The Playoffs @ iS8/Nike (Day 2)

SOUTH JAMAICA, NY – Day two of the iS8/Nike Tip-Off Classic Playoffs got underway on Saturday with six games. All the games were competitive. Here are brief recaps of the day’s 2nd round contests.

Showing up with only 5 players, the NY Rens faced an uphill battle against an almost fully charged Shooting Stars team during the first game of the day. The Rens kept pace with the Shooting Stars and even led throughout most the first half as Jose Alvarado ‘17 and Isaiah Washington ‘17 did their thing.

The Shooting Stars never fell behind by more than a few points as Dallas Watson ‘18 and Gabriel Bryon (Monsignor Scanlon’18) scored prolifically and the score was tied at 27 early in the second quarter. Jalen Murray (Wings Academy ’20) put the Shooting back on top, netting the three-pointer and soon the Rens were back up, 41-36 at the half.

With no bench, each Rens player was doing double duty and the Shooting Stars took full advantage of their opponent’s misfortune. Watson eventually tied the game 54 and Tyson Walker (Christ the King HS ’19) helped advance the Shooting Stars lead to 7 points to start the fourth quarter.

Khalid Moore ‘18 got hot and the Shooting Stars’ lead grew to 9 points. The Rens situation continued to deteriorate when Ibrahim Wattara (Mt. Saint Michael ’20) picked up his 5th foul. Playing with only four players, the NY Rens were no match for the Shooting Star’s starting lineup. Although they did manage to cut their deficit to 7 points with 1:50 left play the NY Rens inevitably petered out and lost by 13 points.

Bryon led the Shooting Stars with 26 points with Watson adding 18 points. Alvarado led all scorer with 27 points. Washington contributed 19 points.

The Ben Gordon All-Stars (a/k/a Mt. Vernon Knights) battles the Eagles which consisted of players from Paul Robeson H.S.) in the second quarterfinal game were knotted at 8 points at the end on one quarter. Greg Calixte ‘17 did a good job dominating the paint for B.G.A while Aquarn Butler ‘18 pushed the pace, penetrated and scored at the rim for the Eagles.

In the second quarter, the Mt. Vernon team began to create separation as Eric Roberts joined Calixte on offense. Rijkard Jean-Baptiste tried to help the Eagles keep up but at the half, the Brooklyn PSAL team trailed 29-18.

The Ben Gordon All-Stars opened the game up in the third quarter when Jason Douglas-Stanley ‘18 and Demetre Roberts ‘19 busted the game wide open from the perimeter. After an 18-4 run by BGA, the Eagle were suddenly down by 23 points.

Keith Swinton ‘17 finally ended the bloodletting but the Eagles were all but grounded. In a 21-point crevice at the top of the fourth, they would go splat midway through the quarter and lose by 30 points.

Calixte was the high scorer for the Ben Gordon All-Stars with 21 points followed by Douglas-Stanley with 15 points. Butler led the Eagles with 14 points.

The third game featured Q.H.S.T. (players from Queens H.S. of Teaching) and the Scholar Athletes (players from Upper Room Christian) and it was a war from start to finish. Lester Quinones ‘18 was aggressive from long range for the Scholar Athletes but C.J. Kelly ‘17 frequently countered or set up teammate to put Q.H.S.T. out front by a bucket at the end of one quarter.

A massive dunk by Jason Feliz ‘17 briefly kept the momentum in the favor of the Queens public school but Carlos Lemus ’18 soon tilted the scale in the direction of the Long Islanders. 4:48 remained in the half and the Scholar Athletes extended its lead to 5 points before Q.H.S.T. struck back.

Down 41-38 at the half, Q.H.S.T made a push with a 10-6 run capped off by a jumper from sharpshooter Justin Steed ‘17 giving them their first led., Feliz increased the lead and the Scholar Athletes found themselves with a 4-point deficit as the fourth quarter began.

Quinones got activated in the fourth quarter and with 2:20 left in regulation, the Scholar Athletes regained the advantage. The lead swayed back and forth as Kelly countered but an and-1 move by Osebel Carabello ‘17 put the Scholar Athletes in charge, 71-66 with 1:44.

All signed pointed to a win by the Long Island squad but a steal and basket by Colby Simpson propelled Q.H.S.T. into comeback mode. Kelly tied the game at 73 with 19 second and the tide appeared to do a complete 360 when the Scholar Athletes turned the ball over and then fouled Simpson with 5 seconds left in the game. Fortunately for the Scholar Athletes, Simpson missed both free-throws sending the game into overtime.

Simpson got lit in overtime, quickly knocking down two trifectas. Carabello countered but with under a minute remaining, Q.H.S.T. still held a narrow 1-point lead. That lead was cemented when Steed nailed a jumper as time wound down.

Kelly and Feliz scored a team high 23 points each for Q.H.S.T. Caraballo and Quinones led the Scholar Athletes with game high 24 points apiece.

Castle Athletics squeezes by L.V.B.R. Beasts, 79-77

Victor Potter, Jr. (Monsignor Scanlon ’18) was the high scorer for Castle with Mikko Johnson (Brooklyn Law ’18) adding 24 points.

Northeast Basketball Club knocks off Team AJ Price, 94-85

Northeast BB Club: (Jahvon Quinerly 23 points, Jaquave James 27 points, Juwan Daniels 19 points) Team AJ Price (Tykei Greene 26 points, Boubacar Kamissoko 21)

S.E.S tops Team Blaze, 80-75 S.E.S: (Joel Bryce 26 points, Dejavaughn Utley 12 points) Team Blaze: (Elijah Ford 30 points, Justin Davis 21 points)

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