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Ed "Huck" Palmer is one of our trusty statisticians/observers. He is not to be confused with Tom "Puck" McKenna. (Huck is normal. Puck is not even close). He will make occasional reports on games he sees. You may contact him at TEDDYCAT10@aol.com.
MAR. 1FEB. 27
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Round of 16 Playoff
Franklin 57, Engineering and Science 41
The game was sluggish throughout, and exciting plays were few and far
between. Franklin (19-3) a solid favorite, had trouble getting on track and was rhythmless
for most of the game. E&S (14-11) looked like a deer caught in headlights for a good
three quarters. It's unfortunate, because the Electrons brought far less than an A game.
Sr. F 6-3 Dwayne Shelton was his typical workmanlike self in posting a
game high 17 points, while garnering 10 rebounds. Sr. F 6-8 Jamal Nichols
(12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 blocks) picked up three early fouls and sat out the final 11
minutes of the first half. On at least three occasions, Nichols missed shots on which I
thought he was obviously fouled. Sr. WG 6-2 Rodney Warren never got into
the flow offensively, but otherwise was a solid factor. Warren pulled in 7 rebounds,
pilfered 5, and dished 4 assists in what was a good all-around performance.Jr. PG Murvin
English (4 assists, 4 steals) nailed a couple of timely threes. Soph PG Darnell
Corbitt chipped in with 10 points off the Electrons bench. This kid is fearless
and plays with a swagger. Sr. F 6-2 Malik Lloyd added 6 points and 4
boards. What the Franklin guards lacked on the offensive end, they did more than enough to
make up for it on the defensive end. They put constant pressure on the ball from an active
match-up zone. E&S could not take advantage of Nichols' foul trouble woes and that all
but doomed the undermanned Engineers. Jr. PG 6-2 Justin Scott was really
the only member of his squad that showed some brass. Scott (5 rebounds, 4 assist, 3
steals) shot a respectable 6-for-13, and had a team high 15 points. Sr. F 6-3 leaper Olufemi
Fadeyibi (9 points, 11 rebounds, 4 steals) had some moments but was too
inconsistent to be a major factor. Despite his subpar performance, I believe he has a
chance to be a very solid D-2 or D-3 player. Jr. PG Andre Hightower (9
points) struggled mightily with his shooting going a frigid 4-for-16. The Engineers sorely
missed a couple of major season long contributors. Who knows? With these two players the
outcome may have been much closer. Franklin goes on to face an interesting University City
team. The Electrons have a solid club, and can without a doubt make a run for the title.
One problem that may arise for the Electrons in their quest for a title could be depth.
Nichols and Shelton must stay out of foul trouble for this team to succeed. After the
game, the word around the gym was that Thursday's quarterfinal game with UC may be
spectatorless. An incident had occurred just outside the school shortly after the game had
ended. Hopefully Franklin students were not involved and fans will be permitted to attend.
This surprised me, for the atmosphere inside the gym during the game was rather calm. A
solid crowd had turned out, but no incidents occurred during the game. In fact, the ever
famous Frankiln walkout was rather subdued. Come to think of it, this was the most laid
back Franklin
crowd I have ever witnessed.
FEB. 20
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Penn 64 FLC 50
By winning this game Penn (12-7) has guaranteed itself a spot
in this year's playoffs. FLC (12-8) also could have sealed a spot with a win, but instead
lost out on tiebreakers. The Lions controlled throughout. Prior to the game, coach George
Phillips told me that in last week's game against Dobbins, it looked like five
strangers out on the court. To say the least, he was very unsatisfied with the way his
team played. Especially when it came to being unselfish. Not too many problems in that
area today. Penn made 7 field goals in the first quarter, with all seven coming off
assists. For the game, the Lions had 16 assists on 22 baskets. You could tell shot
selection was in the backs of everybody's mind. The Lion starters all took between five
and eleven shots. Few, if any, were of the forced variety. Sr. CG Robert Smith, who
is a tremendous leaper, had an all-around solid game. Smith finished with 13 points, 6
rebounds, 6 assist, and 5 steals in doing more than his share of the work in filling up
the stat columns. Jr. PG 6-3 Mustafa Shakur (13 points, 5 rebounds, 5
assists, 3 steals) was much more under control in this game than when I have seen him in
the past. Shakur only attempted eight shots, and was constantly looking for his teammates.
His assist totals could have been much higher if some of his passes were caught. Shakur
also shot 7-for-8 from the line. Sr. WG Jeffrey Jones chipped in with a
18 points, going 6-for-11 from the floor and 6-for-7 from the line. Jones has a nice knack
of getting his shots off quickly around the basket. He is very elusive in the open court
and gets to the rack easily. The big man duo of sr. F 6-3 Nasser Battle
and sr. F 6-4 Gary Evans had exceptional games. Battle
cleaned 13 rebounds, while chipping in with 8 points. Evans added 10 points, 8 rebounds,
and 3 blocks. Both very active on the defensive glass. Penn shot 22-for-43 (51.2%) from
the field. However, they did commit 21 turnovers. This number is going to have to come way
down if they're going to have any chance of moving on in the playoffs. The Bobcats are a
very young team, with only one senior who sees significant minutes. Today, it showed. FLC
had absolutely NO rhythm at the offensive end. For a good part of the first half their
offensive trips were spent passing the ball around to each other from way out on the
perimeter. Soph PG Michael Green (15 points) led the Bobcats in scoring.
Green was 8-for-10 from the line. The starting backcourt combination of jr. PG
John Owens (11 points, 3 assist) and jr. WG Noll Black (10
points) had a horrid day shooting. The two combined for a miserable 6-for-29 from the
field, including just 3-for-16 from distance. As a team FLC shot 16-for-60 (26.7%), BRRRR.
That's colder than TEN ESKIMOS!!! I like what I see from jr. F 6-6 London Houston.
He is rail thin, but looks to be still growing. In warm-ups he showed nice form and touch
on jump shots. He did contribute 7 rebounds and 3 blocks in the game. Penn led 27-18 at
the half, and expanded their lead by scoring the first eight points of the second half.
FLC never got it under double digits in the second half. After disputing a call early in
the fourth quarter, FLC coach Cedric Powell received a technical. He
later was hit with his second with just :27 seconds left, thus being ejected from the
game. With really nowhere to go and so little time still left on the clock, he sort of
just went into a closet towards the end of his team's bench. With :08 seconds left he
reappeared, causing the refs to put a halt to the rest of the game. The men in stripes may
have been just a tad overzealous. Only in the Pub.
FEB. 18
CATHOLIC SOUTH
West 46, Bonner 44
Just another Sunday afternoon in the Northern Division. Oh
wait, this was the Southern Division. Anyhow, The Burrs (13-11) kept their slim playoff
chances alive with a thrilling last second win. Sr. PG Terrell Jackson
(18 points, 4 steals) hit a 15-foot right wing pull-up jumper with :02 seconds remaining
in the game. Jackson was once again clutch in scoring eight fourth quarter points. Sr. WG
Nate Lewis was the only other Burr in double digits with 10 points. Lewis did
provide a game high 11 rebounds. Sr. WG Mike D'Elia (7 points, 3 steals)
hit two early threes and made a crucial steal late in the game. Bonner (9-15) was led by
jr. WG Badir McCleary, who shot 6-for-11 for a team high 14 points.
McCleary has a pretty stroke, and likes to pull-up for baseline jumpers. Jr. F 6-5
Matt Kearney (12 points, 6 rebounds) struggled early, but picked it up in the
second half. Kearney converted a three-point play by switching hands and banking one home
with his left while being fouled. A very impressive move. Jr. F 6-6 Vince Taraborrelli (9
rebounds, 5 blocks) had some good moments. All of his blocks came in the third quarter. He
needs to become more assertive on the offensive end to become a more complete player.
Bonner only loses one senior who sees quality minutes in PG Bill Armideo.
If the players they have now continue to improve, then there is no reason why they
shouldn't contend for a playoff spot next season. Bonner led 44-38 with just over two
minutes remaining only to see the Burrs score the game's final eight points. On
back-to-back possessions, Jackson hit two in the lane floaters to pull the Burrs within
two, at 44-42. After the second a timeout was taking by West. D'Elia made a nice steal off
the inbound pass and found a streaking sr. PG Amos Joway, who knotted
things up at 44 apiece with 1:23 to play. On Bonner's next series, McCleary missed on a
baseline drive. West secured the rebound and called timeout with :51 seconds. Following
the timeout, the Burrs killed the clock to :10 seconds, before calling yet another timeout
setting up Jackson's heroics. It appeared that time had run out after the winning shot.
Somehow the refs put a generous two-seconds back up on the clock. Bonner attempted a
midcourt pass to McCleary, who seemed to juggle it out of bounds near half court. However.
Bonner once again was awarded a timeout with :01 remaining. The referee ruled that
McCleary had called timeout before losing the ball. Very questionable. On the last play of
the game, McCleary caught and turned from 35-feet, sending the ball high off the backboard
as the game ended.
FEB. 16
CATHOLIC SOUTH
West Catholic 60, O'Hara 56
Hold on for a second while I catch my
breath............................OK, I think I'm ready. This game started out fast and
furious, so furious that Ted and I could have used two other statmen to keep track of
things. The Burrs (12-10) unleashed twenty-five
first quarter shots. HARD TO DO!!! On one trip down the floor,
the Burrs missed five shots before scoring on their sixth attempt. Amazing!!! Sr. PG
Terrell Jackson (6 assists) was unstoppable in the first half, scoring 16 of his
team high 20 points. Jackson used quick moves to blow by his defender for pretty shots off
the glass. O'Hara had no answer for him in the first half. Sr. WG Nate Lewis
had a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde performance. Lewis
misfired on his first nine and his last five field goal attempts of the game, but was
7-for-11 in between. Lewis (18 points, 13 rebounds) hit a number of big shots in the third
quarter and the early stages
of the final quarter. Lewis seemed to lack concentration, as a
majority of his misses were from in close. Lewis attempted only three from distance,
connecting on two. Sr. F 6-4 Jarron Coleman (6 points, 7 rebounds, 3
blocks) was a presence inside for the Burrs. Coleman was involved in an interesting play.
After a second quarter steal, he went in for a solo two-handed slam, only to see the ball
bounce out. While O'Hara retrieved the rebound and headed back up court, Jarron find time
to jump up and push the rim back into
place. In his dunk attempt, the rim had stayed down at a bent
angle. I guess Jarron wanted to make sure his team would be shooting at straight basket on
its next possession. Sr. F 6-4 Mike Bazemore (7 rebounds) had two timely
hoops and three key steals in the final quarter. Bazemore also did a nice job of
containing O'Hara star F 6-5 Gene Willard. Sr. WG Mike D'Elia (3
assists) had two big buckets in the third quarter. Sr. PG Amos Joway went
scoreless, while only attempting two shots. However, he played a strong defensive game by
pilfering four. The Lions (17-6) were led by jr. WG 6-2 Chris Grandieri
(23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists) who scored 17 of his points in the second half.
Grandieri shot 9-for-15 from the field for the game. At one point he hit six straight
shots. He also showed that he has the touch from long, by nailing three bombs. This kid is
a streaky shooter, who scores points in
bunches. Right now he is somewhat underrated. By next year you
should be hearing a lot more about him. Willard (16 points, 8 rebounds) was only 4-for-11
from the field, but compensated by hitting all eight of his foul shots. The University of
the Sciences did an excellent job of locking him up early. He is a hard worker, who plays
110% from the opening tap to the end of the game. Jr. PG Harry Dougherty
(9 points, 6 assists) had his moments, but also committed six turnovers. The Lions as a
team committed 20 turnovers, 14 in the first half which allowed the Burrs to sprint out to
a ten-point lead. With just under minute remaining, Willard locked things up at 54-54 on
two from the line. At :39 seconds, Jackson buried two foul shots to give the Burrs the
lead back. After a Bazemore steal, Jackson again hit two from the line to make the score
58-54 West with :20 seconds remaining. O'Hara's Willard hit two more from the line to cut
West' lead to 58-56, but Lewis converted both ends of a one-and-one to put the Burrs up
60-56 with :08 seconds left. Joway stole a Lion pass to seal the win for West. With the
win, the Burrs' slim playoff hopes remained alive.
FEB. 15
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Dobbins 55, Penn 48
This was a critical game for both squads, with serious playoff
implications. Dobbins (13-8) knew coming in that they would have to set the tone and have
Penn (11-7) play their game. That's exactly what they did, as the forced the Lions to play
at their pace pretty much throughout. The Mustangs were led by sr. WG 5-8 Dennis
Meekins, who plays with an edge. Meekins (14 points, 3 assists) shot a controlled
4-for-6 from the field, including 2-for-2 on three's. He also was a perfect 4-for-4 from
the line. Jr. F 6-2 Barren Grier worked hard for 12
points and 10 rebounds. Grier got himself in good position for his baskets. He was 3-for-3
from the field in the fourth quarter and pulled in three critical rebounds. Soph F 6-3 Tyrell
Mathis is a nice a prospect. He plays mainly in the post, but had a handful of
gorgeous looks to teammates. Mathis (5-for-8, FG's) finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds,
and 5 assists. He's kind of a wide body, and looks extremely strong. He could be a force
by his senior year. Jr. PG 5-7 Hakeem Dunn (11 points, 5 rebounds, 4
assists) is very quick, and does a good job of running the team. Jr. PG 5-7 Ronald
Davis (7 points, 5 assist, 3 steals) has been the team's most consistent scorer.
However, today he did not force the issue and did a nice job of finding others. The
Mustangs shot 23-for-45 (51.1%) for the game, with 18 assists. Head coach Rich
"Yank" Yankowitz was constantly barking out to be patient on offense.
His players did a nice job of listening, as rarely did they launch shot until at least
five or six passes were made. Four of the five Mustangs played the entire game. Penn,
playing on their home court, showed no urgency. Coming into this game they controlled
their own destiny as far as a playoff spot was concerned. Offensively they were out of
whack all afternoon. Rushed shots, bad passes, and poor ballhandling. Jr. franchise PG 6-3
Mustafa Shakur started out nicely, but quickly fizzled. Mustafa (12
points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) only managed one point after the intermission. He shot
4-for-19 for the game, including a thermometer dropping 0-for-10 in the second half. The
Lions were led by sr. WG Jeffrey Jones (8-for-15 FG's, 17 points, 6
rebounds, 3 steals) who sliced and diced his way to the hole for most of his scores. Sr.
PG Robert Smith (4 rebounds, 3 assists) scored all of his points (9) in
the second half, but also struggled shooting, going just 4-for-13. Penn, which had a
quality win over Olney earlier this season, now find itself in the unenviable position of
fighting for their playoff lives. They travel to FLC next Tuesday.
FEB. 13
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Gratz 49, Franklin 39
Many would say this is the premier matchup in the Public
League, but this one was average at best. Emotion and intensity were missing throughout.
The Bulldogs (17-3) led from start to finish and were only challenged, briefly, in the
early stages of the third quarter. Gratz posted five players between eight and
eleven points. They were led by sr. swingman 6-4 Michael Cuffee
(11 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks) who shot 4-for-7 from the field. A player as talented
as Cuffee needs to get more than seven shots off. Part of the problem is Gratz' style of
play, which is very deliberate. One positive about Cuffee: I rarely see him force shots.
Everything he gets comes under control. Case in point: At the end of the first quarter, he
calmly stepped up and hit a high-arcing three as time expired. Jr. PF 6-6 Michael
Blackshear (10 points, 9 rebounds, 6 blocks) is the epitome of a warrior. This
kid battles for everything. He did a fantastic job of holding Franklin star big man sr.
6-8 Jamal Nichols (8 rebounds, 4 assist, 3 blocks) to just five points on
2-for-12 shooting. He was able to push Nichols further away from the basket than he wanted
to be, making quality looks scarce. Jr. sniper 6-2 Augie Woodlin (9
points) hit two timely threes. The first was a thing of beauty. With the score just 28-24
Gratz, Woodlin chased down a loose ball by SOARING over his own bench for a tremendous
save. A few passes later he found himself open for a right-wing trey that tickled the
twine, pushing Gratz' lead to 31-24. A few moments later he nailed his second deepball to
make the score 34-24. Sr F 6-4 Brandon Millwood (9
points, 6 rebounds) did most of damage early by scoring six of his points and pulling four
of his rebounds in the first quarter. Sr. PG 6-2 Anthony Abrams came off
the bench to provide eight points, all in the fourth quarter. Abrams went 6-for-6 from the
line to help seal the win. Soph PG Omar Johnson (4 assists) had some
moments, but struggled
at times. I feel the Bulldogs are a better team with Abrams getting the majority of
minutes. This is not a bad reflection on Johnson, who should be a good player, but he is
only a sophomore and has not started a good portion of the season. If the Bulldogs do have
an Achilles heel, it is at guard play. I think they'd be better served going with the
experience of Abrams. Franklin
(16-3) got a sensational performance from sub soph PG Darnell Corbitt, who
is lightning quick. Corbitt finished with 16 points and 5 steals and almost singlehandedly
kept his team in the game. Corbitt has a chance to be a dynamite guard if his progress
continues. SR. F 6-3 Dwayne Shelton was his typical relentless self on
the the offensive glass. Shelton pulled down 13 rebounds, 10 offensive. This kid oozes
desire and is the best rebounder for his size in the city. The three guard starting lineup
for the Electrons in sr. WG Rodney Warren, sr. WG Malik Lloyd,
and jr. PG Murvin English shot a combined 3-for-18 from the field.
OUCH!!! As a team the Electrons shot an icy 14-for-54, only 25.9%. Meanwhile the Bulldogs
hit
11-of-12 free throws in the final quarter to keep the Electrons at arm's length. There was
a nice, not overflow crowd on hand for the game. One of the spectators was former
Villanova, and current Cleveland St. head coach Rollie Massimino. Just
think, over a decade ago you couldn't catch Rollie in a Philadelphia high school gym. I
guess you got to coach outside of the city to recruit its players. I hope that wasn't too
harsh. Oh well!!!
FEB. 12
PUBLIC LEAGUE
University City 60, Bartram 59
With Valentine's Day looming, I found myself at a SWEETHEART
of a game. The Jaguars (14-7) overcame a 13-point third quarter deficit to pull off the
upset. Sr. WG Curtis Mays (10 points) banked in a right-wing three to
provide the winning points with just :17 seconds to play. Sr. swingman 6-4 Maurice
Maxwell came off the bench to score 15 points, while adding 5 rebounds and 3
assists. Maxwell at times is silky smooth, and slithers his way around the court for open
shots. Maxwell, who recently had missed some time with a feared heart ailment, has been
giving a clean bill of health from his doctor. Soph PG 6-2 Tasheed Carr
shows flashes of greatness. His decision making and shot selection at times suffers. This
is probably from the lack of experience. The talent is there, and there are many reasons
why, with better understanding of the game, this kid can developing into a terrific floor
general. Carr finished with 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting. He also contributed with 6
assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals. Not bad numbers for a youngster, in a hostile
environment, who was matched up against a team with quality guards. Jr F 6-5 Magen
McNeil (6 rebounds) had two huge defensive rebounds down the stretch. This kid
has a chance to be a rebounding machine. Sr. F 6-4 Jeremy Walker
provided a nice spark with 8 points and 6 rebounds. Sr. F 6-4 Robert Johnson
battled through foul trouble, and chipped in with 9 points. This type of win on the road
could go a long way for dangerous team such as UC. The Braves (17-4) at times look like
the LAKERS, for when they are in the open court the beauty of the game surfaces. However,
at other times of the game they look like the CLIPPERS. Appearing unorganized and sloppy.
Sr. PG Bobby Leach for stretches shows why he is a PUB player of the year
candidate. He finished with 18 points, 6 steals, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Unfortunately, he also committed 7 turnovers. Sr. WG Robert Bouknight (11
points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists) has a wonderful stroke, but shot just 3-for-11 in this one.
Sr. PG Shawn Roberts (8 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists) does a little of
everything. He also threw down a nice one-handed wolf off a pretty feed from Leach.
Roberts is very unselfish, he likes to get into the lane and drop the ball off to
teammates. He may need to look to shoot a little more often; he shot only five times,
making three. He did struggle at the line going only 2-for-6, and missing the front-end of
a crucial one-and-one late in the game. Sr swingman 6-3 Anthony Boyer
chipped in with 10 points and 6 rebounds. Soph F 6-5 Khalil Abdus-Salaam
was active inside with 7 points and 6 rebounds, but is probably a year away from becoming
a more consistent force. After Mays hit the three to give UC the lead, Bartram neglected
to call timeout. Leach dribbled hard up the court, finding himself to the left of the
lane. He let go with a forced shot that turned into an airball. The ball went
out-of-bounds giving UC possession with just under :10 seconds left. After a UC timeout,
the ball was inbounded to Mays who dribbled hard up the left-side of the court, only to
have the ball stolen by Leach. He quickly called timeout as he fell to the floor with :05
seconds still on the clock. After the TO, Bartram got the ball into Leach, who split two
defenders at the top of the key. Bouknight, who started out in the corner, had moved up
more to the wing. Leach, thinking he was still there, threw the ball to the corner and
eventually out of play with six-tenths of second left. Meanwhile, the gym was in a frenzy,
and at this point we had people on the court. Fortunately, UC called another timeout and
order was restored. Inbounding the ball from underneath his own basket, UC's McNeil tried
a long pass that was intercepted by Leach near midcourt. Leach let go with a desperation
shot that barely missed to the left. From all indications the shot would have counted.
FEB. 11
CATHOLIC SOUTH
West Catholic 73, Kennedy-Kenrick 63
This turned out to be a pretty
entertaining game, that had some good individual performances. The Burrs (12-11) were led
by sr. WG Nate Lewis (23 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals) who shot 9-for-19
from the field. Lewis scored fourteen of his points in the second half. Sr. PG Terrell
Jackson (7-for-14 FG's, 20 points) nailed three from distance. Jackson has been
inconsistent this year,
but proved when he is focused he can be an offensive threat. Sr. PG Amos Joway
(13 points, 7 assists) was again brilliant off the Burrs bench. He instantly added a
spark, by hitting a three. He later found an open Lewis, who drilled a corner three as
time expired in the first quarter. These two plays turned a 16-7 deficit into a
three-point game to end the opening quarter. Sr. F 6-4 Mike Bazemore
battled for 8 rebounds. The Burrs used a full-court trapping defense to extend their lead
to double digits early in the third quarter. They later hung on, by connecting on
10-for-11 from the line in the fourth quarter. The Burrs slim playoff hopes remain alive,
but became that much more difficult after O'Hara upset Roman. That first win in league
play remained elusive for the Wolverines (8-13), but not for lack of effort. This team
plays extremely hard. They are probably one solid guard away from being right in the thick
of things for a playoff spot. They have played in many close games, and have a frontcourt
presence, that when playing well can cause problems. This was my first look at sr. F 6-7 Ali
"Badou" Gaye. I left very impressed. Gaye finished with 21 points, 9
rebounds, 4 blocks, 4 assists, and 2 steals. He shot 10-for-13 from the floor. Gaye looked
very fluid in the post, and showed good patience when he got the ball. He showed an
assortment of moves on his baskets. From drop-steps, to turnaround baby jumpers. He also
showed he could pass the ball when things weren't there for him. D-2's should be having
interest. His best days are ahead of him and he may not be finished growing. Sr WG 6-3
Dan Neeld (16 points, 4 rebounds) was K-K's only perimeter threat. He did a nice
job slashing his way for scores. Sr. F 6-4 Brad Kielinski (5-for-7 FG's,
10 points, 4 assists, 3 steals) could be a nice complimentary player for a D-3 school. He
showed a nice touch on three baseline jumpers that hit nothing but the bottom of the net.
He also showed that he could pass the ball, as twice he hooked-up on pretty lobs to Gaye.
Jr F 6-4 Dan Samarin contributed with 10 points. The Wolverines shot
29-for-51 (56.9%) from the field. Twenty-nine field goals in a high school game is an
extremely high number of baskets. Rarely do you see a team lose when that many shots are
made. K-K's demise laid in that they committed 19 turnovers, only went to the line seven
times, allowed the Burrs to pull in 18 offensive rebounds, and were 0-for-3 from the arc.
FEB. 9
CATHOLIC SOUTH
SJ Prep 53, West Catholic 40
The Hawklets (16-8) used good ball control and timely foul
shooting in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Burrs (10-11). Virtually every Prep
possession started with sr. PG Mike Barker (10 points, 5
assist, 4 rebounds) out top, with ball in hands, running the offense. The Hawklets shot
5-for-7 from the field, and 11-for-12 from the line in the fourth quarter. On one
occasion, the Prep missed two consecutive shots, but managed to get offensive rebounds on
both, before eventually scoring. The Prep got some kind of score every time down the floor
in the final stanza. Frosh PG Chris Clark provided a backbreaking hoop.
With a defender draped all over him, Clark pulled up on a 12-foot wing jumper, faded away
and shot the ball as he was coming down, hitting nothing but net. This gave the Prep a
four-point lead, and took a lot of wind out of the Burrs sails. Another frosh, WG 6-2 John
Griffin, who has seen his playing time drop in recent weeks, provided a spark off
the bench. Griffin shot 6-for-10 from the field, and 4-for-5 from the line for 16 points.
Griffin showed that he had a nose for the ball, as he on more than a few instances found
himself at the right place at the right time for timely baskets. This game should give the
much heralded freshman some needed confidence. Sr. F 6-5 Ryan Tyson
(4-for-5 FG's, 8 points, 6 rebounds) still commits silly fouls, but when he was on the
floor he showed the skills that made him a highly touted player as a sophomore and junior.
Jr. WG 6-2 Ryan Lynch had an active third quarter scoring five points,
and helping propel a
Prep comeback. One-sidenote: Since the Prep's guards are young, coach Kevin Kelly
is forced to use Barker at the point for a lot of minutes. I feel this may take away from
Mike's offensive game. Most of his shots, when I have seen him, have come off isolations
and breakdown type sets. Rarely do I see him coming off screens for open looks, like he
has in the two previous seasons. He obviously has a nice stroke, but has had trouble
getting to use this season. From a far he seems to accept his role and still plays with a
ton of passion. With the win the Prep has kept its playoff hopes alive. The same may not
be true for the Burrs. This was a devasting loss for a team that had some high
expectations coming into this season. Their pulse is not dead, but
is dangerously close to subsiding. West was once again led by sr. WG Nate Lewis
(7-for-15 FG's, 18 points, 5 rebounds) as he hit three threes and had a couple others go
halfway down, only to see them them spill out. Other than Lewis, no Burr scored more than
five points. West started off strong, and led 22-13 with just under a minute remaining in
the first half. However,
a Barker three-point play ended the half, and then West watched the Prep score the first
seven points of the third quarter to take their first lead. Sr. PG Terrell Jackson
(5 assists, 3 steals) and the defensive play of sr. WG Mike D'Elia on
Barker were some of the other bright spots for the Burrs.
FEB. 8
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Masterman 60, Bodine 41
Something had to give here, as both teams
entered the game winless in PL play. Masterman (5-10) left no doubt, early, that they
would put one in the win column. Unbelievably, Masterman led 37-8 at halftime. Masterman
has many tremendous students on their team. Sr. swingman 6-3 Kyle Wanamaker
and sr. F 6-3 Jeremy Kaplan have scored 1350 and 1330, respectively, on
their SAT's. Wanamaker is a National Merit finalist. Both rank in the top fifteen of
students in the whole public school system. They showed that they could play a little
also. Kaplan scored 9 of his 10 points in the first quarter, while pulling in 11 rebounds
and blocking 3 shots. Wanamaker chipped in with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Jr.
WG Labeeb Muhammad showed cat-like quickness. He came off the bench to
score a game high 22 points, while dropping 5 dimes. He showed good ability of get to the
rim for flashy baskets. He also shot 10-for-12 from the line. I left impressed with 6-3
soph F Brian Hosley (10 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks) who was very
active around the basket. He is very quick off his feet and was smooth on some putbacks.
He needs to add weight and get stronger, but he could turn into a nice player. Sr. PG Ethan
Conner-Ross (4 assists) didn't look to shoot much, but did a nice job in
directing the team. Bodine (0-14) coming in had lost it's games by an average score of
34.3 points per game. In that respect, losing by nineteen wasn't so bad. However, after
looking at it, the game wasn't that close. Bodine was led by sr. WG Vincent Smart (16
points, 7 rebounds) who's damage was mostly done late, as he scored 13 points in the final
stanza. Smart may have started a new trend, as he wore an Atlanta Falcons Chris
Chandler jersey during pre-game warm-ups. Sr. 6-2 F Mike Flemming
added 9 points and 5 rebounds for Bodine. Sr. 6-2 F Joe Grinkewicz
hustled for 7 rebounds. Bodine shot just 18-for-61 (29.5%) from the field and a chilling
3-for-16 (18.8%) from the line. For the last two-minutes of the game, Masterman's line-up
featured no one over 5'8". Despite the poor records of the teams, for the most part
the kids played hard and clean.
FEB. 4
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Roman 69, West Catholic 51
This one was much closer than the final score indicates. With
5:50 to play, sr. PG Jim Kelly (3 assist, 3 steals) hit a long three that
found nothing but the bottom of the net, giving Roman a 47-40 lead. From this point on,
the Cahillites (15-3) took advantage of rushed shots and
intentional fouling (12-for-12 FT's, in 4th quarter) by the Burrs to expand their lead.
The game was intense throughout, with four technical fouls being called. The last one, by
Roman star sr. PF 6-6 Tamal Forchion got him ejected from the game. This
means that Roman will be without Tamal for Thursday's game versus Bonner. Forchion was
tossed for cursing at a West
player, with only 2 minutes to play and his team up by twenty. Other than his late-game
antics, Forchion dazzled by scoring 19 points, to go along with 10 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Forchion who missed his first two shots of the game, made his last eight. Four of his
field goals were rim-shaking dunks. On one sequence, Forchion grabbed a rebound off a
missed West shot and as he turned, no one was in front of him. He proceeded to
dribble the length of the court, a la
Charles Barkley, for a thunderous slam. I think with some work on his
ballhandling, Forchion has an excellent chance to thrive in George Washington's up and
down style. Sr. PG-WG 6-2 John Huggins (5 assists, 3 steals) once again
was very impressive. Huggins shot 8-for-11 from the field, 8-for-10 from the line, for a
game high 24 points. He showed his athletic ability with a tremendous one-handed slam late
in the first quarter. I think Huggins can definitely play at a D-1 level. Possibly, La
Salle or Drexel locally. Sr. F 6-5 Brent Welton added 17 points and 8
rebounds. If Brent continues to play as he is, then Roman will be very formidable come
playoff
time. Sr. WG Steve Brodzinski struggled with his shot, but dished out
seven dimes. Sr. WG and football star Joe McCourt played hard off the
bench, giving his team some nice defensive moments. The Burrs (10-10) were pesky
throughout and gave coach Bill Ludlow a good all-around effort. Sr. WG
6-2 Nate Lewis once again struggled out of the gate, but zoned in during
second half. Lewis (19 points, 10 rebounds) connected on 4-of-8 from beyond, and finally
looked like he was comfortable shooting the ball. Sr. WG Mike D'Elia
(4-for-6 FG's,
11 points, 3 assist) played one of his strongest games of the year. He also showed why
pound-for-pound he is one of the toughest players around. With the 225-pound Forchion
gathering-up a head a steam, D'Elia stepped in and a took charge on the big fella that
damn near knocked him onto Henry Avenue. Luckily, as always Mike shook it off and
did not exit the game. Sr. F 6-4 Mike Bazemore (7 points) played a
physical and tough game for the undersized Burrs. To the Burrs' credit, they trailed by
eleven at half, but fought back rather than throw in the towel. The game was played at
Phila. University. The attendance was good, but not great. I wouldn't mind seeing future
Roman games there.
FEB. 2
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Carroll 73, West Catholic 60
Anybody in the mood to see a perfect half of basketball at the
offensive end? Try and grab the tape of this game. The Pats (11-5) executed almost
perfectly in the second half. As a team, they shot 16-for-19 (84.2%) from the field, and
10-for-10 from the line after the intermission. Somebody turn up the AC!!! This was a
spirited and competitive game at the midpoint of the third quarter, as Carroll led by only
42-39. That's when super soph PG Kashif Payne took over. Payne played the
best half of basketball that I've seen this year. It all started when he stuck a left-wing
trey to build the lead up to six. He followed that up with a driving finger-roll, and then
a floater from the baseline. Scoring seven straight points, and for all intents and
purposes putting a dagger in the Burrs' upset bid. Payne (23 points, 10 assists, 3
rebounds) shot 6-for-6 from both the field and the line during the second half. I love the
way this kid plays the game. He's seemingly always under control and focused. Carroll's
other super soph, PF 6-7 Jordan Ingram (7 rebounds) scored 12 of his 16
points in the first half, and shot 6-for-7 from the field for the game. A lot of his hoops
came off of nice feeds from Payne for chippies. He also used his distinct height advantage
for putbacks. He may need to become a tad bit tougher to become a really dominate player.
For all the other ingredients are there for him to be a D-1 prospect in the years to come.
Yet another soph, F 6-5 Kyle Giresi (14 points, 7 rebounds), also
impressed. This kid just goes out and does what's asked of him. Plays extremely hard and
smart. Showed a nice touch on a couple of foul line jumpers. Will probably have a nice
career, despite playing in the shadows of fellow sophs Payne and Ingram. Sr WG 6-2 Dave
Hoopes (11 points) was limited by foul trouble, but came up with some timely
baskets nonetheless. He hit a big three in Carroll's third quarter spurt. Sr. F/defensive
stopper Ted Piotrowicz was his usually relentless self
and did a nice job in helping his team break a trapping Burrs defense after made baskets.
Carroll coach John "J.R." Roe, who in the past has seemed to
follow the John Chaney rule on substitutions, by not going deep into his
bench, altered and did so in this one. Roe played nine kids throughout, and got quality
minutes from everyone. Frosh PG 6-2 Mike Springman , sr. F Jason
Meixsell, jr WG Ned Dougherty (hit a big three). and jr. F 6-5 Evan
Dittler (3 rebounds), who is just back from an injury, all did respectable jobs
for the Pats. For the game, Carroll shot a sweltering 26-for-39 (66.7%). The Burrs (10-9)
played hard for the most part, but had no answer for Carroll's second half onslaught. They
seemed to lose their defensive focus in the second half. Sr. WG Nate Lewis
(5 steals, 3 assist) was colder than Goodfellas' Frankie Carbone, who
when last seen, was hanging from a hook in a meat truck. Lewis shot just 1-for-14, and had
trouble getting in rhythm all evening. The play of sr. PG Amos Joway (17
points) has remained a bright spot for the Burrs. Joway, who shot 10-for-12 from the line,
is the team's sixth man, and has been the most consistent Burr for weeks now. He brings a
high level of intensity to the court every night. Plays with a ton of savvy, and
determination. D-3's need to get involved. Sr. PG Terrell Jackson (12
points, 5-for-8 shooting) had some nice moments, but did a poor job of defending Payne in
the second half. Soph F Brandon Wicker came off the bench to score 6
points and lead his team in rebounds with five. Former West player Bill Collins,
aka "Mega Man" from the show Big Brother, was in the house.
FEB. 1
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Eng. and Science 67, Lincoln 54
Leading by 32-28 in the early stages of the third quarter, the
Engineers (10-9) used a 14-0 run to pull away from the pesky Railsplitters (12-7). Sr. F
6-3 Olufemi Fadeyibi was a terror around the basket all afternoon. He
shot 9-for-15 from the field, and finished with 19 points and 18 rebounds. He is very
quick off his feet, and he uses the rim to his advantage for put-backs.
He had two, two-handed slams on the day. The first came, when he stripped a Lincoln player
at halfcourt and went in for a solo WOLF. Attention D-2s and 3s: This kid looks like a
hard worker, and will probably only get better. Sr. WG 6-6 Hal "Bone"
Housley (11 points) has good ballhandling skills and a long reach. He may still
be growing, as he still has a baby face. He is also worth a look-see. Sr. F Tabari
Seward (8 rebounds) was a energetic force off the bench for the Engineers. The
rest of E&S's performers are juniors. They all showed promise. PG Andre
Hightower (13 points) struggled with his shooting. However, he has nice form and
good court awareness. He seems to shoot the ball with confidence, they just didn't fall
today. PG-WG Justin Scott (10 points, 7 assist) also struggled with his shot, going
0-for-10 from the field. He did show leadership skills when the Engineers went to a
four-corner offense in the fourth quarter. During this time he connected on 9-for-10 from
the line and protected the ball nicely to seal the victory. I was really impressed with
6-6 F Matthew Jefferson, a high-riser. Jefferson, who finished with 5
blocks and altered many others, protects the basket with vengeance. On offense he is the
fifth option, but was 3-for-3 from the floor. This kid is a sleeper and has the potential
to be a defensive force. Lincoln was led by sr. WG 6-0 Garry Mills (6
rebounds) who tossed in a game-high 30 points. Mills shot just 9-for-25, including
2-for-10 from distance. He did have a knack of getting to the charity stripe, where he
finished 10-of-16. This kid is a scorer. On more than a few instances he went in amongst
the trees for nifty baskets. I would like to see him again on a bigger court. Jr. F 6-3 Nick
Martin (17 rebounds, 4 blocks) goes after everything. He is quick and aggressive.
Used his long arms to snatch a good portion of his rebounds. What made his rebounding
totals even more amazing, is that he spent a good amount of time on the bench because of
foul trouble. Other than sr. F 6-6 Raheim Wells (7 rebounds) the
Railsplitters did not receive much of a contribution. Football players sr. F 6-5 Andre
Coles (QB) and sr. F 6-3 James Sealy (WR) played quality
minutes, but had trouble producing like they did on the gridiron. The Railsplitters were
greatly hurt by the foul trouble sr. PG Marcus Jackson got himself into.
With no other pure point guards, Lincoln had trouble getting the ball upcourt. Kudos to
Engineers, jr. CK (clock keeper) Steve Foglia, who did an exceptional
job. Besides his clock duties, he's constantly helping the scorekeeper with points and
fouls. He does a good job of barking out instructions to players going into the game. I
like his spirit. He also had the line of the day. E&S coach C.M. Brown,
who constantly questions the table, mostly o keep his kids on their toes, approached once
and said, "# 32 has 4 fouls. See, I'm on top of things more than you guys."
Foglia responded with, "That's why your the man, Noodle." Drawing a chuckle out
of the coach.
JAN. 30
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Gratz 71, Parkway 56
In a battle for first place in Division B-C, this one was not
nearly as close as the final score indicates. Though the weather may have warmed up
outside, it was still cold as ice inside for the upstart Hoyas (9-5). Parkway shot an
arctic-like 16-for-62 from the field, a mere 25.8%. Hoya star sr. WG 6-2 Daniel
Rumph was Jack Frost (5-for-27) from the field, including just 1-for-14 from
beyond the arc. BRRRRRR!!! Rumph did hustle for 11 rebounds and 5 steals, and was able to
convert 12-for-16 from the line. The Bulldogs (13-2) got a dominant performance from their
frontcourt, as they put a hurting on the undersized Hoyas. Sr. Swingman 6-4 Michael
Cuffee continues to progress, and quite possibly, may have thrown his
name into the mix for PUB player of the year. Cuffee shot 7-for-12, for 17 points, and
hauled in 15 rebounds. He is without a doubt the most athletic player in the PUB. Jr. F
6-5 Michael Blackshear bullied his way to 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 4
steals. At times, he looked like a man playing amongst boys. Sr. F 6-4 Brandon
Millwood (5 rebounds) also had an effective game, as he shot 4-for-5 from the
field and 7-for-10 from the line for 15 points. He also blocked three shots, one went
crashing hard off one of the side-baskets, just above the Parkway bench. The Bulldogs
played a box-and-one defense on Rumph during the first half. Sr. CG Anthony Abrams,
jr. WG Augie Woodlin, and sr. F William McNeil took
turns on guarding him. All did an exceptional job. The Hoyas did get some quality minutes
from a couple of sophs. PGs Rashawn Dennis (10 points, 5 steals) and Javon
Alston (10 points, 4-for-5 FGs) showed some skills. Alston scored all of his
points in the fourth quarter, and hit two threes while showing perfect form. Sr. F 6-3 Dave
Jamison (8 rebounds) was Parkway's only inside presence. Gratz unleashed a 10-1
run at the start of the game and a 17-0 run at the start of the second quarter leaving no
doubt that they have been and still are the team to beat in the Public League. This was my
second time seeing Gratz, and I now believe that they are the team to beat in the Pub.
Only time will tell!!! Quite a few college coaches were in the house for this tilt. I
recognized the head coaches of Phila. University, Cabrini, and Widener. There were
probably a half dozen others who I did not recognize. I sat with tedsilary.com side- kick Amauro
"Mar" Austin, a snafu in scheduling had us end up at
the same game. We'll try to avoid such occurrences in the future.
JAN. 25
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Central 57, Penn 52
This game featured two of the better juniors in the
Public League. The Lancers (10-7) were led by their jr. CG 6-2 Sharif Bray
(24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists), who shot 7-for-11 overall, and was 4-for-6 from
distance. He also connected on 6-of-8 from the line. The Lions' (7-5) star jr. PG 6-3 Mustafa
Shakur had some nice open-court moves, but for the most part struggled with his
shot. Shakur finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists, but shot just
4-for-15. Make no mistake, despite his subpar performance this kid is a player. The
Lancers' Bray sort of lulls you to sleep, and then BANG!!! He'll hit a three. He has an
unconventional shot, but with its high arc, he gives it a chance to go in every time. Jr
6-3 swingman Khalif Leek is fearless. He contests everything. Despite
sitting out the entire third quarter (three fouls at half) he finished with respectable
numbers. Leek was 3-for-5 on FG's and 5-for-9 on FT's, for 11 points. He also added 9
rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. He is very active and extremely athletic. Sr.
PG Tim Forrest, who was also plagued by fouls, had some moments running
the offense. Jr. WG 6-2 Khary Kenyatta added a second half spark. He hit
a fade-away NBA three to end the third quarter giving the Lancers a 43-38 lead. He then
scored on Central's first possession of the fourth quarter. After that, both teams went
scoreless until the 4-minute mark, until Shakur hit a floater in the lane to draw the
Lions to within 45-40. Of the seven Lion' players who saw significant playing time, all
pulled in either four or five rebounds. Also, aside form
Shakur, they all scored between four and eight points. Soph F 6-3 Anthony
Harper had a nice game off the bench. He was very effective in keeping the ball alive
underneath, and chipped in with 8 points. Sr PG Robert Smith (4 assists)
played a steady game and is very quick. It was good to see an excellent turnout. Central's
gym has four sections of stands, I would say that they were about 90% full, mostly with
students. The crown was energetic throughout. After a driving layup by WP's Smith the
Lions drew within two, at 54-52 with :25 left. Bray (two) and Leek (one) iced game with
foul shots.
JAN. 23
CATHOLIC SOUTH
Neumann 85, O'Hara 68
A battle between two of the Daily News' Top 10 teams. The odd
starting time of 5 o'clock seem to hurt the turnout. I expected a few more people for this
game. Nonetheless, it was still entertaining, as the Pirates (11-4) pulled away from a
good O'Hara (13-4) team in the second half. Neumann, who was my preseason CL pick, has
struggled at times this year, but today they were running on all cylinders. The Pirates
shot 35-for-56 from the field, a blistering 62.5%. Just over a week ago I saw them against
Carroll and then
again against Hatboro-Horsham. They didn't seem to be playing
as team and looked a little unsure of themselves on offense. What ever coach Carl
Arrigale has implemented since then has definitely worked. Today, they were
looking for each other and at times put on a clinic. Sr. PG Cantrell
"Man-Man" Fletcher
(19 points, 6 assists, 8-for-14 FGs) sparkled. One thing I noticed about Cantrell, and
it's something I like, is his demeanor on the court. Of the games I've been to, he always
looks to be under control and it seems that he never gets caught up in trash-talking with
his opponents. Like most good players he does the most of his talking with his play. Sr C
6-8 Brandon Brigman shook off a rusty start to score 16 points on
7-for-11 shooting. He also blocked 3 shots and pulled in 10 boards. His nicest hoop came
after he took two or three hard dribbles from the wing to the baseline for a pull-up
12-foot jumper. Sr CG 6-2 Robert "Beattie" Taylor did a great
job in limiting O'Hara sniper jr 6-2 WG Chris Grandieri (16 points) to a
5-for-16 shooting performance. Taylor also tossed in 13 points, pulled 4 rebounds, dished
6 assists, and made 3 steals. Once again proving he can do a lot of things extremely well.
He also made the play of the game; in the waning moments of the first half he knocked
loose an errant Lions pass. Before the ball went out of bounds he calmly dribbled the ball
through his legs and dashed towards the top of the key. He then quickly found Fletcher in
the corner, whose shot twinkled nothing but the bottom of the net for a three, just before
the half ended. Jr. F strongman 6-6 Michael Haddix is a budding star. He
made a couple of beautiful drop-step type moves for baskets. He attempted only five shots,
connecting on four of them. He will be a major force next season when it is his time to
shine. Jr. F 6-6 Joel Green (9 points) continues to improve and he too
will have to be dealt with next season. Jr. zonebuster Chris Del Brocco
and Frosh PG Richard "Tabby" Cunningham saw quality minutes
when the game was still in doubt. They did nothing to hurt themselves for more playing
time in games to come. One last Pirate I need to mention is sr. WG 6-1 Jeff Thomas.
This kid played a flawless game. Though he has been buried on the bench for a good part of
the season, he went out and gave a tremendous effort. He was 4-for-4 from the field, for 8
points. He grabbed 4 rebounds, dealt 4 assists, made 4 steals, blocked 2 shots, and played
great defense. Early in the fourth quarter after one of his steals, he swept in for a
crowd pleasing one-handed jam. I hope for his sake that there were a few college coaches
in attendance. I believe he could help a D-2 or D-3 school. Jeff is the cousin of
ex-Pirate, now La Salle hoopster Victor Thomas. For the Lions, Sr F 6-5 Gene
Willard was his typical warrior self. Gene scored 20 points, and hustled for 7
rebounds. However, he did struggle from the line, where he went just 6-for-12. Jr. CG Harry
Dougherty made some drives to the hole for a couple of scores and passed out 5
dimes. Soph PG Craig Haywood connected on a couple of threes. The Lions
were in the game for a good portion, but really never became a threat after halftime.
JAN. 23
PUBLIC LEAGUE
Washington 53, Southern 51
A follow off a missed foul shot with 0:15 left by Sr. F
6-3 Tyrone Motley proved to be the difference for the Eagles (4-10). GW
plays a helter skelter type of basketball. They unleashed a full court press the entire
game. They are not the most talented team, but they play hard. Motley, besides providing
the last-second heroics, also shot 7-for-7 for 14 points, and pulled down 9 rebounds. He
along with sr. F 6-3 Jerry Johnson (10 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, 3
blocks) dominated the offensive glass. GW won the
battle of the boards 47-34. Johnson handled the ball decently,
played some strong defense, and showed some serious hops. He was also involved in the
prettiest play of the day. Johnson, who was inbounding the ball underneath Southern's
basket, found a streaking sr. WG Jamaal Collins (10 points), who rose and
caught the ball before laying it in. What made the play so nice was that Collins who is
only 6-0 had to rise extremely high to gather it in. Collins, GW's leading scorer had
trouble getting on track. He was successful on some drives to the hole, where he hung in
the air to avoid having his shot blocked before scoring. The Eagles got some good fourth
quarter play from jr. F 6-3 Curt Hall. Hall pilfered three during the
Eagles' comeback; he also got three offensive rebounds and two pivotal putbacks. Jr. F 6-4
Tyreece Harris (7 rebounds) had some moments for the Eagles. This was a
devastating loss for the Rams (7-11) and for their quest to garner one of the eight
playoff spots within their division. Southern led nearly the entire game. The Rams had
only nine players in uniform. Of the nine, three are freshman. All three freshman were in
the starting lineup. They were, PG 6-1 Antoine Brown (6 points, 7
rebounds, 4 steals), F 6-5 Shawn Sabb (9 rebounds, 5 blocks, 3 steals),
and CG Keith Grimes (4 rebounds, 3 assist). Saab is a pretty steady force
on the defensive end. All had good moments, but the lack of experience probably hurt them
in the fourth quarter. Sr. WG Kyle Jones (19 points, 10-for-12 FT) has a
nice stroke and knows how to score. However, he sat a good part of the fourth quarter when
coach George Anderson became displeased with his lack of hustle. It
wasn't a coincidence that the Rams only scored six points in the final stanza. Sr WG Curtis
Easley (11 points, 5 rebounds) was more under control this time around compared
to when I saw him early this season. After Motley's go-ahead basket the Rams neglected to
call timeout. Easley dribbled hard up court and found Jones who launched an NBA distance
three with two defenders in his face. The shot was not badly missed and shot out to the
left wing where Brown retrieved it. He drove hard to the baseline and let go with an
eight-foot jumper that just missed as the clock expired.