Team Up takes down Positive Direction to win M.T.G. Chip
ST. ALBANS, NY – Two undefeated 5 – 0 teams squared off in the M.T.G. Summer League championship. A barnburner from start to finish, it would take overtime for Team Up to finally take down a resistant Positive Direction, 72 – 69.
The fireworks began soon after the tip-off with Dwight Reed (Q.H.S.T. ’18) and Justin Forest (Campus Magnet ‘18) providing the offense for P.D. with 6'8" Amadou Sylla (Our Savior New American ’19) cleaning the boards. Team Up was powered by Sahdique Watkins (Holy Cross ’18), Marcus Hammond (Cardozo ’18) and inside play from Khalid Moore ‘18.
While Positive Direction did a good job staying in the hunt, trailing by no less than 4 points, they were still playing catch-up throughout most of the first half. With 5 minutes left in the opening half, the momentum shifted briefly as Forest and Sylla handed Team Up their first deficit of the game. After a trey bomb by Hammond and a one-man show by Watkins, Positive Direction found themselves down 33 – 30 at the half.
As the second half got underway, Hammond and Watkins continued where they left off in the first half with clutch fire power from Collins Onyke (Cardozo ’18). Thirteen minutes remained in regulation and Team Up’s lead had grown to double-digits.
Moore continued to attack the rim for Team Up but Sylla and Reed went into beast mode for P.D. and severed Team Up’s lead down to two points with 1:30 on the clock. Turnovers plagued Team Up and Sylla tied the game at 61 as time ran out.
In overtime, it was a game of inches with Onyke, scoring inside and Tyson Walker ‘18 scoring key buckets from the foul line. Positive Direction was down 67 – 61 with a minute left in O.T. Donald Flores ‘17, a late entry for P.D. produced a 5 – 0 run that helped to close the gap to one-point with 30 seconds left to play. Forced to foul, Walker was pure from the foul line and Team Up was able to hold on to their lead.
Hammond and Watkins were the high scorers for Team Up with 14 points each with M.V.P Onyke and Moore adding 12 points apiece. Sylla scored a game high 24 points and 15 rebounds for Positive Direction.
