WHITE PLAINS, NY- It was a matchup of schools separated by just 2.7 miles to open up the boys side of the 21st annual Slam Dunk Tournament as an unbeaten New Rochelle took on one of the best in the CHSAA this season in Iona Prep.

For a quarter it was a close and competitive contest but the Gaels made the decision to push the tempo and get out in the open floor where they got easy buckets in the second stanza to pull away. The Huguenots tried to hang tough but it wasn't meant to be as Keeshawn Jones '21 had a career high 21 points to lead Iona Prep to the convincing 65-38 victory at the Westchester County Center on Saturday.

Watching tape on New Rochelle gave Gaels head coach Steve Alvarado hope that if they could play, the way they wanted that his Iona Prep team would have an advantage.

"Part of the pregame was we want to run on them because when we watched the film on them we saw that there big guys weren't always running back on defense so we really emphasized running and getting out in the open floor when we could," Alvarado stated.

The tempo wasn't necessarily played at the pace that Alvarado wanted through the first quarter even though Iona Prep held a 16-10 lead, but in the second quarter led by R.J. Greene '22 who was able to get out and go on multiple occasions it was the Gaels really taking control.

New Rochelle struggled defensively in transition much in the same way that Alvarado thought might happen and because of that Iona Prep was able to up the lead as they led 37-22 at the break.

Jones for Iona Prep was a rugged force down low as he dominated around the rim scoring 11 points in the first half, but in the third the 6'3" junior was able to show another aspect of his game, stretching out and knocking down a pair of three's to see the Gaels lead expand up to as much as 22.

With 19 points through three quarter Jones was proving that alongside of the rest of the Iona Prep young stars that he was a difference maker as well. Alvarado called Jones quite possibly the best player for the Gaels since last February, with Jones himself saying that while he was having a lot of fun in the first half inside, knocking down those three's in the third was something that he really enjoyed.

"That was way more fun hitting those open shots," Jones said with a smile. "Teams we play think we can't shoot but when I go out and hit shots like that, I know it will only help the rest of my team do everything we need to do to win games."

Much of the fourth quarter was bench time as the Gaels got everyone into the game early in the final stanza, while New Rochelle soon followed suit as while Jayson McGee '21 had 12 points to lead the Huguenots it was a defensive clinic in the second half as Iona Prep did a great job not giving up any good looks to roll down the stretch to the 65-38 victory.

Getting 21 points from Jones was just the beginning for Iona Prep as Greene added 13, while Aidan Hilderbrand '20 had a complete outing to the tune of 7 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and most importantly just 1 turnover on the day.

Performances like they got on Saturday against New Rochelle, and last week when they downed Xaverian on the road 57-55 have Iona Prep thinking with championship possibilities in the CHSAA this season now, but it's one step at a time for Alvarado who for now is just hoping for a Slam Dunk Tournament championship, though knowing that regardless of if it's White Plains or Horace Greeley that they meet on Sunday it's going to be a tough contest they will need the Gaels best game to take the title.

"White Plains has a couple of really good players and Horace Greeley has Nick Townsend who is a top five player in Westchester for sure so they are both tough," Alvarado explained. "Whoever we play we are definitely going to have to bring our A game if we want to leave here with the title."

White Plains Cruises by Horace Greeley, 69 - 37

While Alvarado was speaking glowingly of Nick Townsend ‘22 before the game the Horace Greeley sophomore forward was injured at practice on Friday meaning he was forced to sit out this one, and after a slow start it was White Plains that took advantage of his absence.

The Tigers trailed 9-6 after one, but when Jayon Norwood '20 hit a three from the right side over a pair of defenders early in the second quarter it was the start of a 9-0 run that put White Plains on top, leading at the half 24-16, a lead they wouldn't relinquish the rest of the way.

Starting the second half on a 12-1 run it was all White Plains after that as once the Tigers got their footing, they were able to do what they wanted and run away from there.

Without Townsend or Chris Melis '20, another weapon for Greeley inside who has yet to play this season because of an injury, the Quakers struggled to find offensive weapons they could go to for buckets.

Defensively the Quakers did a nice job for a while on the outside trying to contain White Plains, but the Tigers proved to have too much firepower as they cruised in the second half led by Norwood and his 20 points to a 69-37 victory.

Along with Norwood the Tigers got double digit performances from Tymir Greene ‘21 who had 17, and Quion Burns ‘20 who had 15 as it will be a dangerous White Plains team looking to take down Iona Prep on Sunday evening at the County Center.