SOUTH RICHMOND HILL, NY - Sunday at the Boys & Girls Club was judgement day for the More Than a Game Summer league as PD Nation faced Brooklyn Law in the championship round. After four combative quarters of deliberation, the final verdict was in with the Queens AAU team ultimately rising up above The Law, 56 – 50.
During the first half, both teams remained neck and neck with each other. Perimeter baskets by PD Nation’s Kervin Benoit (Springfield Gardens ’19) and transition buckets by Tayejon Lynch (Q.H.S.T. ’18) were countered by Larry Moreno ‘18 and Davonta Cook ‘19 but a more disciplined Brooklyn Law, which featured players from Brooklyn Law & Technical School, pulled ahead by six points with 5:17 left in the opening half.
PD Nation’s big man Stephen Moncrieffe (Thomas Jefferson ’18) and Brooklyn Law’s Victor Ogbo '18 all but neutralized each other in the paint but the Rosedale, NY squad finished the out the half on the upswing as Lynch and Michael Litchfield (Martin Van Buren ’18) injected offense. Although Brooklyn found themselves on the butt end of a 9 – 4 run they managed to hold on to a 25 – 24 advantage at the midway point.
Brooklyn Law maintained its edge early in the second half despite Cook picking up a technical foul, as Moreno and Julio Cuevo ‘18 scored. PD Nation did more than just respond as Lynch drained back-to-back treys that put them back in the driver’s seat midway through the half.
During the first half, Ogbo and Moncrieffe went mano-y-mano in the paint but four fouls by the latter forced him to the bench for the majority of the final quarter. What should’ve been an advantage for Brooklyn Law got lost in translation even after Moncrieffe fouled out minutes after he re-entered the game.
2:40 remained in regulation and a Moreno trifecta regained the lead for Brooklyn Law but that one-point advantage was short lived as Lynch went on an offensive tear in transition putting PD Nation back up 54 – 50. As time wound down, frustration and implosion appeared to set in for the Brooklynites as turnovers along with additional technical fouls that resulted in the coach’s ejection from the game ultimately subjected Brooklyn Law to a second-place sentence.
Lynch earned MVP honors as he led PD Nation with 20 points while Benoit finished with 14 points. Moreno paced Brooklyn Law with 14 points.
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HOW DID THEY GET TO THE CHAMPIONSHIP?
Brooklyn Law negated Almighty’s force, 50 – 46
Larry Moreno was high man for Brooklyn Law with 16 points while Davonta Cook contributed 15 points. Dian Wright led Almighty Force with 14 points
PD Nation Pillaged Elite 84, 82 – 57
In a game that had to eventually be call due to the mercy rule, PD Nation ransacked their opponent on the regular.
In a game that possessed a similar scoring attack, PD Nation received a balanced and unrelenting effort from Stephen Moncrieffe (18 points), Dwight Reed (14 points), Michael Whitehead (11 points) and Kervin Beniot (16 points). The high man for Elite 84 was Syli Granca.
