Mount Vernon Wins 6th Championship

On Sunday, at the Westchester County Center, the Mount Vernon Knights faced the tough Poughkeepsie Pioneers to battle for the Section 1 Class AA Championship title.

The Knights would knock off the Pioneers in this title match capturing their sixth Section 1 title, 64-58.

In the opening quarter a technical was called on Mount Vernon for a dunk made before the game. Pioneers Nate Gause took two technical shots missing one, the game would begin, Poughkeepsie's ball. Jabarie Hinds would score back-to back baskets early in the quarter with 5:32 on the clock. Knight's Jamell Walker scored four points after a rebound and in the paint. Damani Ashton then hits a three pointer pushing the Knights ahead, 13-4 with 2:41 seconds left in the quarter. Knight's Khalid Samuels scored two more points before the end of the quarter. Gause and Elijah McLaurin followed up with two points apiece to close out this quarter, Knights lead 18-8.

The Pioneers slowly crept up on the Knights lead in the second quarter, making it 27-20 at the 3:06 mark. Knight's Joshua Doughty quickly gets a steal to score two with 2:13 seconds left in the quarter. Ashton hits a jumper shot and Jarrel Marshal would score one point at the line putting the Knights up at the half, 33-29.

The lead would change hands in the third quarter when Gause hits a three pointer putting the Pioneers up, 33-32, at the 7:12 mark. Samuels makes a tough inside shot to score but Pioneer Bashem Bennett would tie the score up at 35 and again at 37 at the 3:27 mark. The Pioneers Pioneers lead late but Doughty hits a three for the Knights to take back the lead, 40-39 at the 2:24 second mark. Hinds then slams one down on the drive and scores one at the line to extend the lead with 1:23 second left. The Pioneers would score three more baskets by the end of the quarter but the Knights would still lead, 48-45, going into the fourth quarter.

The Pioneers would not score in the fourth quarter until the 1:46 mark when McLaurin and Gause both score three pointers making it a seven point game advantage Mt.Vernon. Poughkeepsie calls for a full time out with 26:3 seconds left in the quarter and Gause scores another three with 15:4 seconds left in the quarter. A foul is called on Bennett sending Hinds to the line to place the final nail in the Pioneers coffin.

The game changer for the Mount Vernon Knights was MVP Jamell Walker who led with 15 points and 10 rebounds. West Virginia- bound Jabarie Hinds finished with nine points and seven rebounds. Poughkeepsie Pioneers Nate Gause led for his team with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Section 1 All-Tournament Team:

Jabarie Hinds - Mount Vernon

Jamell Walker - Mount Vernon

Ryan Wagner - Mahopac

P.J. Torres - New Rochelle

Elijah McLaurin - Poughkeepsie

Nate Gause - Poughkeepsie

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