iS8/NIKE Semifinals Recaps

SOUTH JAMAICA, NY -The stage is now set for next Saturday's iS8/NIKE Tip-Off Classic championship. Four team went into Saturday's semifinal round but only two emerged unscathed.

RENs Taps Out B.B.A. HOOPS, 78-75

Kaleb Bishop (15 points) started off the action with an over the top slam dunk. Double techs early singled that this was going to be intense games. Jagan Mosely (12 points) scores in transition before Tyrone Cohen (11 points) would get the RENs first points.

B.B.A. HOOPS lead grew to 6-2 until Cohen set it off for the RENs with a three-pointer. Tied at 6 with 5:08, Jose Alvarado (22 points) gave the RENs its first lead with a trey. The RENs began to heat up from long range, increasing their lead as Gianni Ford and Alvarado scored. The RENs led by four at the end of the 1st quarter.

Jared Rivers (9 points) and Alvarado sparked the RENs at the top of the quarter and B.B.A. HOOPS called a time out as their deficit grew to 30-20. B.B.A. HOOPS turnovers by the guards defined the start of the quarter.

RJ Cole '17 (15 points) netted a trey and Daniel Mading (2 points) scored inside. Soon, Cole knotted the game and takes the lead 32-30 B.B.A. HOOPS with 3:53. Ford ends B.B.A. HOOPS run with a runner, tying the game at 32.

B.B.A. HOOPS steps up defense with 3:09. Mosely slings it after they scored a freethrow. Alvarado ties game at 35 off an and1. Still tied with 1:39, Anthony Munson (8 points) breaks tie with a putback.

Rivers increases RENs lead to 39-35. A premature and missed long shot by Ford set up B.B.A. HOOPS to score in transition with 8 seconds. At the midway point each team scored 39 points.

Isaiah Washington (15 points) breaks the tie with a quick three but Cole countered. Alvarado keeps RENs up by one with 5:35 but Mosely put B.B.A. HOOPS back up. Alvarado counters again with 2:27, giving the RENs a one-point advantage.

Washington and Idris Joyner were pivotal down the stretch of the quarter. The RENs would hold on to a point lead end of third.

Shyquan Gibbs '16 (2 points) tied game at 62 but Washington breaks tie with a trey from the corner. Joyner scores 2 with 6:18, 65-64 RENs. With 5:56 4 puts B.B.A. HOOPS up 66-65.

With 1:18, Alvarado turns the ball over after a 5 second call and the refs missed B.B.A. HOOPS coach calling timeout to relieve the pressure from RENs defense with 52 seconds remaining and they get flagged with 3 second call in the paint. Fortunately, the RENs turned the ball over as well.

27 seconds remained and the RENs led, 73-70. Mosely hit a leaner with 2 secs after Rivers hit freethrows. Ahead by two, B.B.A. HOOPS fouled Rivers. The senior missed the first but hit the second as time runs out.

Juice All-Stars Re-Beat Ben Gordon All-Stars, 77-61

Looking to avenge a bad pool play loss to Juice, the second semifinal game was almost an exact replica of the first and was over soon after it began. Odds are against a losing team losing in the rematch but odds means there's a chance. The Juice All-Stars (Abraham Lincoln) beat the odds and the Ben Gordon All-Stars (Mt, Vernon)

Juice slowly pushed forward and was ahead by 20 at the half and would again go on to win with relative ease.

Cahiem Brown and Tyler Bourne '18 led the way for Juice All-Stars with 18 points apiece. Jahlil Tripp added 11 points. Greg Calixte '17 was high man for Ben Gordon All-Stars with 18 points.