Undressing The Apparel Challenge

MIDDLE VILLAGE, NY – Christ the King Regional High School was the scene of the crime on Sunday where some teams got exposure while others were exposed at the Apparel Challenge. It was a day filled with exciting action as eight ranked boy’s teams and two ranked girls teams faced off against each other. Here’s what transpired.

The first boys game of the day featured two Brooklyn teams. The Bishop Loughlin Lions represented the CHSAA while the Boys & Girls Kangaroos repped the PSAL.

From the onset, the Lions found themselves backpedaling. “We thought that wee had better guard play [then Loughlin],” said Kangaroos head coach Ruth Lovelace. “We tried to dribble penetrate and be aggressive offensively.”

That strategy worked as buckets from Rich Martelly ’18 and Devarius White ‘18 almost doubled the Lions output in the opening quarter. Loughlin’s free-fall continued into the second quarter when they fell behind by 9 points with 3 minutes left in the half.

6’5” Julian Champangie ’19 rallied the Lions late as a dunk by the junior shifted the momentum somewhat but Devonte Henry '18 responded for the Roos keeping them in front at the half. Only down 27 – 22, Loughlin was well within striking range.

In the third quarter Champangie went silent for Loughlin. Fortunately, his twin brother Justin Champangie ‘19 (11 points) picked up some of the offensive slack but that would only be enough to exchange baskets with a Boys & Girls team that was gaining steam.

Martelly, who was already hot from the perimeter, got lit in the second half and began torching Loughlin with long range buckets. His handy work extended a 6-point lead at the end of third quarter to what would ultimately be a 14-point win.

Coach Lovelace spoke highly of Martelly who finished with a game-high 22 points (including 5 three-pointers) and 5 rebounds. “He’s one of the best players in the city. I’ve been saying it all year.”

This game got real ugly, really quick. The Orange Wave head coach Lawrence Pollard told NYCHoops.net that their strategy was to take Cole Anthony ’19 out of the game. Molloy made that strategy effortless as the rivals.com 5-star guard was unable to play due to a reaggravated heel injuring that originally occurred during a game against Hayes.

Apparently without Anthony at the helm, the Stanners were like a rudderless ship and its players like chum in shark infested waters. Jefferson smelled blood and attacked early and often with Marcus Burnett ‘20 leading the way with three of his five three-pointers in the first quarter.

With addition trifectas from Thomas Porter ‘20, JaQuan Carlos ‘21 and Kareem Welch ‘19, the Orange Wave built an 11-point advantage by the end of the warm-up quarter. Molloy’s 7’2” center Moses Brown ‘18 tried to fight off Jefferson’s defenders who went at him like a school of Piranha and offensively, the senior received almost no help.

Trailing 37 – 20 at the half, the Stanners fell into the abyss as Brown, who played almost the entire game, grew weary from the constant physicality and relentlessness of Jefferson’s dee. By the end of the third quarter, the Orange Wave had amassed a 24-point lead. With no real offensive pushback in sight, Molloy would lose by 29 points

Burnett finished the game with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists for Jefferson with Carlos adding 19 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Brown led Molloy with 24 points and 9 rebounds with Khalid Moore ‘18 contributing 10 points and 6 rebounds.

When the #1 ranked team on Long Island goes up against the #1 team in North of NYC, sparks will fly but it this case it was a raging fire as the LuHi went up against Archbishop Stepinac. It was a barnburner from start to finish.

L.I. Lutheran set the tempo early as Frankie Policelli ‘18 was hot like fire. The senior sharpshooter drained three of his eight three-pointers in the first quarter which helped give the Long Island school and early 13 – 7 advantage. Alan Griffin ‘18 eventually came to life from the perimeter for Stepinac but they still trailed by 9 as the second quarter got underway.

With Griffin’s younger brother A.J. Griffin ‘21 joining offensively along with Xavier Wilson ‘18 and R.J. Davis ‘20, Stepinac put together an impressive 13 – 2 run to take the lead midway through the quarter. It would be Lutheran’s front court play that would flip the script for LuHi as Donatas Kupsas ’18 and Esam Mostapha ‘19 came up big.

Down 38 – 33 to begin the third quarter, Stepinac mounted its own comeback spearheaded by Joel Soriano ‘19 and Ed Minaya ‘19. The Griffin brothers knotted the game at 48 and again at 51. A buzzer beater by Tyson Etienne ‘19 would give LuHi a slight 2-point advantage as the final quarter got underway.

It would be a dog fight as Stepinac tried to gain ground and pull off another squeaker like they did the night before against Iona Prep but five second half three-pointers by Policelli with three in the fourth quarter sealed Stepinac’s fate. Unable to take the lead in the fourth quarter, the White Plains school had to endure a 5-point loss.

“I was feelin’ it,” said Policelli. “All my teammates and coaches told me to keep on shootin’ it.”

Policelli took their advice and finished with 25 points including 8 three-pointers for L.I. Lutheran with Etienne adding 20 points and 8 assists. Alan Griffin led Stepinac with 22 points and 4 rebounds with Davis contributing 16 points and 8 assists.

While the Chaminade Flyers were still looking for the license plate of the truck that just hit them, Christ the King was off running with a 16 – 2 first quarter run led by 6’11” Kofi Cockburn ‘19 and Quaran McPherson ‘20. The Flyer wouldn’t find the bottom of the net until Brendan McGuire ‘18 drained a three-pointer with 3 minutes left in the quarter.

Chaminade did manage to rally end the quarter only down by 6-points off a 12 – 5 run but could not withstand the interior force of Cockburn, McPherson and 6’10” Moussa Cisse ’21. Down by 17 at the half, the Flyers had a hard landing with a 22-point loss.

McPherson led Christ the King with 16 points, 3 assists and 2 steals with Cockburn notching a double-double (15 points & 10 rebounds). McGuire was the high scorer for Chaminade with 15 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. No other Flyers player achieved double digits.

Girls: Christ the King vs South Shore