iS8/Nike Quarterfinal Recaps

SOUTH JAMAICA, NY - The iS8 Nike Spring HS Classic quarterfinals started off the day on Saturday in Jamaica, Queens as the teams remaining all held a strong belief that they would eventually be crowned champions.

The Panthers were given a bye into the Semifinals as there scheduled opponents, the Ben Gordon All-Stars, could not field enough players and were forced to forfeit, but each of the other three games were highly competitive and had everyone in the crowd on the edge of their seats.

Sean Bell All-Stars 79- New Heights 77

From the start this quarterfinal had all the markings of a great one and it played out much the way many had hoped.

Davon Dillard got things going for Sean Bell as he slammed home a pair of thunderous finishes on putbacks of missed jumpers. Combined that with Desure Buie and his ability early on to pull up off the dribble to knock down midrange jumpers and Sean Bell took a 21-16 lead after one.

Buie connected on a deep three from the wing to open up an 8 point lead early in the 2nd, but then 7 straight by New Heights, including a couple of buckets in the lane by Jeff Hayden (Cardinal Hayes '15) got them back with 1.

Dillard kept up his athletic finishes in the paint spinning around 2 defenders for a finish, before flying in to tip a missed jumper and the Sean Bell lead was once again back in a comfortable range. Kylan Guerra (Stepinac '15) was able to slash his way for a couple of late buckets, but the Sean Bell lead at the half was 37-30.

The arrival of Shamorie Ponds who showed up just before the end of the half, gave Sean Bell a third scoring weapon which really helped them out in the 2nd half as with Dillard and Buie combining for 33 of the teams 37 points in the opening half, they needed the assistance from Ponds if they wanted to keep up this scoring pace.

Ponds did end up with 8 points in the third quarter including a pair of threes from each wing, and the lead for Sean Bell grew to as many as 14 in the quarter, and it could've been much worse if not for the shooting touch of Guerra, who along with Najee Larcher (Xaverian '15) inside, was keeping New Heights at least within striking distance.

Sean Bell took a 64-53 lead into the fourth quarter, but back to back buckets by Larcher to start the 4th brought New Heights back within 7. Ponds and Guerra would trade threes balls, but then a pair of steals in the backcourt by Kevin Saylor (Wings Academy '16) and Baron Goodridge (Cardinal Hayes '16) respectively made it a 67-64 game with 3:22 to go in the game.

New Heights kept it close, and got the deficit to just 1 at 75-74 after a 6-0 run with just 25 seconds to play. Ponds would subsequently go 1 of 2 from the FT line with 12 seconds to go and New Heights had one last chance.

Larcher was fouled and was sent to the line for a pair of free throws, but he missed on both. It was the backbreaker for New Heights and Ponds was able to put the game away from the charity stripe late, and even with a long heave by Guerra that went in at the buzzer, it was still not enough as Sean Bell held on for the hard fought 79-77 win.

Dillard paced Sean Bell with 24 points, while Buie added 19, and Ponds had 14, all of which came in the second half.

Guerra had a fantastic game for New Heights leading the way with a game high 31 points in the defeat, with Nakye Sanders pitching in with 13 of his own in the loss.

2GZ Entertainment 76- Open Season 71

Playing without Mustapha Heron, who was with his AAU team the NY Rens down in Virginia, and Unique McLean, who was sitting out Saturday with an injury, 2GZ were in trouble at the start but found their footing late to rally for the 5 point win.

Back to back early three balls from Sam Robinson (Lawrence '16) helped Open Season open up to a quick 11-2 lead and right from the start the defending iS8 champs were on the ropes.

Champions don't just roll over and with a couple of sensational drives to the rim by Daquise Andrews (Hilda Goodling, PA '15) and a thunderous dunk by Justin Wright-Foreman helped 2GZ score 9 straight and tie the game up at 11.

The game ended up being tied at 18 after one, and while Open Season re-established a 5 point lead, that didn't last long with the game once again ending up tied shortly after at 26.

Dana King (Valley Stream South '16) became a pest for Open Season as he was a catalyst for the Long Island squad scoring 10 points on his own in the 2nd quarter, and with Marcus St. Furcy (Lawrence '17) knocking down a pair of three balls late in the half, Open Season took a 45-35 lead in the closing minute.

It was an important last minute of the half for 2GZ as they needed to do something to get into the locker room on a good note and great effort inside by Pauly Paulicap (Elmont '15) allowed them to score the four points to cut the Open Season lead at the half to 45-39.

As frustrating of a first half as it may have been for 2GZ, whatever was said by the coaching staff at the half certainly worked as it was less than 3 minutes into the 3rd quarter that 2GZ retook the lead as they reeled off the first 8 points of the half, and scored 13 of the first 15.

Pressure defense in the backcourt by 2GZ rattled Open Season and caused bad passes and a string of turnovers that allowed 2GZ to take control going up by as many as 8 in the 3rd, but King would help Open Season fight back with two threes late in the quarter to cut 2GZ lead to just 60-58 after 3.

The tide started to turn once again as this game proved to be a game of runs, and with Robinson finding his rhythm from long range again, and King able to finally beat the pressure and get into the open floor for buckets driving to the rim and with 2:15 to go in the game, Open Season had taken a 71-66 lead, and the champs were in severe trouble.

Wright-Foreman came all the way down the floor and finished down the lane while getting fouled to make it 71-69 and then a short pull up jumper by Andrews tied the game at 71 with 55 seconds to play, and it was going down to the wire once again.

King was fouled trying to take the ball inside, but he missed the front end of a 1 and 1, and while Open Season missed 3 front ends late, 2GZ, and more specifically Wright-Foreman, went 5 for 5 from the line late to clinch it as 2GZ finished the game on a 10-0 run to grind out a 76-71 win.

Wright-Foreman and Andrews each had 21 points to pace the way for 2GZ in the quarterfinal victory, with Paulicap and Daniel Hernandez (Bayside '15) adding 8 a piece in win.

In the defeat Open Season proved that they can compete with anyone and they got great showings from Robinson who finished with 19 points, and King who added 18.

Playaz 94- Montibello 74

For two and a half quarters this game was a back and forth slugfest between what looked to be two evenly matched teams, but the perimeter shooting of Myles Powell, Jamir Harris, and the rest of the Jersey Boys helped them pull away late for a comfortable 20 point win.

The Playaz held a 28-27 lead after 1, and it was a tie game at 44 at the half. Powell had 16 points in the first quarter for the Playaz, but that was countered by Isaac Grant (Archbishop Molloy '16) who was a force inside in the early going to keep Montibelllo even.

Montibello held a lead at 55-54 with 2:18 to go in the 3rd as Aaron Walker was able to connected on jumpers over the length of the Playaz, and it looked like this would be another fantastic finish, but things can change on a dime at iS8.

Harris scored the last 4 of the 3rd quarter to give the Playaz at 58-55 lead, and from that point on it was all Playaz.

Shakur Juiston starting feeling a rhythm from long range, and then Powell hit on 3 threes, and then you add in Elijah Cainwho was getting it going, and the perimeter shooting just couldn't be stopped.

The Playaz scored 36 points in the fourth quarter, including connecting on 8 threes in the period as they just shot Montibello out of the game. Chaz Platt (Holy Cross '16) was a bright spot for Bello late in the game as he hit on a pair of threes, but the Playaz had it going on as the ram away with it in the 4th for the impressive 20 point win.

Powell had a game high 31 points for the Playaz, but Juiston added 23, and Harris had 20 as the trio dominating the game from the outside en route to the convincing win.

Montibello's hopes of getting back to the iS8 Championship Game ended here in the Quarterfinals, but with Grant pouring in 21, and Walker chipping in with 16, they once again showed to be among the cream of the crop in the iS8.