As I sat in the Historic gym where numerous NBA and Collegiate Players have come from I couldn't help to think this would be Mount Vernons night. A night where they would hold up there home court dominence and not lose for the second time in 12 years at home and will the Knights Coached by Bob Cemino would avenge a loss Mount Vernon suffered at the hands of the Bill Murphy Coached New Rochelle Huguenots. Was this the night in front of Lousiville Head Coach Rick Pitino would the Jabaree Hinds led Knights avenge the earlier loss and reclaim momentum and superiority in Section 1 Basketball or would a repeat performance be on display?
From the start the emotion of the home court swept through the young Knights team like a cool wintery breeze energizing them. Losing the jump ball but causing a turnover the nights took the early 2-0 leads and maintaigned the lead and momentum through the end of the first quarter leading at the buzzer 17-12 led by the play of Junior Guard Khalid Samuels (16 points) who played like a young man on a mission. I remember seeing his older brother Carleton at Mount St. Michaels and Blessed Sacrement and Playing AAU basketball for the Boys & Girls Club of Mount Vernon, New York (http://leaguelineup.com/mvbgc). two great talents and even greater young men.
The second quarter started out with cold blooded New Rochelle junior forward, PJ Torres (15 points) finishing on the break with a two-handed dunk only to be answered by Big William Robinson The Knights forward with a ton of upside. Still back came New Rochelle Led by Point Guard Craig Dorn Jr. and New Rochelle Senior Guard Eric Watson Jr. who scored a easy lay-up to then be answered by a Khalid Samuels jumper.
The game had flashed where jabari Hinds who finished with 11 points showed his talents scoring easily against two defenders on a cross over scoop layup and a fadeaway jump shot. and but it seemed like the Knights were not in sync on offense even though they maintaigned the lead into halftime 38-31.
The third and fourth quarter belonged to the Huguenots being lead by leading scorer senior guard A.J. Burton who finished with 20 points, Antoine Mason who finished with 19 points as you could see the Knights unravelling more and more as every second ticked off the clock. At the end of three the score 47 Mount Vernon and 39 New Rochelle.
As the teams battled back and forth Hinds tosses the ball mid-court to Samuels for a one hand basket 49-39. New Rochelle senior guard Steve Whittingham who finished with 15 points scored a lay-up. Hinds responses with a jumper pushing the lead back to ten. Whittingham makes another jumper. Hinds dishes a nice pass to Samuels for two The Knights still controlled the lead throughout the fourth quarter, scoring back-to-back baskets at the top of quarter. A foul call on Mount Vernon sent Mason to the line for two cutting the Knights lead to eight. New Rochelle begun there 1-3-1 full court press at the end of the third quarter and now half way into the 4th quarter Mount Vernon looked uneasy with the pressure and the ever increasing presence of the New Rochelle faithful.
The lead diminished to 62-60 off a Whittingham J and Burton that with another J from the corner tieing the contest. On the very next play as a result of there pressure New Rochelle would force a turn over and Burton would get fouled hitting 1 out of 2 baskets giving New Rochelle their first lead in the game 62-63. Only to have big William Robinson to win a battle in the paint and get fouled and sent to the line for 2 free throws. He would hit only one tieing the score at 63-63. New Rochelle maintaigns the pressure, the teams exchange a couple of baskets and New Rochelle would take the lead at the 2:00 minute mark giving New Rochelle the lead 68-66. They follow that up with a a steal, a break and a pass from Mason to PJ Torres under the basket on a blown assignment 70-66. A minute later New Rochelle marksman Burton would seal the game a minute later with a 3 pointer that resulted in a Mount Vernon T.O. After a few miss chances by the Knights and New Rochelle scoring a few more times this game to a end with a score of 77-67.
Tonight in MV's Historic gym history was made Mount Vernon losing for the 2nd time in 12 years at home and to there arch rivals New Rochelle. Up next the Section 1 Championships the chase for the Gold Ball Where Mount Vernon has had a sronghold on it for the last 4 years. Will they 5-peat or will new Rochelle or someone else be spoiling there plans? Only time will tell.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE UNIVERSAL SPORTS GROUP
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Post your Tournament and League news, HERE in our Tournament/League Section. As well as all of your Organization/Team News such as Try-Outs, Game Results, Top Players, Etc... We look forward to hearing from the Basketball Community.
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