Valiant Effort By Wings Academy vs. Oakhill

MIDDLE VILLAGE, NY - After winning a PSAL City Championship, and then following that up with a NYS Class "AA" Federation Championship, on Friday, Wings Academy took on the challenge of playing in the Dicks H.S. Nationals against national power and #1 team in the country, 45-0 Oak Hill Academy of Virginia.

Many counted Wings out before the game even started, but the Bronx school and its team believed, and going into the 4th quarter down just 6, it looked as if Wings were in prime position to once again comeback and pull off a shocker, but the ride ended on this day as Oak Hill had just too much firepower as the Virginia based power knocked off Wings, 72-63.

It would've been easy for Wings to look at the team in front of them on Thursday in the Dicks National quarterfinals and think they task was too great to take on, but that isn't how they looked at anything all season, regardless of the opponent, and they weren't about to start thinking that way now.

"People coming into this game said we were going to lose by 40, and we were out to prove to people that we weren't going to lose to anybody by 40," Wings guard Randy Corporan '15 said.

With 5 Division 1 players in their starting 5, Oak Hill was going to be quite possibly the biggest test that Wings had faced all season, but from the very start they prove they were not going to be intimidated.

The Warriors jumped out to a 13-3 lead early on with 7 points during the run being scored by Dwayne Bacon '15 who had just gotten back early in the afternoon from participating last night in the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago.

Wings though was resilient and would not go away as a pair of Desure Buie '15 jumpers late in the opening quarter brought the deficit for Wings down to just 19-15.

The size inside of Oak Hill proved to be tough for Jessie Govan '15 to deal with, and even though he did a commendable job against the massive bodies that the Warriors were able to consistently throw at him, Daniel Giddens '15 and Khadim Sy '16 both proved to be solid finishers inside as Oak Hill once again took a double digit lead late in the opening half, but credit Wings for fighting back as 4 points by Govan late in the 2nd made it a 34-26 game in favor of the Warriors heading into the half.

It was a ballgame at the half, which had to have some people surprised, though not Wings and especially Govan who said he was ready for a fight and knew going into the 2nd half that his group was not going to quit.

"We were going to be relentless and tough and we wanted to finish it off and make New York proud with our play," Govan said.

They continued to make New York proud into the 3rd quarter as even with Joe Hampton '16 knocking down a pair of three from the wings, Wings managed to stay close.

First it was Corporan knocking down a three of his own, then it was guard Efrain DeJesus '15 doing the same, and when Buie drained 2 FT's just before the end of the quarter, Wings had trimmed what had been a 19 points deficit two minutes into the quarter, to just 6 at 54-48 heading to the 4th.

Even though they were playing well, Wings never was able to get the deficit under 6 in the fourth quarter. Buie was making big plays such as runners in the lane and pull up jumpers off the dribble, but each time it seemed Wings would get close, Oak Hill made sure to make a play that kept them in control.

Wings got it to within 7 on a pair of occasions late, but Bacon was 6 for 6 from the FT line down the stretch, helping ensure that Oak Hill hold on, though Wings made them fight for it, as the Warriors were able to take the 72-63 victory.

Bacon had a team high 21 points for Oak Hill, while it was a game high 22 points for Buie to lead Wings, with Govan adding 20 points and 9 rebounds in the defeat.

There was nothing for Wings to feel bad about with this loss. Corporan admitted that the team achieved all their goals for this season having won the City and Federation Titles, and that this was just a way to show that NYC basketball was alive and well.

Oak Hill head coach Steve Smith even admitted that Wings Academy was a heck of a team and that they gave them everything they could've wanted.

The season now ends for Wings Academy, a season to remember for their head coach Billy Turnage, and one he will remember forever, and while some may have gone into this one thinking his team was overmatched against Oak Hill, he always believed, and feels that even in defeat, his team truly won, because they gave it their all and made New York City, and Turnage himself, proud.

"We were honored to be a part of this national tournament and we truly felt like we had New York behind us. I felt like we fought and scrapped tonight, but there was nothing they could've done tonight that disappointed me."