Nations Rise @ iS8/Nike (9/21)
SOUTH JAMAICA, NY – There were multiple games at multiple venues on Saturday for the iS8/Nike Fall Classic. NYCHoops.net checked out two of the most interesting games where there was an unexpected overtime thriller followed by a player who singlehandedly almost outscored the opponent’s entire squad.
Team Nation Overthrows Goldminz in OT, 96 – 95
In a rollercoaster of a game, Team Nation managed to come from behind to overtake Goldminz by a point. In the warm-up quarter, led by Zion Cruz (Hudson Catholic (NJ) ‘22, Team Nation found themselves up by 12 points but Goldminz surged back in the second quarter Khalil Brantley (Nazareth ’21) and Gary Grant (St. Raymond ’20) stepped on the gas.
Ahead 37 – 29 at the half, Goldminz appeared to have endured Team Nation’s artillery even as Malik Austin and Mikah Johnson, Jr. (Newark Eastside ’20) stepped it up offensively against them. At the end of three quarters, Goldminz still maintained an 8 point advantage.
Goldminz seemed to have the momentum but that was slowly looking like Fools Gold as Cruz and Johnson morphed into a two-headed monster that pulled Team Nation to within 3 point with 35 seconds left in regulation. Goldminz had the game won slacked up on the defensive end and paid for it as Johnson drained a trey send the game into overtime knotted at 80 apiece.
Grant and Brantley put up a valiant fight in OT and regained a 4 point lead with 4 seconds left to play but an and1 by Johnson followed by an offensive rebound and put back by Cruz and just like that gave Team Nation a victory from the jaw defeat.
Cruz was the high man for Team Nation with 33 points with 17 points. Brantley led Goldminz with 34 points.
P-D Nation Batters Trinity Catholic, 73 – 51
It was bad enough that Trinity Catholic lost by 22 points but was worse is that one player on P-D Nation tied the New Jersey squad scoring a jaw dropping 51 points. The game itself wasn’t much to talk about as Chance Morrish (St. Francis Prep ’22) scored P’D’s first points and it was off to the races with Kayvontay Williams ‘?? becoming a one-man wrecking crew and a man amongst boys (literally).
Williams scored 27 of his points in the first half, outscoring Trinity Catholic who had only accumulated 20 points at the half.. John Hypolite (25 points) was the only saving grace for Trinity Catholic offensively or their beating would’ve been much worse.
