Three Teams Exposed @ Tru-Ballaz Opener
BRONX, NY – The Tru-Ballaz Pre-High School Classic got underway on Tuesday at both FDA III and Eagle Academy high schools. Four games took place but only one was close as three of the losing team’s softer underbellies were exposed.
St. Raymond knocks off Kennedy, 44-20
Although, the Ravens are without the services Sidney Wilson who transferred to Brewster Academy (NH) for his senior year, the Bronx, NY Catholic school didn’t miss a beat as the put down J.F.K. with relative ease in the FDA III gymnasium. Even though the Ravens coaches decided early on that the services of recent Minnesota commit Isaiah Washington '17 were not required, St. Ray’s was able to flex its muscles while giving some of its younger players time on the court.
Dallas Watson and Omar Silverio got the party started offensively which sparked a 15-0 first quarter Ravens run. Shameek Goodman finally put points on the board for Kennedy but the Bronx public school was in a 20-2 hole as the second quarter began.
With St. Raymond’s comfortably ahead, Darius Lee '18 and Nicolas Rivera ‘18 received increased playing experience as Washington sat out most of the game and cheered his teammates. Down 25-7 at the half, Kennedy never regained its footing, eventually losing by 24 points primarily to St. Ray’s bench.
Watson paced St. Ray’s with 8 points with Silverio adding 7 points. Jafar Yahuza was high man for J.F.K. with 8 points.
Archbishop Stepinac smacks Thurgood Marshall Academy, 63-49
St. Ray’s wasn’t the only school to suffer losses. Stepinac lost two of its star players when Jordan Tucker and Aundre Hyatt transferred out of state. The Crusaders seemed to take those losses out on T.M.A. with a blistering attack by 6’5” Alan Griffin ‘18 and Xavier Wilson ‘18 along with R.J. Davis ‘20.
Thurgood Marshall kept pace throughout the first half as Demani Smith ‘17 and Tyron Smith ‘19 tried to counter but the Manhattan, NY school still trailed 49-37 at the half. D. Smith kept it coming in the third quarter but so did 6’2” Jordan Means and at the start of the final quarter, Stepinac increased its advantage to twelve points.
With additional firepower coming from Davis and Mean in the second half, T.M.A. could only manage to trade baskets. The end result would be a 14-point loss for the public school.
Davis led Stepinac with a game high 16 points with Means contributing 12 points. Griffin and Wilson added 10 and 9 respectively all in the first half.
In action at Eagle Academy:
* Monsignor Scanlon trounces Samuel Gompers, 76-42
* Iona Prep edges Eagle Academy, 49-45
Tru-Ballaz participating teams & schedule
