PSAL Brooklyn & Manhattan Boro Championships

JAMAICA, NY- For the majority of the Brooklyn Borough Championship Game things weren't looking good for South Shore in their quest to go back to back as Thomas Jefferson seemed to be in firm control for most of the second half.

Things changed on a dime though as the duo of Kadary Richmond '19 and Kareem May '20 just weren't going to let the Vikings lose as even trailing by 8 with under 2 minutes to go in regulation there was no panic from South Shore.

They dominated the interior late denying a number of looks inside by Jefferson, and with Richmond knocking down a couple big buckets late it was enough to send the game into OT.

From there it was all South Shore as May's leadership qualities shined through, and with Richmond scoring 8 of the 12 OT points for the Vikings, they were able to rally back from a late hole and take the Brooklyn title over the Orange Wave in overtime, 72-60.

A tight opening half was opened up in a big way by Thomas Jefferson in the third with the lead for the Orange Wave expanding to as many as 11, and worse than that for South Shore was the fact that they had 12 fouls called on them in the quarter, setting them back and forcing them to scramble a bit.

Phillps Joseph '19 fouled out in the 3rd, while the likes of Dwight Davis Jr. '19 and Femi Odukale '19 were hampered with 4 fouls as well, but it wasn't an excuse for Vikings head coach Shawn Mark to be in the spot that they were understanding that while it may be tough you have to roll with the punches.

"I learned we have to play through everything," Mark said. "People expect a lot out of us and it doesn't matter if the calls are going against us or not, we have to go out and find a way to get the job done."

That wasn't happening though as the Jefferson lead was being maintained because of the phenomenal play of Kareem Welch '19 who had 22 points going into the 4th, lighting up the South Shore defense with his ability to not just drive and attack, but also shoot the ball at a high percentage from the outside as well.

Fouls played an issue on both ends as the game wore on though and when Welch fouled out with 2:45 left in regulation it was looked at as an opening for South Shore, though they still found themselves behind 55-47 with 1:54 to go.

Richmond would step up and drain a big pull up three ball on the Vikings ensuing possession, a shot that Richmond himself admitted was big for him and his team's confidence the rest of the way.

"After that three went in I felt like it was time to go and we were gonna be ok," Richmond explained.

A late finish off a steal by Richmond would tie the game up for South Shore with 10.2 seconds to go, and a block by Richards of a shot attempt at the buzzer would send this title game into OT tied at 58.

While still technically anybody's game Mark said he was extremely confident of his team's chances because of the way May was taking control. It's been a tough year for May who has been disciplined for much of this season by Mark and has only played in three league game, but when he needed him most Mark says May was absolutely there.

"If I got Kareem May on the floor I ain't worried about nothing," Mark said. "You have pieces, you have stars, and then you have your leader and Kareem is the leader. He gave the guys a look going into overtime and went ahead and led the way a leader leads."

It was May hitting the opening shot of the OT to give South Shore a lead they would never relinquish, with the lead guard facilitating for Richmond through the extra session including feeding him the ball for a one handed slam just before the final buzzer sounded as it was the Vikings showing a lot of character and resilience in fighting back to claim a 72-60 Brooklyn Borough title game victory.

After scoring just 1 point in the first half it was Richmond scoring 21 points in the second half and OT combined to finish with a team high 22 points, with May adding 15 points including a number of clutch buckets down the stretch to help lead South Shore to the win.

In defeat it was 27 points for Welch as when he fouled out with 2:45 to go in regulation it proved to be a completely different game. Jaquan Carlos '21 would add 12 points as well for the Orange Wave who will have to wait another year to bring the borough title to Thomas Jefferson.

The win now gives South Shore back to back PSAL Brooklyn Borough Championships and puts them in prime position to be the #1 overall seed in the City Playoffs which get underway in a weeks’ time, and for anyone who may still not have believed in the Vikings, Richmond says Saturday's performance is a reminder to the rest of the PSAL just the type of team they truly are.

"We got to send a message to everyone in the city that in the playoffs we aren't messing around with anyone," Richmond said. "It's our time."

It's been 13 long years for Panthers head coach Abdu-Allah Torrence since his last Manhattan Borough Championship in 2006, but after a struggle in the first half that saw Thurgood Marshall Academy leading Frederick Douglass by just 27-22 it was a clinic in the second half as the Panthers clamped down defensively and had their way up and down the court offensively as TMA controlled the game in every way to pull away for a 66-37 victory.

Being up by 5 at the half was a familiar moment for Torrence as it was three years ago in the exact same building at York College against the exact same opponent in FDA that he was up 5 at the break. The Panthers ended up losing that game, a note that Torrence said wasn't lost on him and was a talking point in the locker room heading into the second half.

"Three years ago, we were up 5 against FDA and threw it away and lost in the borough championship," Torrence explained. "I reminded them of that at halftime and made sure they knew they couldn't let this game get away too."

That reminder seemed to stick in the minds of the TMA leaders of Arthur Dukes '19, Jaylen Denny '19, and George Varmah '19 who didn't want to let a lead go or disappoint their head coach in Torrence who has craved and longed for this championship for years now.

If the defense for Thurgood Marshall was strong in the opening half it was downright great in the second as the guards were harassing the Lions and caused turnover after turnover, while the offense was clicking on all cylinders as the Panthers outscored Frederick Douglass 21-3 in the third to take a commanding lead.

Dukes and Denny were big connecting from the outside, while the ability to attack and finish above the rim in transition from Varmah and Kevin Dinkins '20 catapulted TMA from a close game running away and taking control in a short 8-minute span.

Credit to Frederick Douglass for even getting to this position as a Class A Division team but after beating a pair of AA teams to get to the championship in Wadleigh and WHEELS, taking down three proved to be too much to ask for.

It was an amazingly balanced offensive effort for the Panthers as 5 players were in double figures led by Dinkins with 13 points, while Dukes and Denny added 12 apiece to lift Thurgood Marshall to a 66-37 runaway victory.

For Frederick Douglass in the defeat it was Derek Mejia Hernandez '21 who paced the way with 10 points, though after a solid opening half as a team the Lions ran out of gas late against a very talented TMA team.

After a 13-year gap between titles the Manhattan Borough crown is finally headed back to Harlem and the halls of Thurgood Marshall Academy, and while it's a major accomplishment for his team Torrence says the goals for his team now point toward being atop not just Manhattan, but New York City overall.

"Everybody wants to win the city championship but only one team can win it," Torrence said after his team's win. "Only 24 teams have a chance so we got to take it step by step. This is one step to what we hope will lead us now to an even bigger step going forward."

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