NY JayHawks @ adidas Gauntlet Finale (Day One)
NEW YORK, NY – To open the adidas Gauntlet Finale at Basketball City, the NY JayHawks faced off against Team Carroll Premier from Birmingham, AL. After a questionable first half, the lone 17U New York gold division squad had a respectable second half but still fell short, 43 – 39.
Team Carroll pounced on the JayHawks, lurching out to an early 9 – 0 lead spearheaded by Jonnivius Smith '19. Charles Pride '19 ended the JayHawks drought with a tough mid-range basket.
The collective of Pride, Chris Ledlum '19 and Zion Styles began to recoup towards the end of the first half, but Team Carroll maintained a 22 – 14 advantage at the half.
In the second half after shooting a dismal 22.7% , Ledlum stepped up his game and the NY JayHawks clamped down defensively and upped their shooting percentage to 34.8%. Smith was held to a deuce and the Jamaica, NY team launched a comeback tying the game at 31 with 7:15 left to play.
Ledlum then went coast to coast, giving the JayHawks its first lead. Team Carroll reclaimed their advantage but the JayHawks countered and knotted the game once again at the four-minute mark.
A timely trey by Antonio McGinnus would swing the momentum back to Alabama for good with only two minutes left in regulation. The JayHawks tried to force the issue, drawing fouls and getting to the free-throw line. Missed buckets from the charity stripe left the home team down by three-points as time ran out.
Smith paced Team Carroll with 13 points and 4 rebounds with Justin Minter adding 9 points and 4 assists. The NY JayHawks were led by Ledlum who scored a game high 20 points and 13 rebounds with Pride contributing 7 points and 4 rebounds.
