NYC Mayor’s Cup Runneth Over with Blowouts

BROOKLYN, NY – The NYC Mayor’s Cup Basketball Championships took place on Wednesday at St. Francis College. The event, which featured some of the top senior players in the Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) versus its counterparts in the Public Schools Athletic League (PSAL), ended in two absolute and unadulterated blowouts for both the boys and girl’s championships.

ROSTERS

The Public School stars wasted little time raining down buckets down on the Catholic schools as Wahaad Johnson (Bedford Academy) and Jasiah Wright (HS for Construction) scored from three-point range. The CHSAA teams were loaded with Division I players Bryce Wills (Iona Prep), Josh Alexander (Iona Prep) Tyrese Williams, Khalid Moore and Souleymane Koureissi but that fact seemed to only intensify the PSAL’s resolve to beat the Catholic School team senseless.

Additional firepower from Aquarn Butler (Paul Robeson), Sekou Sylla (South Shore) and Devonte Barrett (Cambria Heights) gave the PSAL team a 36 – 17 halftime lead.

The dominance of the PSAL over the CHSAA only continued to grow exponentially in the second half as Larry Moreno (Brooklyn Law & Tech) and Dejavaunghn Utley (Cardozo) joined in. The Catholic Schools received some offense from Bryan Medy (Nazareth) and Kalos Evans (Spellman) but their deficit still grew to 32 points at the end of the third quarter.

In the final quarter the game devolved into a glorified layup line and dunkfest for the PSAL and their lead ballooned to an embarrassing 56 points as the end of the game buzzer sounded. It’s important to note the always colorful head coach Ron Naclerio kept the peddle to the medal from beginning to end.

The PSAL finished with a balanced scoring attack with Johnson earning MVP honors with 16 points with Barrett and Butler adding 13 points each. K. Williams paced the CHSAA with 12 points with Medy adding 11 points. Darius Lee (St. Raymond) was awarded the MVP for the CHSAA, although he was injured and did not play, due to his perseverance according to the CHSAA coaches..

The girls game appeared to be evenly matched early on as Jaylene Brown (Monsignor Scanlan) and Val Valcourt (South Shore) along with Kayla Schmitter (Moore Catholic) put the CHSAA team on the map. Ashinae Johnson (Grand Street) and Earlette Scott (South Shore) pushed back for the PSAL but as strong finish Devyn Elliot (Cardinal Spellman) gave the CHSAA the upper hand and a brief 4-point lead.

The CHSAA’s lead was like the first stages of a Tsunami where there’s a calm before the storm. The precipitation began as the trio of Diamond Chavis (South Shore), Scott and Johnson tag teamed the CHSAA team in what would ultimately be a 21 – 0 PSAL thunderous run. Suddenly, the CHSAA was down 48 -31 at the half.

After exchanging baskets in the third quarter, the PSAL went on another offensive tirade in the fourth quarter as Infinity Hammonds (Murry Bergtram) and Scott netted eight of the team’s eleven three-pointers in that quarter with the crowd yelling BOOM!!! after each one. From that point on the game descended in the realm of an all-out blowout.

With the CHSAA’s spirt broken, they couldn’t offer sustained resistance on the defensive end which was a green light to get even more buckets from the PSAL until the finish.

Scott earned MVP honors for the PSAL team netting a game-high 24 points with Hammonds adding 15 points. Vancourt was the CHSAA MVP and the team’s high scorer with 21 points followed by Elliot who netted 11 points.