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Published Apr 25, 2021
Rens Take on Riverside @ Gauchos Gym
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Brian Reichert
Staff Writer

  NY Renaissance blow past Riverside Hawks in 2nd half  

BRONX, NY - The premier matchup in Part 2 of the NYC invitational was the 17U game between the Riverside Hawks and the NY Rens. This matchup featured several high-profile prospects, with some even ranked in ESPN’s top 100.

When the game began you felt with the Rens star power they were going to be tough to stop but the Hawks were up to the challenge. They played with a ton of energy, really sped up the tempo and were getting contributions from several players early on. Their 6”1 CG, Todd Rochelle, (Woodstock Academy), had a couple of tough hoops early as their defense seemed to really disrupt the Rens on almost every offensive set. While Riverside was firing on all cylinders defensively, they leaned mostly on 6”2 point guard, Maurice Odom, (Union City HS) for their scoring. Odom was able to connect on four long threes in the first half, leading all scorers with 14 points.


Even though the Rens couldn’t seem to build any momentum early in the first half they played much better down the stretch. The backcourt combo of point guard 6”1, Denver Anglin, (Gil St. Bernard) and 6”5 shooting guard, Roddy Gayle, (Wasatch Academy UT) could rival any program in the country and they started to play like it. They were able to trim Riverside’s led to ten in the final minutes of the first half and found themselves down 35-25.

Riverside and Odom had completely outplayed the Rens in the first half but still only were down 10, despite their poor offensive play. During the start of the first half, you could see the Rens were starting to break down the defense and find good shots but were just unable to get them to fall. The second half was a completely different story as 6”8 SF, Dominick Barlow, (Dumont HS) blocked a shot which led to Gayle bucket. A 14-10 by the NYR had the score at 45-39 and after a timeout by Riverside, you could feel everything starting to click for the Rens.

The Rens had really slowed down the Hawks, forcing tough shots and even some careless turnovers after the timeout. This game took a major turn as 6”10 Hybrid Post Kyle Filipowski, (Wilbraham & Monson Academy) and 6”4 Hybrid Guard, Simeon Wilcher, (Roselle Catholic) decided to spark a run. Filipowski was able to score on multiple possessions, Wilcher was finding open teammates and even threw down a monster dunk on the break. Gayle got red hot as well, nailing a deep three after a tough two in traffic. This was the best stretch of basketball of the day, seeing the Rens go on an impressive 17-0 run until 6”5 SG, Noah Best, (Mt. St. Michaels) was able to hit a three to stop the bleeding. Best and company were scrambling to stay in the game and showed no signs of quitting but just couldn’t hold on. Wilcher, Gayle, Filipowski, Barlow and Anglin were sensational during the run and second half helping the Rens secure a 64-54 victory.

This game was as good as advertised and the high-level prospects did not disappoint. Riverside was led by top performer Odom who had a game high 17 points and Best also chipped in 7. The Rens were led by Gayle who had a team high 16, Filipowski with 12, Anglin had 10 with Wilcher and Barlow, adding some highlight reel plays. Expect both teams to be competitive for the rest of the spring and all the summer as they enter some of the top tournaments in the country.

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