iS8/Nike Pool Play Finale

SOUTH RICHMOND HILL, NY- For everyone playing at the iS8 Nike/Spring Classic on Sunday at the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Queens it was about securing themselves into the postseason which begins next weekend. With this being the final day of the regular season, all the teams taking the court wanted to leave their best mark and make sure they put themselves in good positions moving forward to make a deep run for the coveted title.

A number of teams did just that with NYCHoops.net on hand to take in the final regular season day of the season, and with a full days slate of games taking place here are how things turned out as we now ready for playoff basketball.

Early on it looked as if the local Queens power was going to take control of this one against a South Shore H.S. team that had its full and loaded team on Sunday compromised of everyone that led them to yet another PSAL title this season.

Kayvontay Williams (Lincoln Academy, GA '19) had 10 points in the opening quarter as he was able to blow by the defense and consistently get to the basket as he nearly outscored the Vikings himself with PD Nation taking an 18-11 lead after one quarter.

The PD Nation defense began to get a bit sloppy in the second quarter as they left Dwight Davis Jr. '19 open much too often on the wings and the corners as the sharpshooter for the Vikings was able to get off hitting 3 three balls in the second to help give them the lead just past the midway point of the stanza.

While Williams was still able to score nearly at will as he had 17 points in the opening half, no one else from PD Nation was giving him much help on the offensive side of the floor as the rest of the team had just 6 points up until halftime as the Vikings Basketball Club took a 31-23 lead into the break.

Both teams needed secondary pieces to step up if they wanted to go home with the important victory which would allow the winner to finish in second place in their pool behind iS8 powerhouse 2GZ's.

For the Vikings in the third quarter it proved to be Isaiah Richards '19 as the big man headed to Florida International was able to instill his will down in the paint and finish off of great post up moves inside, while Kadary Richmond '19 also stepped up and hit a couple of big three's.

Taj Anderson (Benjamin Cardozo '19) was the man of the hour in the second half for PD Nation as he would score 16 of his 20 points over the final sixteen minutes of play, and while the Queens based team got within 2 points on a couple of occasions it was Davis Jr. each time who would stifle them with big shots as the unsigned senior had 28 for the Vikings Basketball Club to lead them to the 6 point win.

Richards had 12 as well for the Vikings in the win while Anderson and Williams each had 20 points apiece in the loss for PD Nation.

This may not have been the most well-played game as it was chippy with a number of technical fouls called and not necessarily played with skill but just roughness and toughness but when it came down to needing a big final play, Darnell Hyman '19 of Team Crate was there.

Team Crate is Far Rockaway H.S. and for a high school team to take on a team in Manhattan Sports that has a number of Division 1 and Division 2 players it was always going to be an uphill battle, but Hyman believed.

Never lead in the game until with 2.8 seconds to go, Crate was down 67-65 with the ball as Hyman got the inbounds near midcourt from C.J. Bright '19. He took his time and analyzed the situation and then went right at the size inside and connected on the layup and got fouled. The layup tied the game at 67, and then Hyman stepped up and connected on the FT with 2.8 seconds to go to give Team Crate the lead.

Manhattan Sports had been carried by Nick Johnson (All Hallows '19) all game long and while he was attempting to get the ball off the timeout Crate would double him and a bad inbounds pass forced a turnover. The ball went back to Crate who got the ball in, Manhattan Sports didn't foul and time ran of giving Far Rockaway the surprising 1-point win.

It was Hyman who didn't just have the game winner but had 19 points in total to lead Team Crate in the win. Bright had 13, while D'Lon Morris '20 added 12 points as well in the win.

Johnson led all scorers for Manhattan Sports with 21 points as the future New Hampshire star did all he could, though it wasn't quite enough in the defeat.

Going up quick and never looking back was a Beacon Elite team that wasn't even fully stocked on Sunday. They did have big Max Amadasun (Our Savior Lutheran '20) though as he used his size and strength early on to overpower a much smaller Team Blaze, and with Beacon also knocking down 9 opening half three balls it was easy to understand why they held a 55-24 lead at the break.

It seemed as if the combination of Justin Hendrick (St. Francis Prep '19), Jasiah Wright (H.S of Construction '19), and Ryan Lau (Francis Lewis '19) just couldn't miss from the outside as it didn't matter if they were wide open, or if the defenders of Team Blaze were all over them with hands in their faces, the shots seemed to go in each time.

When you combine that kind of shooting display with the dominance of Amadasun inside it proved too much for Team Blaze to overcome even though D'Andre Collins (University, NJ '19) showed that he could hang and score against the talented Beacon group.

Collins would have a game high 29 points for Team Blaze, but with Amadasun scoring 28, Hendrick adding 22, and Wright pouring in 17 it was too much firepower for them to overcome as Beacon Elite went over the 100 point mark just before the refs called an end to this one with two minutes to go giving them the win.

Coming to New York with some of Pennsylvania's best, it was Above & Beyond who were able to pull away after a sluggish first quarter and roll past Diallo Elite, which is John Bowne H.S., in convincing fashion.

It was a Ray Somerville (Shipley, PA '19) dunk show in the early moments of this one as at 6'10" the future Cal State-Bakersfield star was able to run the floor and finish above the rim with ease. Tyshawn Trail '21 was able to connect on his first three outside looks though to keep Diallo Elite close, down just 18-13 after one.

Above & Beyond began to pull away though in the second quarter though as Jack Forrest (Lower Merion, PA '19) found his range, but it wasn't just Forrest's outside shooter as the Columbia bound wing was able to get out in transition and finish above the rim as well. Combine Forrest and Somerville's play with the playmaking abilities in the backcourt of Shane Dezonie (Hudson Catholic, NJ '21) and it was an appetite for a one-sided contest.

Taking a 46-22 lead into the break was Above & Beyond, and with Allen Powell (LaSalle College, PA '19) getting into the offensive barrage in the third as well the lead for them continued to expand. Diallo Elite did all they could, but as a smaller high school team going up against a talented squad full of Division 1 bound players it proved to be too much.

Forrest would have 30 points to lead all scorers in this one for Above & Beyond, Powell had 17, while Dezonie and Somerville each had 12 as they would roll to the 90-47 victory.