New York New Jersey Split @ SDMC

BRONX, NY - The Gauchos Gym was packed ON Saturday evening as New York faced off against New Jersey in a Sharette Dixon Memorial Classic twin bill. The top sophomores would go at it first with an exciting finale that featured the crème de la crème of juniors.

JUNIORS & SENIORS

New York slam dunks New Jersey, 103-93

NJ leaked out to an early lead as NY seemed out of sync but Rawle Alkins and Pitt-bound Damon Wilson would tie the game at eight. Desure Buie would enter the game at point for NY and sped up the tempo. A basket by recent Hofstra commit Justin Wright-Foreman put the New York on top, by four to begin the second quarter.

Myles Powell and Shakur Juiston would once again put NJ in the ahead but the lead would seesaw as both teams played erratically. Duquesne bound Nayke Sanders scored inside for NY late but at the half, NJ held on to a 38-36 advantage.

NJ got started quickly in the third but NY held its own and tied the game at 41 as Alkins drained a long ball. NJ responded but another trey and an acrobatic layup in transition by Alkins and NY took a two brief one point leads.

NJ was relentless on offense and buckets by Asante Gist regained a three point NJ lead. Wilson provided an offensive spark to tie the game by scoring and facilitating to Foreman-Wright for the dunk and soon after a and-1 by the athletic Kassoum Yakwe gave NY a 54-51 lead with 3:45 left in the quarter.

The intensity increased and bodies hit the floor as players tried to block shots into oblivion. With 1:20 left in the third a floater by Rashond Salnave was countered by a scoop shot from Bryce Aiken. Salnave got the last word in the quarter with a layup at the buzzer.

NY held a slight one point lead as the final quarter began. Gist would take back the lead for NJ but Matt Ryan heat up and tie the game a 61 with a jumper. Although NY was playing catchup, Ryan got hot from the perimeter and a putback dunk by Yakwe knotted the game. Alkins went airborne for flushes in transition and off an alley-oop from Ryan and with 7:23, NY had a 78-73 lead. NJ called a timeout but another Ryan trey upped the New York lead to eight.

Above the rim play ensued Alkins attempted a sick dunk on Tyler Kohl's head but the Coastal Academy junior wasn't having it. Alkins, instead was fouled but hit the foul shots and NY led by 10.

With 5:56 Kohl reciprocated by taking Alkins off the dribble, drawing foul but Alkins flushed it on Kohl the next go round. The chess match between the two players got the crowd going but the momentum was in NY's pocket. Ty Jerome, Jessie Govan and Alkins pushed New York's lead 15 with 2:30 left in regulation and NJ all but threw out the white flag.

Alkins earned MVP honor with a game high 34 points. Kohl took home the Sportsmanship trophy.

SOPHOMORES

New Jersey Pops New York, 86-75

The underclassmen game between the competing states remained knotted throughout most of the opening quarter and was still knotted at 11. With Christ the King's Jose Alvarado (18 points) running point, NY would jump ahead 17-11 with 3 minutes left in the quarter.

NJ would comeback as Alvarado sat and Trevon Duval (11 points) scored. Hudson Catholic's Pat Strzala (6 points) drained a jumper to tie the game at 19. Sid Wilson (11 points) would give NY the edge with a slam dunk to end the quarter.

Leondre Washington (10 points) proved to be an offensive energizer bunny, tying the game at 21 and again at 26 as NJ tried to regain the lead. With 5:29 Bul Ajang (6 points) from The Patrick School would finally give NJ the lead with back-to-back buckets in the paint and another bucket by Strzala pushed the lead to six. NY closed the gap to 34-32 at the half.

NY remained in front for the most of the third quarter but with 3:49 a dunk by Zack Bruno (2 points) tied the game at 47 and NJ led to start the fourth.

NJ began to capitalize on NY's misses, scoring in transition and led by midway through the quarter but Wilson scored twice and suddenly the home team was within two. Jamir Harris (19 points) kept NJ out in front with three tough moves to the hoop and they were up, 76-71 with 2:26 left in regulation..

NY made a late push sparked by Alvarado and Wilson but a runner by Washington left NJ still in front by 5 points with 1:14. The Patrick School's Marcus Mcleary (3 points) would vanquish NY hopes with a fastbreak layup put NJ out front by 9 with 39.7 seconds.

Harris would earn MVP honors with Wilson earning Sportsmanship.