2011 NPSAA Canadian Champs

Semi-final 1 YAAACE vs. PHASE 1

By: Umar Ali

The Cinderella Story of the tournament came to a screeching halt as YAAACE shot its way into the finals, convincingly knocking off PHASE 1 85-59

From the end of the first quarter YAAACE held a double-digit advantage and never let it slip, outscoring PHASE 1 in every quarter except the fourth when the game was well out of reach.

Trailing for the first eight minutes it took just one player to get YAAACE back in the game.

Raheem Isaac had kept YAAACE on the board to start as he had four-of-five points but he closed the quarter hitting an astonishing five straight 3-pointers to give YAAACE a 22-12 at the end of one. Isaac scored all but three of YAAACE’s baskets and assisted on the only other field goal in the quarter, he finished with a game-high 24 points, all coming in the first half.

“Raheem he has it in him, sometimes he brings it sometimes he doesn’t, but he brought it today,” said Devon Thompson, head coach of YAAACE.

Despite the lopsided result, it looked like PHASE 1 would be able to carry its strong play from the first two days of the tournament jumping out to a 10-5 lead.

But the torrid run seemed to deflate PHASE 1’s spirits and the momentum clearly shifted in YAAACE’s favour as shots started to fall for others. What it really sparked was YAAACE’s defence, who forced two eight-second violations with their full court press, holding PHASE 1 to only 10 points in the second quarter.

“We talked about it yesterday that these guys got to bring up the intensity on defence, which they did. Raheem really sparked them with his energy closing out the first quarter, I’m just glad they got it together today,” said Thompson.

Fortunes didn’t change in the second half, as the outside shooting of YAAACE combined with its smothering D took PHASE 1 completely out of the game. Through the first three quarters YAAACE had connected on 13 shots from beyond the arc, helping from deep was Kamar McKnight who had six 3-pointers, leading to 21 points.

YAAACE now awaits the winner from the second semi-final and is knows exactly what it needs in order to be crowned the National Prep School Champions.

“We got to bring the same defensive energy, the energy we had in the second quarter we need to bring for the whole 40 minutes of the game regardless of who we’re playing,” added Thompson. “Both teams are good teams, they have their strengths and their weaknesses, we just got to bring the intensity and keep it going.”

Semi-final 2 REDA vs. Grass Roots Academy

In a game that was as evenly matched as it gets, the final minute decided who would move onto the gold medal game.

Off of a pair of free throws with no time remaining, REDA took the 96-95 decision over Grass Roots.

However, the W wasn’t earned without any controversy.

The deciding points were awarded to Grant Mullins, who finished with a team-high 27 points, as Grass Roots was called for a foul on his leaning 3-point attempt as time expired. It was not a popular call with the Grass Roots contingent, who had 10 less fouls called against them, but it was a situation that could have been avoided entirely.

After Nik Staukas gave Grass Roots a one point edge with 11 seconds remaining, REDA desperately looked for a game winning shot only to turn the ball over with 1.9 seconds to play. Needing only to run some time to secure the win, Grass Roots inexplicably threw the ball out of bounds on the inbound and gave REDA its last chance.

“It’s tough when there’s that much speed that much talent on the floor for two guys to be able to do it, if there were a third guy maybe that would have helped,” said Tarry Upshaw, REDA head coach. “I wouldn’t want to be those guys so I’m not saying anything negative.”

It was a furious finish that culminated a competitive fourth quarter that saw both teams go on runs before the closing minute.

The game began with both teams trading baskets as it looked like it was going to be an old fashioned shootout—that’s when REDA decided to step on the gas.

Behind its relentless plan to push the ball at every opportunity, REDA jumped out to an early advantage and never let up. The early going was highlighted by Brian Rouse’s emphatic slam dunk giving him nine points in the quarter leading REDA to the 31-19 advantage after one.

Facing a runaway train Grass Roots responded with an immovable object.

Behind 19 first half points from Rohan Boney who finished with a game-high 31, Grass Roots was able to cut into the lead and get within striking distance. A large part of their success was their ability to slow down REDA’s relentless pace and make it a half-court game, which REDA struggled to adjust to.

With momentum slowly shifting in Grass Roots favour, in the third quarter the tides would change.

Within the first minute of the second half Grass Roots got two quick baskets to tie the game and would continue to attack the rim, keeping the pressure on REDA.  It wasn’t long after Grass Roots would take its first lead since the early in the first quarter and built on the widening the gap.

Leading the charge was Staukas who poured in eight points in the quarter to help Grass Roots build a lead as nine. If not for a 5-0 run by REDA to close out the quarter it would have been a much tougher margin to deal with in the final 10 minutes, 72-68 after the third.

“I knew going into the game it was going to be a full game, it wasn’t going to be a win by 20 where we’re coasting but we’re used to that, that’s what we try to do every single time out,” said Upshaw.

The win takes REDA into the final to face YAAACE in a battle of the top teams in the NPSAA. In two games this season, YAAACE has come out on top and REDA will be hoping the third times the charm.

“One step away from our goal, we’re still not there fully, we need another 40 minutes of hard work to get where we want to be. Getting to the final wasn’t our end goal, we want to win the final,” added Upshaw.

Bronze Medal Game – Grass Roots Academy  vs. PHASE 1 Academy

It was a battle of the pool leaders, in a game neither wanted to play in.

After round-robin play Grass Roots and PHASE 1 stood atop their respective pools but were knocked off in the semi-finals and resorted to the consolation final that Grass Roots fought back to take a 99-90 decision.

Trailing for most of the first three quarters, Grass Roots mounted a furious comeback in the final 10 minutes to pull away from a battling PHASE 1 side, behind Nik Stakaus’ team-high 27 points.

Looking deflated from its previous loss, Grass Roots came out the gate  flat as the defensive intensity was certainly lacking. PHASE 1 capitalized early trying to redeem itself after an embarrassing showing in their semi-final and took a six point lead into the break, 53-47.

For a contest that resembled a pickup game for much of the evening both teams traded baskets until it came to winning time and Grass Roots clamped down to hold PHASE 1 to 13 points in the final quarter.

Leading all scorers was Johneil Simpson whose strong play throughout the tournament was a refreshing bright spot for the young PHASE 1 squad, finishing with 31 points.

Gold Medal Game   

It took two days and 14 games to get to this point but the championship game pitted the NPSAA’s top two teams against each other to decide prep school supremacy at the inaugural Nation Prep School Championship.

After falling in the first two meetings the third try was the charm for REDA taking the 96-81 victory over YAAACE.

Shooting the ball efficiently REDA pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring YAAACE 34-26. It was just the culmination of a game long struggle to try and avert the inside scoring of YAAACE and capitalize on its opportunities as they came.

“Our guys came to battle, at the end of the day I think our defence is what won it for us because we work on our defence a lot,” said Tarry Upshaw, REDA head coach. “Our rotations are tight and our kids they’re warriors, we’re 12 deep and every day in practice we get after it. It’s a war in practice just like it’s a war during the games.”

Leading the way was tournament MVP Grant Mullins who finished with a game-high 24 points.

“In my opinion he’s the best point guard in the class of 2012…he’s just a tremendous basketball player,” added Upshaw.

The large margin seemed to deflate YAAACE, as the strings began to unravel with frustration starting to boil over and teammates appearing to be squabble instead of fighting through to the next possession.

It was a result unforeseen after a relatively close first half.

The first quarter saw both teams trading baskets, with YAAACE taking a slight edge after one, 18-15. A response from REDA came in the form of shooting from Grant Mullins and slashing from Brian Rouse, to climb back and take the lead heading into the half 43-38.

Also aiding the cause was REDA’s fast break changing the complexion of the half by getting early offence, while YAAACE struggled to score as they failed to establish the post-game to take advantage of their size on the inside.

By: Umar Ali

It was a contrast of styles to start the day as the smooth shooting Grass Roots contingent squared off against the intimidating inside attack of YAAACE and the silky outside touch came away victorious 93-83.

Despite the 10-point margin it was a close game throughout with Grass Roots pulling away in the final three minutes.

Off of a Rhaeem Isaac layup YAAACE trailed 80-77 with 3:55 remaining and looked to be within striking distance but back-to-back three pointers pushed the lead back to nine and Grass Roots wouldn’t look back. The outside shooting was a large part of the attack for Grass Roots, who connected on 11 trifectas in the game compared to only two for YAAACE.

Many of those threes came off the hand of Mike L’Africain who finished with a team-high 18 points with four triples. Leading all scorers was Micqueel Martin who finished with 20 on the afternoon.

For the first three quarters it was neck-in-neck as both teams had their share of the lead. No quarter better exemplified this than the third, where there were seven lead changes between the two clubs and it was a narrow 66-65 edge for YAAACE heading into the fourth –that’s when the outside shooting turned it around.

Unable to keep pace with the gunners on Grass Roots, it was too much too to handle for YAAACE who were relying on their size to score baskets.

A perfect example of the stark difference of approach on the offensive end came in the first quarter where YAAACE scored all but two of its 27 points in the paint or at the free throw while Grass Roots stayed close by knocking down outside shots.

They would continue to shoot it successfully in the second quarter and opened up an 11-point advantage with 2:37 to go in the first half. Grass Roots would’ve pulled away heading into the break, if not for a 6-0 run by YAAACE to close out the second quarter.

The win put Grass Roots at the top of the Pool B standings, while YAAACE faced a win or go home game in its next matchup.

GAME 2 – Next Level Prep Academy vs. New Creation Prep

Both teams entered the day with a loss on its record and both needed to pull out a W if they had any hopes of playing on Saturday.

Facing such a situation must have inspired Next Level Prep, as the undermanned squad outgunned New Creation Prep to take the 89-64 decision.

Down the stretch the three-point shooting of Next Level was too much for New Creation to overcome as they couldn’t break the double-digit barrier in the fourth quarter. The three-point disparity was a large factor in the inability to make a game of it, as Next Level drained 12 from the land beyond while New Creation managed only three triples.

Leading the way for Next Level was Jamal Pryce who finished with 22 points, while Wells Davis led all scorers with 24.

Even more impressive than the outside stroke was the fact that Next Level played much of the game shorthanded. With only six players dressed, Next Level managed to ward off fatigue and come away with the win.

Opening the game by taking an early 10-2 lead, Next Level withstood a charge from the team from Indiana, as New Creation stormed back and led by one after the first quarter, 18-17. Heading into halftime it seemed like another close finish was in store as Next Level had managed to regain control and held a 38-35 edge at the break.

That’s when the wheels came undone for New Creation.

A shooting clinic to start the second half put the game out of reach in a hurry as a 12-point margin was opened up heading into the final quarter and would not be squandered.

Securing the win put Next Level in a position to control its own destiny as its next game would come against YAAACE in a winner-takes-all contest with the victor getting a chance to play in the semi-finals. The loss sealed New Creation’s fate as they were eliminated from qualifying for the knockout round.

GAME 3 – PHASE 1 Academy vs. C.I.A. Bounce Academy

The two teams who pulled off the most unexpected wins on Day 1 would be pitted against one another on Day 2 with the winner taking control of a wide open Pool A.

Shocking everyone, once again, was the unheralded PHASE 1 Academy who rode the intensity and emotion running throughout the gym to hand Bounce Academy a 73-64 loss.

There was no comeback needed for PHASE 1 this time around as they held a strong lead heading into the fourth and didn’t let it slip. Though Bounce did manage to cut a once 15-point fourth quarter lead to five with less than two minutes to play, PHASE 1 maintained its composure and handed the ball to their big man, Raviel Burton, to ice the game.

It was Burton’s thunderous and-one slam followed by another and-one layup that kept PHASE 1 ahead, as the lanky centre finished with 21 points going along with an astonishing 10 blocks while teammate Johneil Simpson continued his strong play in the tournament to finish with a team-high 22. Bounce’s Tyrell Green put in a game-high 23.

Throughout the afternoon PHASE 1 established itself by playing tenacious defence. On every shot by Bounce there seemed to be two sets of hands in the shooters face as no attempt was left uncontested. Holding Bounce to 15 points in the third quarter allowed PHASE 1 to take its largest lead of the game into the final frame where it had too much momentum on its side to let slip.

In a game that started with both teams struggling to find the hoop, each had only a single field goal after three minutes, its surprising PHASE 1 came out on top seeing after five minutes they had more air balls then field goals.

Combining for only 19 points in the first quarter was forgettable to say the least, Bounce led 11-8.

However, the shots started to drop and it game began to look like a close contest as there were four lead changes heading into the half with PHASE 1 going on a late run to take a 30-23 edge into the locker room.

They would never look back.

With the win, PHASE 1 claimed top spot in Pool A and would await REDA in its next match while Bounce would wait to see how that contest played out before it even took the floor to decide whether or not it would be playing on Saturday.

GAME 4 – Grass Roots vs. New Creation

Entering this game both teams’ fate was sealed as Grass Roots had clinched a berth into the semi-finals while New Creation was still searching for its first W.

Though a major upset wasn’t to be, the kids from Indiana gave the top seed a run for their money falling 102-96 in an absolute shootout.

Trailing by two to start the fourth, Grass Roots managed to stay close with New Creation until there was only 1:45 to play when they took their first lead, 96-94, since the six minute mark of the third quarter. The lead stood in the final minute when a clutch rebound by Rohan Boney with less than a minute to play forced New Creation to foul, sealing the victory for Grass Roots.

It was an offensive foray for most of the match, as the battle of the 11’s took centre stage.

Highly touted prospect Nik Staukas got off to a blistering start scoring 20 of his 27 points in the first half while William Masse came away with a game-high 31 off of five three-pointers, with 18 coming in the second half.

The lack of defence was something Bounce head coach Anthony Otto felt was severely lacking.

“Honestly, for this game it was a terrible performance, it wasn’t a good representation at all but we’ll take the W,” Otto said. “Tomorrow we definitely need to get stops, you can’t win giving up uncontested shots. That can’t happen tomorrow.”

Coming into the game with no wins in the tournament, New Creation had little else but pride to play for and it certainly did a stand up job doing just that. Trailing for all of the first half, down 58-51 at the break, it was the start of the third quarter that spurred the comeback.

An 11-4 run by New Creation in the first five minutes of the second half got them even with Grass Roots, who seemed complacent with its big lead. It was then Masse would start his three-point assault, scoring 12 points in the quarter to give New Creation a 78-76 edge after three quarters of play.

As effective as Masse was at scoring, New Creation deserves credit for slowing down the smooth shooting Staukas, who had only seven points in the second half. Yet when he could no longer fill it up, Grass Roots turned to Ben Davis who chipped in 25, mixing up his offence inside and outside.

GAME 5 – REDA vs. PHASE 1 Academy

It was a must-win game for REDA if it had any hopes of playing on Saturday and for PHASE 1 the point differential could have meant playing or not in the semi-finals.

Both teams got just that, as REDA came away with the 67-61 victory, while PHASE 1 managed to maintain a point differential to land it in the semis.

Though it was a one-sided affair, the story was the closing minute of the game that saw a seemingly meaningless last-second layup by Josh Bell, who scored a game-high 17, turn into the biggest basket of the game.

The two points Bell scored gave PHASE 1 a one point edge over REDA in the tie breaker to land it an unexpected no.1 seed in Pool A.

“This weekend is the culmination of the hard work we’ve been putting in since October,” PHASE 1 head coach Wayne Dawkins said. “We’ve been going hard six days a week, training, practicing and working to get to this point where what we do on the floor is a reflection of that.

“I think the big thing is my guys understand that talent alone is not going to win basketball games and that’s something I instilled in them and if we rely on talent to win basketball games we’ll go back to losing miserably but a team with hard work can beat a team with talent any day. These guys have really bought into that.”

Though the layup might have landed REDA a date with undefeated Grass Roots, it’s a battle their head coach is willing to accept.

“Our guys step up to challenges, we’ll be ready to play,” REDA head coach Tarry Upshaw said. “I’ve got a pretty good feel of how they’re going to play and with us I think people underestimate us. If we get the W we’re in the finals, that’s been our goal all year, we’re 40 minutes away from our goal and I feel pretty happy about that.”

Though REDA led for most of the way, PHASE 1 managed to keep it close, as there were seven lead changes in the second half before REDA went up with 7:46 remaining and never let the lead slip.

A large part for REDA’s success was its ability to get easy baskets inside the paint, by way of big man Meshack Lufile who finished with a team-high 13 points.

After a sluggish start for both squads, it seemed REDA was going to run away with the game leading by nine with less than five minutes to play in the first half. A 10-2 run by PHASE 1 to close out the second quarter, however, cut the lead to just one at the break, 31-30.

The third quarter would see both teams trade baskets in an end-to-end battle. But it was still the size of REDA that was too much for PHASE 1 to overcome.

Despite the win, REDA was awarded a date with Grass Roots in one of the semi-finals, while PHASE 1 awaited the winner of the next game to see who their opponent would be.

GAME 6 – YAAACE vs. Next Level Prep Academy

It was quite simple for both teams heading into this game—win or go home.

Fuelled by being left out of the action on Saturday, YAAACE outlasted a shorthanded Next Level Prep Academy in a thrilling 80-78 victory.

After entering the fourth quarter with an eight-point lead it gained from a 12-3 run to close out the third, YAAACE allowed Next Level back in the game with its outside shooting, as it took less than three minutes for it to be all even at 66.

At that point both teams traded baskets with neither going up by more than three until YAAACE seemed to ice the game on an Emmanuel Ajayi dunk that pushed the spread to five, 79-74, with 24 seconds to play. Though it seemed to be over, Tyler Scott hit a three on the ensuing play and cut the lead to two, 79-77, and then Micqueel Martin split a pair of free throws giving Next Level one last chance to claim the final semi-final spot.

An errant shot and fumbled rebound led the ball to go out of bounds to YAAACE who then in turn threw the ball away on the inbounds only to see Next Level miss its last-second tying attempt, letting YAAACE off the hook.

How it ever got so close is astonishing considering Next Level was relegated to only five men, as Bikram Gill was lost to injury in the opening quarter.

Behind Ryan Augustine’s game-high 24 points Next Level nearly pulled off the unthinkable but couldn’t make the baskets when it needed it most. Ajayi led YAAACE with 21 points off the bench.

Though his team nearly squandered a seemingly winnable game head coach Devon Thompson is focused on the light at the end of the tunnel.

“It’s a better showing then last weekend in Pennsylvania, we were really flat [and] went 0-3, [with] two-of-three wins, hopefully we put all our bad games behind us,” said Thompson who went on to explain what it will take for his team to advance against PHASE 1.

“Energy and intensity that’s what we need on defence and to get on the boards, we’ve got to use our height. The guards got to go inside to the big guys a little bit more. I think there’s a little too much guard play, we have an advantage on the inside and we’re not using it and that’s what we’re going to need.”

It was a tight affair from the opening tip as neither team held a double-digit lead at any point  and anytime YAAACE seemed to pull ahead Next Level would respond with a run to cut the deficit down to a single possession.

The win puts YAAACE into the semi-finals to face PHASE 1, a team it’s never lost to in three meetings this year in the NPSAA season.

GAME 7 – Starting 5 Academy vs. Bounce

With both teams out of the running for the semi-finals, it was a contest more likened to a glorified pickup game than anything.

It was a tale of two halves but for Starting 5 they would secure the only win of the tournament with a 106-101 win over Bounce.

Starting 5 was led by the two-man tandem of Martin Dickson-Green and Negus Webster-Chan who scored 39 and 21 points respectively.

The second half was completely dominated by Starting 5 who never led at any point in the first half and trailed 49-43 at the break.

It didn’t take long before the floodgates opened to start the third quarter as Starting 5 continuously attacked the basket and capitalized on its size advantage to take care of the smaller Bounce squad.

Surprising the way it turned out, seeing how Bounce dominated the first half by getting out in transition and getting easy buckets. Yet fatigue appeared to set in late and the legs of Bounce were no longer there to close out the game.

Leading the way for Bounce was Malcolm Dunvivier who scored a team-high 19 points.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/npsaa-championship (Day 1 Games)

By: Umar Ali

With March Madness kicking off on Thursday, PHASE 1 and the NPSAA gave Toronto hoops fans a slice of the action as the inaugural National Prep School Championship tournament got underway at Seneca College’s Newnham Campus.

Eight teams were invited to the three-day tournament and were separated into two pools. Headlining Pool A was the host PHASE 1 Academy, along with fellow NPSAA member REDA, C.I.A. Bounce Academy and from Durham region Starting 5 Academy. In Pool B, YAAACE was grouped with Grassroots Academy, New Creation Prep and Next Level Academy.

Over the first two days teams would participate in three round-robin games, with the top two teams in each pool moving onto the semi-finals and finals to be held on Saturday.

With five games scheduled on day one there was a lot of action to take in.

GAME 1 – REDA vs. C.I.A. Bounce Academy

What better way to open the tournament than with an upset? This is exactly what Bounce Academy did holding off REDA late to win 90-86 in an overtime thriller.

It looked like Bounce was ready to pull away with just five minutes to play in regulation, leading by six, before REDA responded with its second surge of the afternoon.

Led by Brian Rouse, who finished with a team-high 21 points, REDA managed to regain the lead with just 30 seconds to play. Both teams shot free throws to close out the quarter and were knotted up at 75 after 40 minutes—that’s when Malcolm Dunvivier woke up.

After scoring 16 points in the first two quarters, the smooth shooting guard had a quiet second half before opening up overtime with back-to-back jumpers and eventually icing it, scoring eight in the extra frame, finishing the day with a game-high 32 points.

A team comprised of mostly sophomores, Bounce showed no signs of being intimidated by the bigger and older REDA squad as they battled valiantly throughout the afternoon.

It was a shock the game even needed extra time as REDA trailed for most of the first half, as they came out of the gate looking rather flat. Trailing 43-30 at halftime it wasn’t looking good in the early going as Bounce was able to score off its perimeter shooting while REDA struggled to establish its low-post game in the half court.

Regardless, REDA managed to pull itself back into the game with a 15-4 run to open the second half and took its first lead of the game, 47-46, with 5:00 remaining in the third quarter. They would outscore Bounce 31-16 in the quarter and led by two heading into the final period.

In the end, it was the clutch shooting of Dunvivier that would be the difference as Bounce opened up the tournament with a shocker.

GAME 2 – Grass Roots Academy vs. Next Level Prep

It was an ultimate game of runs in the second matchup of the day, as Grass Roots Academy and Next Level Prep flip-flopped who was in control throughout the afternoon.

Yet, in the end, the team that went on the last run was Grass Roots, as they held on for the 100-92 victory.

Up by 12 heading into the final frame it appeared Grass Roots was in complete control of the contest, as they had led by double-digits throughout the second half. Yet foul trouble to star forward Nik Staukas, who finished with a game-high 30 points, forced the high scorer to the bench and that’s when Next Level made its final run.

Despite trailing 85-79 with just under six minutes to play, Next Level cut into the lead by handing the ball to Theon Reefer who scored 11 points to bring his team within three points, down 93-90 with 2:23 to play. But it was too little, too late for Next Level, as Staukas hit one of his five three pointers to put the game out of reach.

The runs for both teams started right off the opening tip, as Grass Roots opened an 8-0 lead only to have Next Level go on a 7-0 run to get right back into the game. Keeping Next Level in it for most of the first half was the hot shooting of Ryan Augustine who hit three triples in the first half en route to a team-high 21 points.

Though undersized for the most part, Grass Roots made its mark attacking the basket and dishing to open shooters when the defence broke down. It was a large part of why the young squad took a 48-37 edge into the locker room at half, with standout Andrew Wiggins providing eight points off the bench.

Grass Roots would maintain a double-digit advantage for the entire third quarter up until the late surge from Next Level.

GAME 3 – PHASE 1 vs. Starting 5 Academy

With two comebacks falling short to open the competition, unheralded PHASE 1 would provide the first successful comeback of the tournament in its 76-65 decision over Durham region’s Starting 5 Academy.

In what can only be regarded as the biggest shocker of the day, the young PHASE 1 side was carried to victory by Johneil Simpson’s massive fourth quarter, scoring 15 of his game-high 25 points in the final frame.

It seemed momentum had carried over from the third quarter as PHASE 1’s defence cut into a double-digit lead and brought the game to within six heading into the fourth. It was that same defensive intensity that spurred most of the comeback as Starting 5 was held to just 10 points in the final 10 minutes of action.

A game it trailed since the second quarter, PHASE 1 didn’t regain the lead until there was only 3:24 remaining, as Simpson made one of his many running floaters in the lane to take a 60-59 lead —from that point on PHASE 1 never looked back.

Amazingly, Starting 5 controlled the game following the first quarter that was relatively competitive despite a sluggish start from both sides. Both teams slowed the pace down and the defence picked up from each side to start the next quarter and that’s when the zone became an effective weapon for both clubs.

Exploiting each other’s inability to shoot the outside jumper with any efficiency, it was Starting 5 who benefitted as they got points off turnovers, scoring in transition while PHASE 1 struggled to get the ball into big man Raviel Burton who had 10 first quarter points.

Leading 41-34 at the half, Starting 5 opened the third looking to demoralize PHASE 1, going on a 6-0 run. The deficit would be pushed to double-digits just before PHASE 1 went on a 33-12 run to close out the game and secure the W.

Both Leon Alexander and Damion Rashford finished with 18 points leading all Starting 5 players.

GAME 4 – YAAACE vs. New Creation Prep

The length and athleticism of YAAACE was too much to handle for New Creation Prep who fell 75-66 to coach Devon Thompson’s team.

It was far from an aesthetically pleasing affair as both teams committed well over 20 turnovers in a game that was more closely resembled soccer at times. Despite the sloppy play for most of the affair it was YAAACE’s defence in the fourth quarter that would be the difference, holding New Creation to a measly 11 points in the final frame.

Possessing a sizable advantage on the inside, it took 30 minutes before YAAACE realized its success would come by exploiting its noticeable strength on the interior. Once the guards bought into penetrating and attacking the rim as opposed to settling for outside jumpers the game was all but over for New Creation.

Though a lacklustre finish is what remains fresh in most observers’ minds it was a back-and-forth contest for the first three quarters, as the game was tied at 55 heading into the final 10 minutes.

It seemed neither team truly ever wanted the ball playing hot potato at times and consistently turning over the rock for a helter-skelter brand of basketball that was sometimes hard to watch. Neither team got into any sort of rhythm offensively, it wasn’t always the result of strong defence as it seemed unforced sloppy play was the cause of the low score.

In the first quarter the two teams combined to score only 26 points, as both teams had only a single field goal after six minutes of play. The following Q would be no better as YAAACE came away with over 10 steals to take a slight one-point edge into the half 35-34.

Leading all scorers was Emmanuel Ajayi with 15 points, while Chase Campbell and Marshall Bennett each had 13 points to lead New Creation.

GAME 5 REDA vs. Starting 5 Academy

Both teams entered the final game of the opening day in desperate need of a win if they had any hopes of playing on Saturday and only one would come away victorious.

A feeling a sense of urgency possibly fuelling the team, REDA came away with the only blowout of the first day of action convincingly handing Starting 5 Academy a 93-78 loss.

It was never really close as REDA led by double-digits for most of the game. Even when Starting 5 managed to bring the game to within nine points in the final quarter on two occasions they were always met with a response from REDA.

The final blow came from Brian Rouse, who finished with a game-high 19 points, bringing the house down with a spectacular slam on top of a defender that caused the gym to erupt and essentially ended Starting 5’s hopes of a miracle comeback.

Unlike its first showing in the tournament, REDA was able to establish its size down low and got good production from its big man tandem of Meshack Lufile and Nic Yantzi. Along with the getting meaningful minutes from the bigs, REDA’s defence was a large part of the success, holding Starting 5 to 11 first quarter points and under 30 in the first half, leading 44-29 heading into the break.

Though there was still plenty of time remaining in the third, it appeared Starting 5 had been deflated from its forgettable start and was out of sorts on both ends of the court and looked to concede defeat.

Leading the way for New Creation was Damion Rashford who finished with 16 points.

Collecting the win keeps REDA’s hopes of playing for the title on Saturday alive, while Starting 5 will most likely find itself on the outside looking in unless it can win its next contest by a large margin and get some help from other clubs along the way.

With the inaugural National Prep School Athletic Association season coming to a close, there was still the matter of determining who would be crowned champion.

In the spirit of amateur March hoops a titleholder will be determined through a tournament, as eight teams will participate in the NPSAA Canadian Championship at Seneca College Newnham Campus from March 17-19, to establish which Canadian prep school holds top spot. Teams will be split into two pools for round robin play to setup the semi-finals and finals to be held on Saturday, March 19^th.  

Along with having some of the best basketball academy teams the nation has to offer competing against one another, a number of highly touted recruits will be involved in the tourney showcasing their talent. Top 100 prospects Grant Mullins [REDA], Kadar Marshall [YAAACE], Tyler Scott [NLP], and Brian Rouse [REDA] are just a few of the recognizable names to be found in the competition.

Entry for the event is priced at $3 for students and $5 for adults and for those who can’t make it out for the action all the games will be broadcasted live via streaming courtesy of YAAACE.

With the tournament celebrating the growth of basketball in this country, PHASE 1 Academy and former Toronto Raptor Jerome ‘JYD’ Williams will also be holding a free basketball boot camp on Saturday morning for kids to participate in to get some elite training from some of the best in the business.

In addition to the events on the court, ‘JYD’ and his brother Johnnie Williams will host a brunch banquet on Saturday at the Days Hotel (just south of Seneca, for all the participants to give out NPSAA season awards.

The action starts Thursday afternoon and a complete schedule of games is available at www.npsaacanada.wordpress.com.

Still searching for its first win in NPSAA action AGBU would be hard pressed to claim its first victory against a vastly improving PHASE 1 squad.

The end result of the battle of the bottom feeders—the most lopsided finish in NPSAA history.

PHASE 1 completely dominated in the 130-33 dismantling of AGBU at the Alex Manoogian Cultural Centre.

It was a game that was never close as AGBU trailed 40-10 after a single quarter of play. Though they would manage 24 points by halftime, they would only score nine points the rest of the way.

Much of the unbalanced play can be attributed to PHASE 1’s effective use of the full-court press that consistently pressured an undermanned AGBU squad into countless turnovers, converted into uncontested layups.

Leading the charge for PHASE 1 was Johneil Simpson who finished with a game-high 36-points, scored primarily on easy drives to the hoop with little to no resistance to the undersized AGBU club.

Things got so out of hand the referee was forced to call the game in the fourth quarter before the final buzzer, possibly a half too late.

Looking ahead, PHASE 1 will have a tough test against REDA on March 2^nd at the Alex Manoogian Cultural Centre, while AGBU will have its hands full facing top-ranked and undefeated in NPSAA play YAAACE in the second game of a double-header.

Despite a sluggish start, Regional Elite Development Academy [REDA] held off the suddenly surging Metro Prep Predators for the 98-88 victory at the Alex Manoogian Cultural Centre.

It was a back-and-forth affair with transition baskets coming at a premium for both teams. Though the defence was leading to a number of turnovers it was a contest that was far from a defensive battle.

“Our biggest thing is defensively we were porous and because of that we couldn’t score on the offensive end,” said Tarry Upshaw, REDA head coach. “As the game went along we tightened up defensively and that’s why we went on a run, it’s because of defence not offence.”

Leading the way for REDA was its reliable inside presence Meshack Lufile who finished the game with a team high 26-points, while fellow senior Brian Rouse chipped in with 21. It was yet another dominating performance for Lufile, as he has consistently been one of REDA’s most potent offensive weapons, able to capitalize on his imposing size and soft touch on the inside.

“He’s an unheralded guy, in my opinion he should be in the top 100 for this class in the country,” said Upshaw. “I see kids every day that are ranked way higher than him, he’s not even on the list, and he just scores 30 points every time he plays [against them].

“I think he needs to get a bit more love from people but he’s a quiet, meek sort of guy…I don’t really promote him because I just believe if my guys are good people will see them. At the end of the day your game will speak for itself.”

To start the game it seemed Metro was ready to impose its trademark press to force REDA into turnovers and even when the top ranked team could get the ball over the half court it struggled to get into its sets as the Predators tenacious defence caused REDA fits, opening the game on a 10-2 run.

“I think we started with the same intensity as last week, but we’re playing a very good team, a very deep team and we knew it was only a matter of time before they came after us and made a game out of it,” said Lennox Holdford, Metro Prep head coach.

It didn’t take long for REDA to respond as the first quarter Metro led by four but the second frame would be where things heated up. Over the last five minutes of the first half there would be three ties and three lead changes with REDA eventually pulling ahead, 45-41 heading into the half.

Coming out of the break, Metro looked like it lost the spark it began the game with. Opening the second half on a 14-8 run REDA took control of the third quarter and would close on a 9-0 run to take a comfortable 77-61 lead into the final quarter.

“During the third quarter, we didn’t talk a lot on defence, we got caught backpedalling,” said Holdford. “We saw what they were doing, just like they made the adjustment to us we made our adjustment, but our boys were tired, our bench is not as strong as REDA’s.

“I think we made a game out of it, we recognized the defence they put on us and we recognized what we were doing wrong and we corrected it and it kept us in the game.”

One of the other things keeping Metro in the game was the scoring trio of Sebastian Micheneau, Jahmar Thompson and Te’jour Riley who scored 29, 26 and 20 points respectively, getting 75-of-88 points from the three starters wasn’t enough.

“I would rather see it average out where at least five guys scored 20 points, then maybe we would have won,” said Holdford. “The offence is there, we know it’s there for the three guys that scored 20 points, but again we have to get back on defence.

Though it was a well-deserved win there are still some loose ends REDA needs to solve. With only two more games left in the regular season, it’s time for REDA to prepare itself for the final leg towards the inaugural Canadian National High School Championship.

“We got to execute a little bit more, but Grant Mullins wasn’t here today and we’re a lot better in the quarter-court with Grant. I think we have to get our sets a little tighter and we got to be playing at the highest level, so our practices have been war.”

Up next, REDA will face PHASE 1 on March 2^nd at the Alex Manoogian Cultural Centre, while Metro Prep will enjoy a week off before its last match of the regular season on March 9^th against AGBU.

Even in the absence of its bench boss and big man in the second half, Metro Prep handed PHASE 1 Academy an 85-72 loss at Alex Manoogian Cultural Centre.

As the game looked to be slipping back into Metro Preps control to start the fourth a strange turn of events gave PHASE 1 some life.

First, with four fouls already Metro Preps Tejour Riley opted to foul PHASE 1’s newest addition big man Raviel, who finished with a team high 25 points, on the fast break essentially removing him from the game. Followed shortly after by two technical on Metro’s head coach, Lennox Holdford, ejecting himself from the game.

PHASE 1 would respond with an 11-4 run and cut into the lead and bring the game to within eight points with 2:00 remaining but would get no closer.

Much of the success can be attributed to offensive outburst from Sebastien Michineau who finished the game with 33 points, as he carried Metro Prep throughout the game.

“Sebastien right now is perhaps one of the toughest guards in the GTA,” said Holdford, filling in for the absent head coach Phil Dixon.

“He may not get [recognized] but we know he is the floor general. He looks for every challenge you put him on the court he tries to attack and find the weakness and try to keep our team in the game.

“Every time we step on the court these young men they improve game after game, it’s a learning process and we’ll go back to the gym and we’ll work on that.”

Along with Michineau’s fantastic showing, Jahmar Thompson added 21 points.

It appeared in the early going this would be a repeat of the last time these teams met when Metro embarrassed PHASE 1 by 30 points. Establishing its vaunted full court press Metro opened a big lead and halfway through the first quarter PHASE 1 trailed 19-2.

“We know defence always wins the game and that’s one of the things we emphasize in our practices,” said Holdford. “Every game we take it the same way, its defence, defence, defence and the offence will take care of itself.”

Even with the penchant for defence it appeared Metro became complacent in the second quarter and allowed PHASE 1 1 to crawl back into the game. Going into the half what was once a convincing double-digit lead had dwindled down to a mere four point edge for Metro.

“We’re having trouble out of the gate against the press but once we regroup and guys really settle into doing their jobs, then we’re fine,” said Wayne Dawkins, PHASE 1 Academy head coach.

“We keep on going through this adjustment period where we get rattled, regroup and make a run. But it’s tough when you dig a 15 point hole for yourself consistently and try to scrap back.”

Dawkins counterpart seemed to agree his team lost the edge it had started the game with and allowed PHASE 1 back in the game.

“Our guys weren’t running the plays, we’re trying to go one-on-one too much, they took us out our game for a bit,” said Holdford.

Yet all the momentum PHASE 1 had going into half seemed to stay in the locker room as they opened the third quarter by allowing Metro to go on an 11-0 run opening up a double-digit lead once again and eventually taking the game.

Despite the loss, Dawkins found some bright spots in the defeat.

“Last time this team beat us by 40 plus, now it’s a 14 point game but we had it to within a few points at different times. We’ve improved as a team but we still got some of the same demons we have.

“Right now it’s keeping our composure under pressure, that’s one of things that’s going to allow us to be successful. As we get closer to figuring that one out I think we can surprise some teams, so that’s one of our challenges that I brought to practice is to turn the pressure up so come game time it’s going to be normal.”

After an opening day full of excitement, the second instalment of the REDA Christmas Showcase left fans craving more high paced hoops action.

Day 1 began with an upset, as Etobicoke knocked off REDA in the opening game and concluded with a thriller, as CFCA held off J. Clark Richardson. 

With expectations running high, Day 2 wouldn’t disappoint as there was enough clutch shots and high flying slams to fill anyone’s stocking.

GAME 1 Etobicoke U17 Thunder Elite vs. REDA

With only five players, REDA got past Etobicoke U17 Thunder Elite in convincing fashion, 93-62.

It was a slow and gradual destruction, as REDA led 48-32 at half, despite having its big man, Meshack Lufile, in foul trouble with four personals. At one point, the REDA coaching staff was faced with the possibility of having to finish the game with only three players as Kyle Hankins also racked up four fouls in the second half.

Regardless, leading 75-49 with 9:20 remaining REDA was able to extend its lead in the second half, getting out in transition at every opportunity. Even in the half court, the Thunder had no answer for Lufile, who finished with a game high 31 points. Equally effective at getting to the rim was forward Charlie Droulin, who chipped in with 29 points along with having an effective game passing the ball.

GAME 2 J. Clark Richardson Storm vs. Metro Prep

In an absolute shocker, Metro Prep survived a late surge from the J. Clark Richardson Storm to hold on for the 93-89 victory.

After a 40-point blowout to CFCA the day before, little was expected from Metro against the Storm, who traded blows with the Conquerors till the final buzzer.

It was a game Metro Prep led from the start till finish, never squandering its lead or letting Richardson come any closer than two points in the second half. How it got so close, though, is something Metro would surely like to forget.

Leading by 19-points with 6:43 to go, Metro Prep looked to be in control and on its way to a convincing over the top ranked high school program. They learned quickly, in the famous words of Yogi Bera, ‘it aint over till it’s over.’

Slowly chipping away at the lead, the Storm brought the game to within striking distance, trailing 83-72 with three minutes to play. An and-one layup from Leon Alexander, cut the deficit to eight and was quickly followed by four free throws to bring the game to within two with 1:20 remaining, 85-83.

Looking to be gaining momentum, Richardson committed two blunders down the stretch, allowing a second chance layup and committing a costly turnover, ultimately cost them the game. What was a two point gap was turned into a seven point spread in less than a minute. Though Richardson would respond with two 3-pointers, it would be too late as time expired and Metro survived, despite its fantastic start. 

Right off the bat, Metro took control of the game in the first 30 seconds, as turnovers and errant shots were quickly turned into six unanswered points. Using its patented full-court pressure, Metro Prep was able to create a number of turnovers and get easy baskets in transition leading 15-4 with 14:36 to go.

The lead quickly disappeared, as Richardson went on a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to one with over 10 minutes to play in the first half. Getting to the elbow for mid-range jump shots and slowing the pace down seemed to solve the trouble Metro was giving the Storm.

But Richardson soon lapsed back into its lackadaisical play and turnovers once again led to Metro taking the lead, up 41-33 heading into half.

Leading Metro Prep was the defence of Sebastien Michineau who scored 29 points with many coming in transition off of turnovers he created, while Leon Alexander excited the crowd with his jaw dropping slams pouring in 32 points for the Storm. 

GAME 3 CFCA Conquerors vs. Etobicoke Thunder Elite

It didn’t take long for the CFCA Conquerors to make quick work of the Etobicoke Thunder Elite, cruising to an impressive 96-66 victory.

Within the first few minutes it was evident the Conquerors were the superior team and made no mistake in letting their opponents know.

Jumping out to a 10-0 lead in the first four minutes, CFCA got a pair of deft defying dunks and the intimidation factor appeared to play a role in the Thunders performance. Seeming shell shocked by the aerial display, Etobicoke tried to implore a zone to slow the Conquerors down. The defensive change seemed to only fuel CFCA’s offence as it opened the passing lanes and freed up outside jump shots, creating an even larger gap between the team.

At half, CFCA led 49-27 and the game would never come any closer.

Imposing its size on the interior, CFCA took advantage of the smaller Thunder front line and Rainer Croft bruised his way to 23 points to lead all scorers. Etobicoke guard, Jon Edwards finished with a team high 18 points.

GAME 4 REDA v J. Clark Richardson Storm

In a game where both teams had a lot to prove, J. Clark Richardson withstood REDA en route to the 94-87 win.

Richardson had lost two in a row entering its final game of the showcase and had no intentions of dropping another, while REDA was still reeling from its opening game loss and still needed to prove it belonged in the discussion for top team in the event.

Through the second half it was anybodies game, as there were six lead changes and two ties.

Leading 41-38 at half, REDA gained its lead relentlessly attacking the rim and figured to do the same heading into the final frame. Yet it was Richardson who opened the second half with all the momentum.

Within four minutes the Storm obtained the lead, as Tyrelle Samuels broke down the defence off the dribble, creating opportunities for him and teammates.

Though REDA regained the lead, Jaylen Babb-Harrison bombed back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Storm a one point edge and Richardson’s defence created two quick turnovers leading to two baskets and a 64-59 lead with 9:54 to play.

After the Storm opened the gap even further, REDA turned to its gentle giant to provide the spark for its next run. Big man Meshack Lufile scored nine straight baskets to tie the game at 68 and REDA continued to pound the ball inside to take advantage of foul trouble on Richardson’s front court players and led 75-68 with six minutes left.

There always seemed to be a response for every run and this time it would be no different, as Aaron Redpath scored five straight to bring Richardson to within one. The Storm turned to their explosive guard, Leon Alexander, to extend the lead to three off his and-one layup, but lost him on seemingly the next play.

After missing a jump shot Alexander felt as if REDA forward, Charlie Droulin, had slapped him in the face and wanted the six-foot-six forward to know about it. Officials assessed both players with technical fouls, but Alexander continued to jaw at Droulin and was eventually ejected from the game.

Initially, it appeared his dismissal would hinder Richardson’s chances, as back-to-back Lufile layups tied the game at 83 with three minutes remaining.

Yet, as always there was a response.

A 3-pointer by Babb-Harrison gave the Storm a three point advantage and they never looked back, holding onto the lead for good.

Leading all scorers was Redpath who finished with 30 points while Samuels added 29 for Richardson. Scoring all his points in the second half, Lufile scored a team leading 26 points while Ryan Augustine added 21 in the losing effort.

GAME 5 Etobicoke Thunder Elite vs. Metro Prep

Coming off its improbable upset of J. Clark Richardson, Metro Prep kept the good times rolling, easily moving past Etobicoke Thunder Elite for the 86-52 decision.

Establishing its defensive pressure throughout the game, Metro was able to build where it left off, creating turnovers and getting out in transition for easy basket. Enforcing its will on the game, Metro Prep was able to dictate the pace of the game in the only way they know – fast.

By getting transition baskets and continuously hounding the ball handler, Metro effectively changed the complexion of the game as it initially was a tight battle.

Through the first nine minutes, Metro led 23-16 and would have been up more if the Thunder hadn’t knocked down a number of 3-pointers to keep it close. As the game wore on, however, the pressure began to take its toll and Metro was able to score eight unanswered – six off second chance baskets.

At the end of the half, the lead had ballooned to 55-35 and the Thunder wouldn`t get any closer in the second half.

Leading the charge for Metro was Jeremy Seochand and Trevor Mann, who scored 19 and 16 points respectively.

GAME 6 AGBU vs. Etobicoke U17 Thunder Elite

As the Etobicoke U17 Thunder Elite looked to secure its first win of the showcase AGBU had other ideas, narrowly surviving a late push to take the win, 79-76.

In a game that had no lead changes it was highly competitive, as Etobicoke was within a point in the second half and never down by more than eight.

Leading from the opening tip, AGBU got the win despite shooting poorly from the field outside of five feet from the rim. Luckily, most of its shots were coming in and around the basket. Despite giving up much length, the older AGBU got inside the paint and picked apart the Thunder with precision interior passing.

Though it held the lead, by no means did AGBU control the game down the stretch.

With 2:45 remaining, it seemed all but over, as AGBU led 73-66. Yet, less than a minute later Etobicoke trailed by only four points after an Adam Djukic layup.

The Thunder had a chance to cut deeper into the lead but over the final 1:30, but Jovan Leamy, who scored a team high 21 points, went three-for-six from the free throw line and with 17 seconds remaining Etobicoke trailed 79-73 with the ball. Regardless of the errant free throws the Thunder turned to Leamy once again and he delivered with three seconds to go, knocking down a 3-pointer.

Immediately AGBU was fouled and Arthur Alajajian, who led all scorers with 24 points, was sent to the line. Missing both free throws the Thunder couldn’t attain possession of the ball and their chance to send it to overtime was lost.

While AGBU had its way inside, the Thunder began the game shooting the lights out, hitting five 3-pointers – a stark contrast to the one hit in the second half.

As Alajajian found teammates it looked like AGBU was ready to blow the game open in the first few minutes until Donnavan Hastings hit back-to-back three’s to cut the lead three. It would be until the 2:36 mark of the first half until Etobicoke could bring the game any closer as Hastings’ put-back made it a one point game, 37-36. The Thunder wouldn’t get any closer and would reach the deficit only once more in the entire game at the 10:53 mark of the second half, when they trailed 55-54.

GAME 7 REDA vs. CFCA Conquerors

To conclude the showcase, host REDA squared off with the visiting American contingent from North Carolina, CFCA, in what turned out to be a competitive and entertaining final game.

Withstanding a valiant second half effort, CFCA held off REDA for the 90-77 victory.

Despite what the score might suggest the game was extremely close and if not for a poor showing in the first half, REDA might have changed its fortunes.

In the first two minutes, CFCA let its presence be felt, as a ferocious put-back slam from Mikyle McIntosh ignited the crowd and seemed to put REDA on its heels. Leading 19-9 in less than eight minutes of play, CFCA looked to push the pace at every opportunity. While REDA struggled to find a rhythm, missing shots it normally would make.

The mishaps continued throughout the opening half and CFCA would take a commanding 48-28 lead into the break.

Faced with an embarrassing loss in the finale of its own tournament was possibly all REDA needed to wake up.

Fighting hard one possession at a time, REDA dug deep on defence to get a number of stops, while driving to the basket, scoring or getting fouled in the process. Less than seven minutes into the half the lead was trimmed to 15 and the strong effort would continue.

At the 12:00 mark REDA shaved the deficit in half off a Meshack Lufile hook shot to make it 58-48. The final 12 minutes REDA would try to get the deficit into single digits, first cutting it to seven with 8:15 to play off a Theon Reefer jump shot. But, CFCA  would maintain its composure and attack inside as Rainer Croft piled up 17 points banging on the inside.

With time running out, REDA turned to Ryan Augustine, who led all scorers with 29 points, to carry them down the stretch. Yet for every Augustine jump shot there was a response from the Conquerors, as Xavier Rathan-Mayes, who scored a team high 20 points, continuously attacked defenders earning him trips to the line.

In the end it was too little, too late for REDA as time ran out on its improbable comeback and CFCA remained undefeated in the showcase.

Seven teams were involved with the two-day Christmas Showcase Tournament, held at the Alex Manoogian Cultural Centre. The event hosted by Regional Elite Development Academy [REDA] included  J. Clark Richardson Storm, Christian Faith Center Academy Conquerors [CFCA], Metro Prep, Armenian General Benevolent Union [AGBU], Etobicoke Thunder Elite, and Etobicoke U17 Thunder Elite,.

Over two full day of games, all participating teams would partake in four games before a champion would be crowned Tuesday night.

With seven games scheduled on day one there was a lot of action to cover.

GAME 1 – REDA vs. Etobicoke

 To kick start the tournament, the Etobicoke Thunder Elite held off host REDA in a nail biter, 94-91.

Despite the close finish, the Thunder had maintained a lead throughout the game and had an advantage as large as nine near the start of the second half.

Until the 2:39 mark of the second half, REDA had trailed Etobicoke, but a basket by Brian Rouse gave the hosts its first lead of the day, 84-83. From that point on it was a back-and-forth affair over the last two minutes, as both teams traded baskets till the final buzzer.

With 1:34 remaining, Rouse fouled out and REDA led 91-89, the final minute, however, would be the undoing of REDA.

The game was tied at 91 with 1:01 to go, when REDA committed two costly turnovers giving Etobicoke an opportunity to take the lead and kill some clock, not allowing REDA to retain possession until there was only 15 seconds left. A botched play at the buzzer would seal REDA’s fate.

At the start of the game it looked like the Thunder were primed for the win, jumping out to an early 22-11 lead after just seven minutes of play. The lead wouldn’t last long, however, as REDA climbed back into the game, attacking the rim and using its size advantage. The aggressive play got the attention of the referees, who awarded REDA six-free throws in that span, to make it all square at 24 just three minutes later.

Despite the response from REDA, Etobicoke maintained a marginal advantage, 40-39 at halftime, primarily off of second shot opportunities – surprising as its front line was significantly undersized.

Leading all scorers was REDA’s Ryan Augustine with 27 points and Meshack Lufile with 26 points, while Jon Edwards led a balanced Thunder attack with 17 points.

 GAME 2 Etobicoke U17 Thunder Elite vs. J Clark Richardson Storm

A torrid second half from Aaron Redpath carried the J. Clark Richardson Storm to an impressive 85-62 victory over the Etobicoke U17 Thunder Elite.

Behind Redpath’s 36 point performance the Storm cruised en route to the win, but a look into the game tells a different story, as the Thunder trailed by only five at halftime, 30-25.

Coming out of the break, it looked like the Storm were ready to put the Thunder down for good, breaking the press with ease and scoring easy baskets in transition. But Etobicoke hung tough and weathered the early storm bringing the game back to the halftime deficit, 37-32 with 15:30 remaining.

Shortly after, Richardson would respond opening up a 10 point edge but the big lead would be short lived as Etobicoke climbed back in the game, cutting the lead to two by getting to the line and into the double-bonus with 10 minutes to go.

It would be as close as the Thunder would get.

 Just two minutes later, the Storm pushed the lead to 10 with four unanswered baskets, mostly scored in transition. With 5:18 remaining, Richardson opened up its largest lead of the game, 72-55, and looked to be in complete control down the stretch.

The intensity and effort shown by the Thunder in the last five minutes was a far cry from the passion shown to start the game.

In the opening two minutes, Etobicoke looked to be showing no signs of intimidation from the top ranked high school, opening a 6-0 lead in the early going. It wouldn’t last long, however, as Richardson would take its first lead at the 8:53 mark, 13-11, with all its points coming off of turnovers.

The Storm tried to establish their perimeter game, taking a number of outside jump shots early but failed to connect. The errant attempts gave Etobicoke a fighting chance throughout the first half and parts of the second but once those shots began to fall, so did the Thunder.

Along with Redpath’s spectacular performance, the Storm got 13 points from Tyrelle Samuels, while Patrick Street led the Thunder with 10 points.

GAME 3 CFCA Conquerors vs. Metro Prep

 The afternoon games opened up with a slam, as CFCA dismantled Metro Prep, 106-65.

In a game that was never close, the team from south of the border showed its dominance early, jumping out to an 8-0 lead in the first three minutes. The intensity and pressure CFCA applied to Metro Prep caused a number of turnovers and led to an early 23-5 with 13:18 to go.

Metro Prep wouldn’t get any closer.

Throughout the first half, CFCA got out in transition and wowed the crowd with a number of crowd pleasing dunks, which seemed to demoralize Metro even further after a 48-18 score with six minutes to play.

The last six minutes of the first half would be the best stretch of play for Metro Prep, as they outscored CFCA 21-14 to make it 62-39 going into the half.

Any momentum Metro might have gained at the end of the first half was wiped away, as CFCA continued to attack the rim and were met with futile resistance.

Leading the way for CFCA was Mikyle McIntosh who scorched Metro for 29 points, including four 3-pointers and Kevin Thomas who chipped in with 17 points, while Te’Jour Riley led Metro with 18 points.

GAME 4 Etobicoke U17 Thunder Elite vs. Metro Prep.

 In a physical game, Metro Prep got its first win of the tournament beating Etobicoke U17 Thunder Elite, 92-72.

It was a total team effort for the Panthers, as three players reached 20 points. Te’jour Riley led the way with 24 points, while Sebastien Micheneal and Jahmar Thompson each had 23 points.

After getting blown out by CFCA, Metro tried to get their defensive pressure established early, as they used their full court press to jump out to a 14-4 lead in the first three minutes. With 8:24 left in the half, Metro secured the lead by getting most of its point via the fast break created by its tenacious full-court press and pushed the deficit, 36-14.

Gaining momentum, however, Etobicoke scored seven unanswered baskets to end the half and trailed 53-38.

Any momentum gained seemed lost at the start of the second half, as Metro continued to apply the pressure, leading to easy basket opportunities. By the 11:22 mark, Metro Prep had its largest lead of the game, 70-46, and it appeared the Thunder were down and out.

If they didn’t take a knockout, they were handed a standing eight.

The Thunder continued to play and slowly cut into the lead getting it back down to 14 points with eight minutes to play. But every time Etobicoke made a run Metro Prep was ready with an answer.

With 3:19 remaining, Metro Prep would extend the lead back to 20 points and would never let it get any closer.

Leading the Thunder was Patrick Street who finished with 18 points.

GAME 5 AGBU vs. Etobicoke Thunder Elite

In its first game of the tournament, AGBU out lasted the Etobicoke Thunder Elite en route to its first victory of the tournament, 99-84.

 Though the final score may say otherwise, the game was down to the wire, as Etobicoke trailed by only 10 points with two minutes remaining. Unfortunately, to get the margin to 10 took all of the Thunder’s energy and left them coming up just short.

Much of Etobicoke’s fatigue was the product of the high-speed offence AGBU implored throughout the game. Despite being the older team, AGBU had the fresher legs and repeatedly beat the Thunder down the floor for easy baskets in transition.

Using its fast pace to create distance, AGBU led 6-0 after just three minutes and it appeared like the Thunder were intimidated by the older squad. But whatever fear Etobicoke might have had dissipated when it began knocking down four outside jump shots to bring the lead down to two, 16-14 with 13:00 to play.

But, like the old adage goes – live by the three, die by the three.

Having to rely heavily on making long distance jumpers, the Thunder couldn’t maintain the pace they had set in the early going and fell behind 58-39 at half.

Leading the way for AGBU was Oshin Zargarian who torched the Thunder for 30 points.

GAME 6 CFCA Conquerors vs. J Clark Richardson Storm

It was the game of the night as CFCA and J Clark Richardson played in front of hundreds of fans waiting to see the North Carolina prep school and no.1 ranked Ontario high school team to square off.

By the end, it was a game that didn’t disappoint, as CFCA eked out an 87-84 victory to take the passionate battle.

Before CFCA closed the deal it had to manage the last 11 minutes, when it led 63-57.

It was with their backs against the walls when the Storm began to rally a comeback, but even they knew it wouldn’t happen in one shot.

Over the next six minutes Richardson chipped away at the deficit, finally gaining its own lead, its first since the first half, 74-72, after a three by Courtney Dawkins.

The final 4:23 was filled with enough action to last the officials a lifetime.  

After the Conquerors tied the game at 74, they took the lead on an and-one layup and that’s when tempers began to flare. First a technical foul was handed to Richardson, rewarding CFCA two additional free throws, as well as possession, 79-74 CFCA led.

 The Storm responded with a 3-pointer to bring themselves within two but couldn’t stop the Conquerors from responding. With a minute to go CFCA, led by six and would be hanging on to the lead over the final minute.

First, a 3-pointer by Jaylen Babb Harrison brought the Storm within three, 83-80. After CFCA scored three baskets and led by five, Aaron Redpath hit a three with 10 seconds to play to cut the lead to two, 86-84. After a CFCA player split a pair of free throws the Storm had one last chance to tie but fell short and the Conquerors came out victorious.

Leading the charge for CFCA was Xavier Rathan-Mayes and Mikyle McIntosh who scored 16 and 15 points respectively. The smooth shooting Redpath led all scorers with 28 points in the loss.

GAME 7 AGBU vs. REDA

In the last game of a long day of play, REDA ran away with a 103-83 victory over AGBU.

To start the game, REDA seemed determined to better its efforts after it subpar showing to start the day. Getting out in transition after creating a number of turnovers, REDA turned the first half into a dunk contest, as Theon Reefer and Brian Rouse rocked the rim repeatedly.

The passing game that AGBU seemed so in control of in its first matchup seemed to be bothered by the length and athleticism of REDA.

 Jumping out to a 24-11 lead just midway through the first half, REDA continued to apply the pressure and seemed in control. But as the game began to slow down, AGBU crawled back into the game and trailed 37-30 with four minutes to play.

Any thoughts of a comeback from AGBU was quickly put to rest, as REDA closed the half on a 17-8 run, to make it 54-38 going into the break. 

The second half was more of the same, as only once AGBU could bring the game within 14 points and less than a minute later REDA would be back up by 20. With an answer for every run thrown at them, REDA was in cruise control for the better part of the second half and finished on top.

Leading the way for REDA was Brian Rouse and Ryan Augustine, who scored 25 and 23 points respectively, while Arthur Abajijian led all scorers with 27 points in the losing effort.