iS8/Nike Fall Tip-Off Classic (9/23)

SOUTH JAMAICA, NY – Saturday was a day filled with forfeits but NYCHoop.net was able to see two games. In one game one team was present and accounted while the other was M.I.A. iS8 Commissioner Pet Edwards gave the tardy team another 5 minute to arrive, ready to play or face a forfeit. A fifth Castle Hoops players finally arrived to play against a fully warmed and 10 deep Mount Vernon Rec Club. This is why we watch the game

Castle Athletics was penalized 16 points for arriving late and also forfeited the first quarter of play. A tall order for the Bronx based program to pull off. Their plan was to keep it up tempo and play with a sense of urgency and Ed Sanchez (Stepinac ’20) exhibited that attitude. He along with Rodney Bailey ‘20 made a cut into Mount Vernon’s 16 points lead which was down to 7 at the end of the second quarter.

Although 6’5” Troy Hupstead ‘20 and Charles Lovett ‘20 provided the bulk Mount Vernon's firepower, it was not enough to hold off the hard charging Castle Athletics led again by Sanchez and Bailey. At the top of the fourth quarter the score was tied at 68 apiece. MV seemed full of doubt while Castle Athletics mojo was growing exponentially. Buckets by Julien Soumaro ‘19 with help from Sanchez extended Castle’s advantage to 14 points with 5:19.

That deficit is not insurmountable on paper, but the Mount Vernon Recreational Club were out of momentum and gas. The irony is they were two-minute from winning by forfeit.

Sanchez led all scores with 28 points with Bailey dropping 21 points. Lovett scored 20 points for the Mt. Vernon Rec Club.

When you go-to-guy is going to Kentucky, s team’s A-game is a mandatory requirement unless you wish to get exposed. To of NEBB’s six players carried the majority of the offense load with UK-bound Kahlil Whitney (Roselle Catholic ’19) playing substantially above the rim and Jose Cuello (Wings Academy ’20) and Zarique Utter splitting NYC Skillz defense like a hot knife through butter.

NRBB led by 13 at the half but improve the lead to 63 – 38. The Lions share of NYC Skillz point came from Rich Martelly (Our Savior Lutheran ’19) but his offense was the equivalent to trying to dry hurricane Maria with a tissue.

Whitney led Northeast Basketball Club with24 points with Cuello adding 23 points. Martelly was the high man for NYC Skillz with 21 points.