifectas from Watson, Jefferson increased its lead to 43-22 at the half, punctuated by a buzzer beating full court bank shot by Ponds.

Iona Prep came out the locker room to begin the third quarter with a renewed sense of purpose. Jerome began getting open shots coming off screens. 1:38 remained in the quarter and a trey by Jerome sliced the Gaels deficit down to 11 but turnovers would bounce the Orange Wave lead back to 16 to start the fourth.

To their credit, the Iona Prep Gaels never said die but could never get less than twelve points behind as the final minutes were nothing more than garbage time.

"The strategy was to do what we do," said Jefferson Head Coach Lawrence 'Bud" Pollard. "We play pressure defense and keep the pressure on. If they get by one guy, we had another right in their face." Pollard said they also emphasized contesting the shooters.

In defending Jerome, Coach Pollard said they played him man-to-man because he's just as dangerous when you double him. Jerome still finished with a game high 29 points but Jefferson's defense limited his assists. No other Gaels' player achieved double-digits.

Iona Prep falls to 4-1 while Thomas Jefferson improves to 7-1.