GAME 1
Elmont vs Mt St Michael
This looked like a possible mismatch coming in. The Elmont Spartans had graduated a lot of talent, and had a lot of new faces, but they answered most of the important question with an impressive 79-76 come from behind overtime victory over Class AA Mt. St. Michael of the CHSAA. Chiazam Nwankwo let everybody know right from the start that Elmont will be a team to be reckoned with once again this season, opening the game with 6 unanswered points, but the announcement was a bit premature. Romani Hansen knocked down two free throws to spark a 20-2 St. Michael’s run, capped off by a putback by David Collins, a fastbreak basket by Hansen, and another putback by Collins that put them up 20-8. A fast break basket by KC Ndefo cut the margin to 20-10 St. Michael’s at the first quarter buzzer, but it was quickly 27-10 after Elijah Buchanan opened the second quarter scoring with a three pointer from the right baseline off an inbound play and Collins added two free throws and basket from underneath. Just as it was starting to look like a blowout, Nwankwo answered with a coast to coast basket, converting the three point play at the 4:32 mark to make it 29-16, and Lerone Clark scored on a fast break basket and then again off a turnover to bring the Spartans back within 9. A baseline drive and dunk by Ndefo and a basket from underneath and then a putback by Pauly Paulicap cut it to 31-26, and Nwankwo kept it going with a steal and basket and Travis Robinson-Morgan added two free throws to make it a 1 point game with 1:22 left in the half. Clark’s fast break basket completed the stunning 22-4 run and gave Elmont a 32-31 lead at intermission. Robinson-Morgan opened the second half with a three pointer from the top to give Elmont a 35-31 lead, but Hansen answered with a fast break basket in what would be a back and forth game the rest of the way. Elmont got the lead up to 5 on a jumper by Clark from the top, but Mount reeled off three straight baskets to move back on top on Hansen’s looping shot from the baseline. Nwankwo’s three pointer from the right baseline made it 47-44 Elmont with 2:16 to play in the quarter, but Nukoy Singleton scored twice before the buzzer to give the Mountaineers a 1 point lead with 3 quarters complete. The lead was 55-49 Mount after a drive by Buchanan and a three point play by Singleton, but Yasir Lawrence kept it close with a beautiful drive throught traffic. Kasey Walker kept the pressure on, draining a three pointer from the right wing to give Mount St. Michael a 6 point lead with 4:23 remaining, but a free throw by Nwankwo and fast break dunk by Ndefo cut it to 58-55 with 3:40 left. Two free throws by Nwankwo and it was a 1 point game at the 3:23 mark, but Hansen went 1-2 from the line and Singleton hit a runner to put Mount up 61-57. Robinson-Morgan answered with a runner and Lawrence drilled a three from the right wing and Elmont was back in front 62-61 with 1:42 to play, and Paulicap added a free throw to make it 63-61 with 59 seconds left. After back to back turnovers, Singleton went to the line with 33 seconds left and knocked down one out of two shots to make it a 1 point game with 33 remaining, but Robinson-Morgan was cluth, hitting two free throws on the other end to make it 65-62 Spartans with 11.8 seconds on the game clock. Walker was in clutch mode too though, and he nailed a three pointer from the left baseline to tie it and send the game into overtime. Off the OT tip, Walker was fouled going to the basket and knocked down both shots, but Paulicap countered with a put back to tie it. Hansen’s drive from the wing put the Mountaineers on top again, and after Nwankwo tied it with a short baseline jumper, a three from the right baseline by Walker gave them a 72-69 lead with 1:56 remaining. Nwankwo countered with a baseline drive and reverse layup and then a drive from the left elbow to put the Spartans up 73-72 at the 1:28 mark, but Singleton’s basket off an inbound play put Mount up by one. An unexpected three point play by Paulicap was huge, giving Elmont a 76-74 lead with 42 seconds left, but a driving hook shot by Hansen and the game was tied once again with 12 seconds to play. The Spartans got the ball in to Nwankwo, and he calmly let the clock run all the way down before he lauched the game winning three from the deep left wing just before the buzzer for a dramatic 79-76 victory. Nawankwo finished with 32 points for Elmont, Paulicap had 14 points and 7 rebounds, and Ndefo 11 points and 8 rebounds. Hanson led Mount with 19 and Singleton had 17.
GAME 2
South Side vs Middletown
South Side got off to a rough start against Section 9 Class AA Semifinalist Middletown, at one point missing 10 out of 11 free throws, but they turned things around, digging themselves out of a 19 point hole before falling just short down the stretch for a 48-46 loss. The teams traded baskets at the start, but the trouble began when the Cyclones had a chance to pad a 5-4 lead and missed three straight free throws. Middletown took advantage, scoring on a drive by Daniel Grant, a fast break dunk by Aaron Ray, and a steal and basket by Kyle Brown to take a 10-5 lead. A three pointer from the top by Ray made it 13-5 Middletown, but a drive by South Side's Mike Sorenson cut it to 14-7 as the first quarter came to a close. Jordan Bryan opened the second quarter with a putback for a 9 point Middletown lead, and then a fastbreak basket by Grant, a three point play by Shabon Burton, and a steal and fast break basket by Ray and they were up 23-7 with 5:20 remaining in the half. South Side missed their 8th straight free throw on the other end, but Kevin Spadaford put back the last miss to break the run and then Sorenson drilled a three pointer from just outside of the right elbow to cut the margin to 25-12 with 4:39 remaining in the half. A give and go and then two free throws by Brown and a steal and fast break basket by Burton and the Middies were up 34-15 with 33 second left, but Tim Kelly had the last word, knocking down a three pointer from the left wing to make it a 16 point game heading into the locker room. Kelly kept it going with a fast break basket to start the second half, and his short baseline jumper brought the Cyclones within 11 still early in the third quarter. Sorenson’s three pointer from the top cut it to 36-28 at the 4:20 mark, but South Side continued to struggle at the foul line and a basket by D’Andre Liburd from underneath made it a 10 point game again and that was the difference at the quarter buzzer. Sorenson opened the fourth quarter with a three pointer from the right wing, and then he found Luke Picchion on the break to bring South Side within 5, but Grant held the Cyclones off with a three from the right wing. A putback by Tim Awosika and a nice drive by Sorenson and it was a 4 point game with 1:33 to play, and then Sorenson wove his way through traffic and converted a three point play to cut it to 47-46 with 34 seconds left. South Side elected to foul right away, and the strategy ultimately paid off, with Middletown missing the front end of a 1 and 1, getting the rebound, and then missing the front end again to leave the door wide open. South Side called time with 26 seconds left, but a contested shot didn’t fall and one last free throw on the other end made it a 48-46 final. Sorenson finished with 22 points and Kelly had 10. Ray had 12 for Middletown, and Burton and Grant 10 each.
GAME 3
Baldwin vs Red Hook
Baldwin took on New York State Class A State Semifinalist Red Hook in game three of the Upstate/Downstate Challenge, built a good lead, and then held off the pesky Raiders for a 46-36 victory. Baldwin’s Shane Gatling opened the scoring with a pull-up jumper from just behind the foul line, and after back to back threes by Daraja Rodwell, the Bruins were off on a first quarter run that carried them to a 19-6 lead at the buzzer, capped off by Jared Rhoden’s three pointer from the right baseline and a fast break basket by Paul Colson. Tim Terry knocked down two free throws for Red Hook to start the second quarter, then Dennis Hare’s three pointer from the right wing narrowed it to 19-11 and Will Avis’s basket from underneath brought Red Hook within 7 at the half. The Raiders continued to cut into the lead as the second half got underway, with Hare plunging down the lane and scoring, Avis nailing a turn around jumper from the lane, and Hare scoring on the break to make it a 1 point game, but Rodwell stopped the run with a pull up jumper on the break, and his three from the right wing made it 29-25 Baldwin with 4:24 left in the quarter. Two free throws by Marvin Chartelain with 1:28 to go and Colson’s drive from the wing just before the buzzer gave Baldwin a 35-28 lead as the third quarter came to a close. Colson’s three pointer from the left baseline made it 38-28 Bruins as the low scoring fourth quarter got underway, but Avis drove the baseline and scored and Terry pump faked and scored to cut the lead to 6 with 2:56 to go. Terry’s two free throws with 2:16 to play to made it a 4 point game, but Colson drilled a big three from the top right as the shot clock expired to give the Bruins some breathing room with 47 seconds to play, and he added a free throw and Rodwell added two more for the final margin. Rodwell led Baldwin with 19 points and Colson finished with 11. Avis had 15 for Red Hook and Hare 11.
GAME 4
LuHi vs Burke Catholic
Watching Long Island Lutheran warm up reminded us how much fun It’s going to be following Long Island basketball this season. There are a lot of good teams on the Island this year, and none better than the nationally ranked Crusaders. What does it mean to be a nationally ranked team? For one, it means that you can play without Marvin Prochet, your best forward and a projected D1 college player, and still beat a team as good as Section 9 Class AA Semifinalist Burke Catholic 74-59. Burke always puts a strong team out on the floor and this year is no exception. The Eagles showed they came ready to play as they always do, jumping out to a 5-0 lead on a Javin Williams three pointer and going up 11-5 after Williams kocked down two free throws with 5:22 to play in the opening quarter. Chris Atkinson sparked the Crusaders, jab stepping and knocking down a three pointer from behind the left elbow, and then his steal and basket and another steal and basket by Jordan Walker put LuHi ahead 16-15. It was tied at 16 after one quarter of play. Devonte Green opened the second quarter with a basket, and after Riley Hayes answered with 2 free throws, he nailed a three pointer from the left wing to put the Crusaders up 21-18. His second three and his two free throws made it 26-20, but Hayes responded with back to back baskets and it was a 2 point game with 4:08 left in the half. LuHi answered with a blistering 15-2 run, scoring 6 points in the frantic final 36 seconds of the half on 2 free thows by Atkinson, an Atkinson basket from underneath, and a basket by Elijah Bailey from underneath to lead 41-26 at intermission. Hayes opened the third quarter with a basket from the lane and Anthony Salmon scored a fastbreak basket to bring the Eagles within 11, but Bailey scored on the break seconds later, and a three point play by Rojaye Campbell and a steal and fast break basket by Walker made it 49-34 LuHi. A three pointer by Matt McHale cut it to 52-42 with a minute left in the quarter, but Walker answered with a three from the right wing and Atkinson stole the ball and scored at it was 57-42 LuHi. Two free throws by Williams just before the buzzer made it a 13 point game with three quarters complete. Bailey opened the fourth quarter with a short jumper from just outside the low post, but Brandon Rawling responded with a bank shot off the glass. Bailey’s fast break basket made it 62-46 LuHi with 5:35 remaining, and a Green three pointer from the left wing with 3:14 to play made it 67-49, but back to back threes by McHale cut it to 67-58 with 1:09 left, keeping a glimmer of hope alive. The Eagles would get no closer however, managing 1 more point while the Crusaders knocked down 5 free throws to ice it. Bailey led LuHi with 20 points, Green had 18, Atkinson 14, and Waker 13. Williams finished with 18 for Burke.
GAME 5
Uniondale vs New Rochelle
Host Uniondale opened up their matchup against Section 1 Class AA Quarterfinalist New Rochelle with an 18-4 run and went on to a impressive 63-54 win over the Huguenots. Michael Reyes’s jump hook put New Rochelle up 2-1 at the start, but Danny Ashley countered with a fast break basket, Shomarie Redd knocked down two free throws, and Ashley knocked down two more and then scored again on a fast break basket to make it 9-2 Uniondale. Redd’s nice drive through traffic kept the run going, and a baseline jumper by Kyle Harding with 3:26 to play in the opening quarter made it 14-2 Knights. It was 18-4 Uniondale after Frantzy Georges got a dish in the lane and scored, but New Rochelle finally slowed the momentum on a tip-in by Jonathan Garcia and the teams traded baskets the rest of the quarter, with Uniondale leading by 15 at the buzzer. The Knight’s Talek Butler scored on a putback to open the second quarter, but Antoine Lewis answered with a fall away jumper and Chad Williams followed him with a steal and three point play and the Uniondale lead was down to 12. New Rochelle continued their comeback, with Garcia drilling a three from the right wing to bring them within 9, but Harding’s steal and fast break basket and the Knights were back up by 13 with 1:28 to go in the half. It was 36-24 Uniondale at intermission. A putback by Najee Peters opened the second half scoring with almost 3 minutes already gone in the third quarter. Ashley followed him with a running hook shot to give the Knights a 40-24 lead, and it was 48-30 after Butler scored on an inbound play with 2:19 to go in the quarter. Lewis’s fast break basket and a free throw by Tyler Parris cut it to 48-33 with three quarters in the books. Redd opened the fourth quarter with a coast to coast basket, and a putback by Butler gave Uniondale its biggest lead at 52-33, but the Huguenots would not go quietly. Lewis drilled a three pointer from the left baseline, and although Redd answered with a nice baseline drive, he nailed another three and then Jayson Prince scored on a putback to cut it to 54-39 with 6 minutes to play. Justin Watson scored to bring New Rochelle within 12 with just over 2 minutes remaining, but a fast break basket by Redd and a basket by Harding off a dish from Redd made it 62-46 with 1:34 to play and the Knights seemed to be in good shape. But they turned the ball over and missed free throws down the stretch, so when Jamel Wallace hit back to back threes to make it 62-52, with just under a minute to play, only a minor miracle was needed for a comeback. It didn't happen. By the time Watson scored from underneath to make it 62-54, it was too little too late. Ashley led Uniondale with 15 points, Harding had 12 points and 7 rebounds, and Redd 10 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. Lewis led New Rochelle with 14 points and Garcia had 10.
2014
THE UPSTATE/DOWNSTATE CHALLENGE
2014
THE UPSTATE/DOWNSTATE CHALLENGE
AT UNIONDALE HIGH SCHOOL
AT UNIONDALE HIGH SCHOOL
