Nike vs. Under Amour Challenge Recaps

MIDDLE VILLAGE, NY - With a bevy of Division I coaches courtside, in a Christ the King gym that was packed to the rafters, the inaugural Nike vs. Under Amour Challenge took place on Sunday with four exciting high level games.

Abraham Lincoln make Ravens Pie

The Lincoln Railsplitters (13-2) went on a 9-2 run to open the game and literally never looked back as they trounced a flailing St. Raymond Ravens (7-5) squad, 78-52.

Lincoln Head Coach Kenny Pretlow said the strategy was simple. "Play hard and limit touches to Cahiem [Brown] and Sid [Wilson].

Jahlil Tripp (12 points) and 6'5" senior SG Ezekiel Charles (25 points) set it off while freshman guards Paul "PJ" Person (14 points) and Tyler Bourne (19 points) played lockdown defense on their counterparts. With 3:08 left in the warm up quarter, St. Raymond's' deficit grew to 16-4.

Wilson (12 points) began to show his talents but the Ravens defense was no match for Lincoln who led 22-8 after one.

The second quarter was a continuation of the first. Bourne netted a trey that put the Railsplitters up, 31-10. Lincoln's lead grew to 23 points before Brown (8 points) and Wilson found a way to respond. The half ended with the Railsplitters comfortably in front, 33-18.

Five minutes remained in the third quarter and the Ravens were still down 42-27. Isaiah Washington (8 points) got a steal to cut St. Ray's deficit to 42-32 but Donald Flores (9 points) countered with a trey.

Turnovers punctuated the quarter for the Ravens. Baskets by Charles, Flores and Bourne gave the Railsplitters a 57-36 advantage to begin the fourth as Person did a good job defensively against Washington.

The lead grew to 29 points 4:34 and the Raven would continue their downward spiral, losing by 26 points to Lincoln in their third straight loss.

Pretlow gave kudos to the defense pressure applied by Persons and Bourne. "They are gonna terrorize some people," he prophesized.

"People think that since we're freshmen, we're not gonna play good," said Persons. "Me and Tyler, we always practice together and play hard."

LuHi Turns Orange Wave Into a Puddle

Long Island Lutheran (11-1) look to set the tone early as Chris Atkinson (20 points) drained a trey while Devonte Green (25 points & 8 rebounds) put Thomas Jefferson star Shamorie Ponds (15 points) in a cage defensively. The Crusaders kept Jefferson Orange Wave (16-2) on their heels for the majority of the contest and left the gym with a convincing 75-62 win.

"We knew [Ponds] was their main scorer," said Greene who held the normally prolific scorer to only 2 first half points. Green said that overall strategy was "to lock-up."

The Crusader's machine continued putting up points as with Greene leading the way early and often. With 5 minutes Lutheran led 10-4 as Green scored but a basket by Davere Creighton off a feed from Jaquan McKennon (15 points) and a block by 6'5" forward Jordan Colson (7 points) quickly pulled the Orange Wave within 4 points. Jefferson pulled to within two as 6'5" junior Isaiah Deas (8 points) scored at the buzzer.

Crusaders head coach John Buck laid into his squad between quarters and Luhi responded, increasing its lead to 6 points while continuing to harass Ponds on the defensive end. A bucket by 6'2" senior Elijah Bailey (12 points) and back to backs by Atkinson upped LuHi's lead and they led 35-24 at the half

Jefferson picked up four easy points as Luhi picked up two techs during by dunking the half time. That and a personal foul and suddenly the score was 35-30 within 18 seconds. Ponds was saddled with his third.

Jefferson stepped it up on defense and with 6:27 Ponds finally beginning to get off, cutting LuHi's lead to 36-34. The Orange Wave pressed full court and remained within two and with 4:45 mark with a nice pass from McKennon to Deas, tying the game at 38.

The Crusaders had another gear, regaining their lead off a 10-0 run and led 48-38 with 2:40 paced by Greene, who scored 11 of 23 points in the quarter, and 6'9" junior wing Jose Martinez (8 points & 9 rebounds).

Bailey pushed L.I. Lutheran's lead to 56-40 as he attacked the rim. As the third quarter ended, Ponds picked up his fourth foul and Jefferson trailed 58-43. McKennon tried to reset the tone with a three pointer.

Jefferson tried to make inroads with Ponds on the bench. Luhi made turnovers but Jefferson was unable to capitalize. With 6:04 Luhi was firmly ahead 60-49 but the loss of LuHi big man Rojaye Campbell (3 points) to foul trouble gave Jefferson another bite at the apple. Pond reentered the game and with three minutes left in regulation a floater cut LuHi's lead to 11 points.

Ponds made things interesting when he nailed a trey over Martinez. With 1:44 McKennon drew a foul and the score was 69-61 but Martinez leaked out and put LuHi back up 71-61.

Atkinson punctuated LuHi's dominance scoring an acrobatic layup that virtually sealed be deal.

Royals Hands First Loss To Cardozo

It would be a dog fight and a chess match at the same time as Christ the King (10-2) and Cardozo (10-1) went at it. While Dozo did a good job containing, Rawle Alkins (9 points, 12 rebounds & 4 assists), the Royals star player but were unable to contain entire team. The Judges would join the ranks of the defeated with their first loss, 75-62.

6'0" junior Aaron Walker (14 points) put Dozo ahead 5-0 but PG Jose Alvarado (21 points, 10 rebounds & 6 assists) kept Christ the King in the hunt. With 5:04 the game was tied at 6 until Rashond Salnave (14 points) un-knotted it with a three. The Royals would recoil and strike back as 5'11" Jarred Rivers (17 points) exploded late in the quarter and put Christ the King up 17-11 to start the second quarter.

Tyrone Cohen (11 points) would keep the Royals ahead by six as he drained a trey but Tahiyr Vines countered with a three. Walker scored a reverse and a bucket by senior guard Elijah McNeely (7 points) in transition putting Cardozo up 23-22 with 4 minutes. Dozo improved their lead as they dominated the offensive boards.

Dozo led by two-points with 2:43 as Christ the King was being unnerved by Dozo's scrappiness but Alvarado would steady the ship, tying the game at 30. The crafty sophomore then drew a foul drew a foul with .09 seconds and Judges Head Coach Ron Naclerio picked up a technical foul for his overzealous objection to the call. As a consequence, Christ the King took a 34-30 advantage into the halftime locker room.

Alvarado pushed the tempo and scored in transition and with 5:41 and Royals lead improved to 43-33. "Jose Alvarado is ballin" exclaimed Christ the King Head Coach Joe Arbitello as his star PG fed the rock to Rivers to punt the Royals lead up to 12 points. Alkins, who was weighed down by foul trouble, finally joined the Royals party with a trey.

The games was on the verge of getting out of hand but an and-1 by Tareq Coburn (20 points) quieted CKs momentum briefly. Jared Rivers scored as Salnave, who struggled all game, picked up his fourth foul. Coburn was clutch once again, closing the gap to 11 points with minute left in the third quarter but Rivers and Cohen put CK up, 59-45 after three.

Dozo needed a run and Coburn and Walker got the ball rolling. With 7:01 they were only down 59-49. Coburn knocked down a three with 5 minutes left to play and Cardozo was down, 61-54.

Dozo started jacking threes in premature desperation and Christ the King scored in transition off the misses. "Don't quit!," said Naclerio but a slam by Yashawn Bright (6 points) put the royals up 13 and an exclamation point on the game as fans headed for the exit.