Sean Bell All-Stars Dethrone 2GZ in iS8 Chip

SOUTH JAMAICA, NY - The iS8 Nike Spring Classic Championship Game on Saturday brought together two of the pre-tournament favorites as the Sean Bell All-Stars faced off against 2GZ Entertainment.

It was a highly anticipated duel with both teams featuring some of New York's top stars but after a close opening half it was Davon Dillard and Desure Buie who took over to help Sean Bell pull away and grab the iS8 title with a 89-74 victory in Queens.

2GZ got out to the start they had to have hoped for as Daquise Andrews '15 slashed his way past the entire Sean Bell defense for a lay-up, and then a long three by Justin Wright-Foreman allowed them to get out to a quick 6-0 lead.

Big man Sam Idowu got Sean Bell on the board with a baseline jumper from about 10 feet away and that seemed to get there team going with Dillard scoring 6 points in less than 2 minutes to see Sean Bell take their first lead early on at 9-8.

Wright-Foreman though rallied 2GZ back as he scored 11 in the opening quarter included 3 threes, with each one seemingly from deeper out. Even though the California signee in Dillard tried to match Wright-Foreman shot for shot in the early going, it was 2GZ that took a 21-20 lead after one.

The lead was being traded back and forth for the first three minutes of the 2nd quarter but then Buie started to really put his imprint on the game as he first pulled up off the dribble to connect from 15 feet, and then a steal and a score going all the way followed by a floater in the lane allowed the Hofstra bound guard to get the crowd going and see Sean Bell take a five point lead at 36-31 with just under 3 minutes to play in the half.

Andrews broke up the Sean Bell run by knocking down a trey from the left wing, but Dillard answered that with a treys of his own. The three balls were raining down for Sean Bell as after Dillard buried his it was Buie and Christian Wilson who knocked down long balls, and with Wilson then hitting on a long two late in the half, it was Sean Bell taking a 47-38 lead heading into the locker room.

Buie came out of the break and knocked down a runner to give Sean Bell there first double digit lead of the game at 49-38. The resilient 2GZ team responded though as Wright-Foreman and Andrews each converted on slashes down the lane to cut the deficit back down to 7 with 6:10 to go in the 3rd.

The issue of being so heavily dependent on Andrews and Wright-Foreman seemed to rear its head though as when they missed on shots, it was Sean Bell taking advantage with both Dillard and Jahlil Tripp able to get out in the open floor and finish off of spectacular passes from Buie as a 10-2 run for Sean Bell allowed them to open up a 59-44 lead.

Once again it was Andrews breaking up a run, but with Buie and Dillard able to score nearly at will, and Idowu and Devine Eke '15 being defensive stoppers inside, Sean Bell started to pull away as they opened up the lead to 20 at 71-51 in the closing seconds of the quarter before Andrews went all the way to make it a 71-53 lead after three for Sean Bell.

The crowd could feel it as the Sean Bell All-Stars were just 8 minutes away from claiming the title and they didn't just sit on the lead either as Tripp was able to finish on a two on one break, and when Eke and Idowu each threw down a massive dunks off a feeds from Buie, the Sean Bell lead was at 80-58 with 3:28 to go and the game seemed to be all but over.

Give credit to 2GZ as they never quit when down by 20+ as Travis Morgan '16 connected on a pair of threes, and even with Wright-Foreman knocking down a late three ball of his own it just wasn't meant to be as Dillard and Buie were in control from start to finish to the Sean Bell All-Stars to the iS8 Nike Spring Classic taking the title over 2GZ Entertainment, 89-74.

Dillard and Buie were named Championship Game Co-MVP's for Sean Bell as they had 24 and 23 points respectively for the champions while Tripp added 13 and Idowu and Wilson each had 10.

Wright-Foreman was the leading scorer for 2GZ Entertainment scoring a game high 31 points in the title game with Andrews also adding 20 though it wasn't enough to keep up with the depth and talent of the Sean Bell All-Stars.