BROOKLYN, NY — The first-ever Hype City VIII basketball tournament concluded Sunday as teams from both the catholic and public leagues clashed in a two-day single-game elimination tournament. Opening Saturday as a diverse eight-team field, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Cardozo, South Shore, Iona Prep, Scanlan, and St. Raymond’s were all sent home early setting the stage for a Cardinal Hayes vs. Thomas Jefferson final.

The final match up was battle between two powerhouse programs, Hayes out of the Bronx enters the season as the reigning CHSAA “AA” champions while Jefferson were the PSAL “AA” runner-ups, falling to Lincoln, after winning the league the year before.

One of the most experienced and reliable guards in the city, Joe Toussaint was a steadfast presence in the backcourt for Hayes as they paced themselves to a 68-59 championship victory over the Orange Wave in South Shore. The rising senior finished with a balanced stat line: 12 points, four rebounds, three assists, and a pair of steals.

The Cardinals received a balanced scoring attack with double-digit point totals from four others: Jontai Williams (13), Terence Reaves (12), Tyrese Williams (11), Terry Dawkins (10). Additionally, Adam Cisse flirted with a double-double as he tallied eight points with nine rebounds.

Jefferson fell behind early after a blitz from Hayes in the opening minutes, quickly trailing 10-2 before settling in and slowing things down to cut the game to 16-15 at the end of the first quarter. The second and third quarters were the most entertaining of the four as both teams took turns carrying momentum. Hayes’ closed the latter period with a buzzer-beating put-back layup after an off-target hail Mary 3-point attempt was disguised as a lob pass to the crashing rebounder, leading 46-43.

The defining stretch of the game came in the final five minutes as a deadlock game at 53 swung back into the Cardinals favor as a one-on-one post-up from Williams push them back ahead. On the ensuing Jefferson possession, Hayes drew a charge then quickly pushed the ball up court as Toussaint handled the break and dished to an open Dawkins under the basket for an easy score. Toussaint then added two more scores to claim a 61-56 advantage.

For Jefferson, Dashan Crittenden dropped a game-high 16 points and Kareem Welch added 10. The Orange Wave committed 12 turnovers to just seven assists.