Although the games were unremarkable at the 2nd Annual Basketball City Shootout on Saturday, the individual performances certainly were worth the trip to Iona College in New Rochelle, NY. Kevin Love, Darrell Arthur, Lance Stephenson, Edgar Sosa, and Johnny Flynn were the top performers, and All Star Report was there to cover the action.
Rice 72 - South Oak Cliff 55
The nightcap at the 2nd Annual Basketball City Shootout was a tale of two halves, as Rice (NY) and South Oak Cliff (TX) battled to a stand still in the first stanza, then the Raiders from Rice simply wore down the visitors from Texas in the second.
South Oak Cliff’s 6-9 unsigned senior PF Darrell Arthur scored the Golden Bears’ first 13 points of the game as they raced to a 13-4 lead in the first quarter. The #17 ranked player in the class of 2006 did a little bit of everything, scoring on a dunk, a tip in, an athletic layup at full speed on the break, and a three from the deep corner. Arthur went to the bench at 3:00 mark in the first and Rice made a little run to get back in the game. Rice’s 6-3 senior Kashif Pratt nailed a pair of threes in the first to pull the Raiders to within 5 heading into the second quarter.
In the second quarter Rice starting doubling Arthur on the perimeter, giving him little room to operate. Arthur was still effective on the glass at both ends, but the increased attention seemed to take a little wind out of his sails. Meanwhile, Rice continued to tighten the screws defensively. A three from 5-11 sophomore Chris Fouch tied the game at 27 at the 4:00 mark of the 2nd quarter. A 9-4 run then gave Rice its first lead 36-31 at the 1:45 mark. After a South Oak Cliff timeout Arthur scored his first points of 2nd Quarter at the 1:00 mark on a dunk. An Arthur three then tied game at 36. A layup by Louisville bound guard Edgar Sosa gave Rice a 38-36 lead at the break.
The second half started as a defensive battle, with a total of 10 points scored between the two teams in the first 5 minutes. Rice continued to put the defensive screws to the Golden Bears, and the visiting guards began to wilt under the pressure. Rice looked in control, up 51-44 heading into the final period. Arthur looked winded, having only scored two points in the third.
Rice continued to press full court in the fourth quarter, and South Oak Cliff had simply run out of answers. Sosa had a huge second half, and took home MVP honors for the Raiders with 23 points, 5 assists, and 5 steals. 6-9 Connecticut signee Curtis Kelly bounced back after a humiliating first quarter to finish with 17 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks, and Pratt finished with 14 points, including 4-5 shooting from beyond the arc.
Arthur turned in a Jekyll/Hyde performance with 18 first half points, but just 7 down the stretch to finish with 25. He added 11 rebounds and 4 blocks, proving once again to be an ultra-talented enigma on the court.
Lincoln 71 - Fontana 42
A highly anticipated matchup between two of the nation’s top freshmen never materialized as Lincoln (NY) destroyed Fontana (CA) 71-42 on Saturday night.
With Fontana’s freshman star Demetrius Walker sidelined with a pulled hamstring, it was Lincoln’s 6-5 guard Lance Stephenson who grabbed the spotlight scoring 16 points to go along with 5 rebounds and three assists in limited minutes.
Junior guard Donte Godlock had 12 points and 11 rebounds to lead Fontana.
Niagara Falls 84 - New Rochelle 59
In a rematch of last year’s state championship game, Syracuse bound junior guard Johnny Flynn scored 32 points to go with 6 assists, as Niagara Falls crushed New Rochelle 84-59.
The game lacked some of last year’s star power without Paul Harris (prep school) and Geoff McDermott (Providence), but Flynn and sophomore backcourt mate Rashon Tabb provided plenty of firepower for the Wolverines, and the game was really never in doubt for Niagara Falls.
Tabb had 22 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists. 6-8 forward Tyrell Lynch had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and Kendall Davis added 11 points and 6 rebounds for Niagara Falls.
Senior guard Anthony Gill had 21 points and 4 assists to lead New Rochelle. Anane Dixon had 13 points and 3 assists in the loss.
Lake Oswego 72 - Our Savior Lutheran 49
It was a Love-fest at Iona College on Saturday, as 6-9 junior Kevin Love from Lake Oswego (OR) was dominant in a 72-49 win over Our Savior Lutheran (NY).
Love had 29 points, 20 rebounds, and 5 assists in the win, shooting 11-20 from the floor and 2-4 from 3 pt. Senior guard Ernie Spada added 11 points for Lake Oswego.
6-8 forward Justin Burrell had 16 points and 13 rebounds in the loss for Our Savior. 6-4 Nick Murphy added 14 points. Both are unsigned division one prospects.