iS8/Nike Spring H.S. Classic Semifinals
M. Wingate
SOUTH JAMAICA, NY - It was a grueling six game day as the iS8/Nike Spring H.S. Classic quarterfinals and semifinals took place one Saturday. When the dust settled, two teams remained standing and eligible to play in the championships on June 3rd.
Northeast Basketball Club survives Team Price, 78 – 75
M. Wingate
Team Price bypassed a tough Ben Gordon All-Stars, 91 – 77 in the quarterfinals in order to battle the NE Basketball Club who took down L-PAC, 80 – 67, to advance to the semifinal round. Both teams kept pace with each other in the first quarter.
Jaquaye James (Teaneck HS '18) and Stony Brook commit Elijah Olanyi (Eastside High School ’17) provided offense for NEBB while Tykei Greene (Thomas Edison ’18), Deondre Bourne ‘17 and Boubacar Kamissoko (Wings Academy ’17) countered for Team Price. At the end of the warm-up quarter, Team Price trailed by 5 points/.
James, one of the smallest players on the court, continued to spearhead NEBB’s offense while Tiquan Rucker (South Bronx Prep ’17), the smallest player on the court weighed in with points in the paint and from the perimeter. Jawaun Daniels (Teaneck ’17) help to extend NE Basketball’s lead as he battled in the paint. At the half, Team Price found themselves on the butt end of a 41 -37 deficit.
In the third quarter, Team Price had a resurgence with Bourne leading the charge. Pace bound M.J. Richardson (Teaneck HS ’17) attempted to stave off Team Price’s momentum but a lay-up by Greene as the quarter closed the gap to 5 points as the final quarter began.
Luther Muhammad ‘18 and Daniels sparked the NE B’Ball Club at the top of the fourth quarter and they quickly reestablished an eight-point advantage but the tag team of Kamissoko, Rucker and Bourne pushed back. With 2 minutes left to play, Team Price took a brief 70 – 69 lead but that would be fleeting.
Missed free-throws throughout the game by Team Price eventually caught up with them and baskets by Muhammad put the Northeast Basketball Club back in front for good.
Daniels led Northeast Basketball Club with 20 points with James contributing 16 points. Greene was high man for Team Price with 19 points.
Beacon Elite Bankrupts Road to Riches, 81 – 61
M. Wingate
The second semifinal game featured two teams that advanced in different ways. Beacon Elite put the smash down on 2GZ’s, 89 – 69 while Road to Riches squeaked by the NY Rens, 73 – 71. For the Beacon Elite, they handed out more of the same.
The game began competitively enough with Road to Riches drawing first blood led by 6’6” Fredelen De la Cruz (Our Savior Lutheran ’18). The 6’6” power forward was a one-man wrecking crew but he alone could not hold off Beacon Elite even with the late edition of Isaiah Washington ‘17 .
Jamel Horton (Holy Cross ‘17), C.J. Kelly ‘17 and Hutchinson Community College-bound Rheaquone Taylor ‘17 would pile on points and quickly take the lead and never give it back. Trailing 43 – 36 at the half, Road to Riches slipped behind by 14 heading into the final quarter. An offensive explosion by Kelly and Jaheam Corwall ‘17 offset buckets by De la Cruz and with 3:33 left to play, Beacon Elite was ahead by 20 points and held on to advance into the championship round.
Kelly was the high scorer for Beacon Elite with 20 points with Cornwall and Taylor adding 19 points and 16 points respectively. De la Cruz scored a game high 22 points for Road to Riches.
