Prep 4 Prep Wins Conrad McRae
BROOKLYN, NY- After losing to The Patrick School in last year's Conrad McRae Youth League championship game it was all about revenge and getting the job this time for Prep 4 Prep, a team comprised of New York natives who have left the state for their high school years.
If revenge was what they wanted then revenge was what they got as a big second half performance from C.J. Robinson (Westminster, CT '20) allowed him to win MVP honors and lead Prep 4 Prep back from a 4-point halftime deficit to take the 34-32 victory.
Early on it looked as if the size of The Patrick School was going to be too much as the Jersey power was getting a dominant effort from Adama Sanogo '21, a 6'9" junior big who recently transferring in from Our Savior New American on Long Island, along with Muhammed Sow '20 whose length and defensive presence inside was disallowing the Prep 4 Prep guards to attack and get to the rim.
The deficit for Prep 4 Prep looked as if it was going to be 8 heading into the half, but a couple late baskets in the final 30 seconds from Brandon Weston (Morgan Park, IL '20) allowed them to chip away and get a bit closer to make it 20-16 at the break in favor of the New Jersey high school power.
Momentum may have looked as if it shifted in those closing first half seconds but that ended up not ringing true as the final half of play began as Jayden Pierre '22 was able to slice through the defense and score the first 4 to push the Patrick School lead back up to 24-16 as Prep 4 Prep went cold not scoring for nearly the first 8 minutes of the second half.
The drought was broken up by Robinson who was able to take his defender on one on one and get to the rim and finish while getting fouled. He let out a bit of a scream before making the FT and that seemed to get everyone on Prep 4 Prep going as Robinson himself would score 4 more and then it was a spin move in the lane by Myles Foster (The Brooks School, MA '20) around a pair of bigger defenders to give Prep 4 Prep the 25-24 lead with 4:42 to go.
It was at this point that a number of rumbles of thunder and one loud bang of lightning started to get everyone worried that the final 4 minutes of this great title game contest wouldn't be able to be played so tournament organizers made the decision to run the clock even during FT's in hopes of beating the incoming storm to crown a champion.
Sanogo, who would finish with a team high 8 points, would come back on the other end and back his way in to give the Celtics back the lead as the lead would trade hands back and forth for nearly the rest of the way. It was 29-28 in favor of Prep 4 Prep when the biggest possession of the game took place.
Weston was looking as if he was holding for a clear out on the left side to get himself to the rim, and when the space came with 31 seconds to play he attacked but saw an open Foster on the right side right by the basket he dished it off and found the 6'7" big man who converted the layup while getting fouled. Foster would hit the FT to make it a 32-28 game, a two-possession score putting The Patrick School in a very difficult way.
Pierre would get right to the rim and finish to make it a 2 point game once again but as he had been all game long it was Weston with 9 seconds to go connecting on a pair of huge free throws to again make it a two possession game at 34-30. Prep 4 Prep allowed Pat's to go in for the layup and score as with time ticking down they didn't have to inbound it again as after feeling the agony of defeat a year ago it was Prep 4 Prep getting to celebrate as the clock hit zeros as led by Weston's 10 points they were able to claim the 34-32 victory.
Along with Weston's 10, Prep 4 Prep got 9 from Robinson all of which came in the second half while Foster added 8 to the winning cause as well as the New York kids were able to come home to Dean Street for the summer and will now go back out on the road as champions.
