Starrett City Stuns Playaz Club, 107-102
After warming up earlier in the day against Hempstead, the Players Club Juniors were looking to go into the playoffs undefeated against an always fiesty Starrett City team. While it appeared to be a lock on mistake would be the Playaz Club' undoing as Starret City would win, 107-102
Coming out the box with a 6-0 run the Playaz appeared to be on cruise control as a fast maturing Kyle Anderson (25 points) led the offense while showing more confidence going to the rim as well as from the perimeter.
Up by 8 points early, the crowd noise resembled a golf tournament as assumption was this game was going to be a walk in the park for the NJ team. The Playaz lead grew to 11 before Eian Davis (30 points) of Starrett City appeared to change the momentum with a steal on Anderson and a bucket. With 4 minutes remaining Tyrie Orasco (22 points) scored and and1 and the Bronx team was within 4 points. The volume began to increase as a teardrop by Derrick Frederick (8 points) cut the lead two points with just over a minute. Anderson would answer would spark the Playaz late and a feed to Myles Mack (31 points) push the lead back to 10 points going into the second quarter.
While the Playaz did manage to extend the lead it became evident that it would be a walk in the park. Jarred Davis (14 points) began to put up numbers as did Vaughn Gray(18) as the Playaz sought to create even more separation.
Sharpshooter Massiah Merritt (16 points) kept Starrett City in the game scoring well from the arc as did Davis, slashing to the rim but with 4 minutes remaining until halftime they still couldn't crack their double digit deficiet. A left handed Mack lay-up pushed the lead to 16 points. Starrett went on a run during the last 2 minutes and with 7 seconds, Davis would get fouled while scoring on a runner, decreasing the Playaz Club lead at the half to 65-60.
Anderson's 17 first half points and numerous assists were impressive but so was Starrett City's comeback. Sharp and crisp ball movement by Starrett City early in the half tasted great but turned out to be less filling as a Mack steal and the score started to a 7-0 run by the Playaz. Derrick Randall (6 points) began to impose his will in the paint and soon the Playaz Club lead was 18 points with 3 minutes left in the third.
Starrett only managed to shave 2 points off the Playaz Club lead to start the final quarter and had a tall task to derail the Jersey train. Outlet passes off defensive rebounds by the Playaz Club were killing Starrett City's comeback chances by the minute.
Davis would finally provide an offensive push for Starrett City late in the quarter but they were still down by 10 points with 4:04 left in the game. With Eric Turpin (13 points) battling hard in the paint, suddenly Starrett City was within 5 points with 2:20 as Deavan Jones (11 points) scored on a putback.
At the 1:55 mark, Majic Powder seemed to fall from the sky as the Playaz Club would shoot themselves in the foot. It started when Randall would get fouled but Anderson tried to shoot his foul shot on the downlow. A technical foul was called. When Randall finally took his own foulshots, he would only go 1-2. Merritt would shoot the techs for Starrett City and go 2-2 from the line and suddenly without warning, Starrett City was only down 4 points with possession of the ball and the momentum. With the Playaz Clubs still reeling from the tech, Jones would score on a reverse lay-up. Two back-to-back steals plus the foulshout by Davis and poof, the Playaz were down for the first time in the game by 3 points with 56 seconds.
Gray would hit a jumper to cut the lead to a point with 29 seconds as the NJ squad were now the ones backpeddling. Again, Jones would go strong to the hole and score for the Starrett and score the and1 and with 17 seconds left, the Playaz were down by 4 points. The Playaz would score with 13 seconds but Merritt would again counter going 2-2 from the charity stripe. Still down 4 points, Mack would get fouled taking a 3 pointer with 7 seconds remaining. Mack would only go 1-3 and with 2 seconds remaining, Starrett would upset the playoff applecart.
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After warming up earlier in the day against Hempstead, the Players Club Juniors were looking to go into the playoffs undefeated against an always fiesty Starrett City team. While it appeared to be a lock on mistake would be the Playaz Club' undoing as Starret City would win, 107-102
Coming out the box with a 6-0 run the Playaz appeared to be on cruise control as a fast maturing Kyle Anderson (25 points) led the offense while showing more confidence going to the rim as well as from the perimeter.
Up by 8 points early, the crowd noise resembled a golf tournament as assumption was this game was going to be a walk in the park for the NJ team. The Playaz lead grew to 11 before Eian Davis (30 points) of Starrett City appeared to change the momentum with a steal on Anderson and a bucket. With 4 minutes remaining Tyrie Orasco (22 points) scored and and1 and the Bronx team was within 4 points. The volume began to increase as a teardrop by Derrick Frederick (8 points) cut the lead two points with just over a minute. Anderson would answer would spark the Playaz late and a feed to Myles Mack (31 points) push the lead back to 10 points going into the second quarter.
While the Playaz did manage to extend the lead it became evident that it would be a walk in the park. Jarred Davis (14 points) began to put up numbers as did Vaughn Gray(18) as the Playaz sought to create even more separation.
Sharpshooter Massiah Merritt (16 points) kept Starrett City in the game scoring well from the arc as did Davis, slashing to the rim but with 4 minutes remaining until halftime they still couldn't crack their double digit deficiet. A left handed Mack lay-up pushed the lead to 16 points. Starrett went on a run during the last 2 minutes and with 7 seconds, Davis would get fouled while scoring on a runner, decreasing the Playaz Club lead at the half to 65-60.
Anderson's 17 first half points and numerous assists were impressive but so was Starrett City's comeback. Sharp and crisp ball movement by Starrett City early in the half tasted great but turned out to be less filling as a Mack steal and the score started to a 7-0 run by the Playaz. Derrick Randall (6 points) began to impose his will in the paint and soon the Playaz Club lead was 18 points with 3 minutes left in the third.
Starrett only managed to shave 2 points off the Playaz Club lead to start the final quarter and had a tall task to derail the Jersey train. Outlet passes off defensive rebounds by the Playaz Club were killing Starrett City's comeback chances by the minute.
Davis would finally provide an offensive push for Starrett City late in the quarter but they were still down by 10 points with 4:04 left in the game. With Eric Turpin (13 points) battling hard in the paint, suddenly Starrett City was within 5 points with 2:20 as Deavan Jones (11 points) scored on a putback.
At the 1:55 mark, Majic Powder seemed to fall from the sky as the Playaz Club would shoot themselves in the foot. It started when Randall would get fouled but Anderson tried to shoot his foul shot on the downlow. A technical foul was called. When Randall finally took his own foulshots, he would only go 1-2. Merritt would shoot the techs for Starrett City and go 2-2 from the line and suddenly without warning, Starrett City was only down 4 points with possession of the ball and the momentum. With the Playaz Clubs still reeling from the tech, Jones would score on a reverse lay-up. Two back-to-back steals plus the foulshout by Davis and poof, the Playaz were down for the first time in the game by 3 points with 56 seconds.
Gray would hit a jumper to cut the lead to a point with 29 seconds as the NJ squad were now the ones backpeddling. Again, Jones would go strong to the hole and score for the Starrett and score the and1 and with 17 seconds left, the Playaz were down by 4 points. The Playaz would score with 13 seconds but Merritt would again counter going 2-2 from the charity stripe. Still down 4 points, Mack would get fouled taking a 3 pointer with 7 seconds remaining. Mack would only go 1-3 and with 2 seconds remaining, Starrett would upset the playoff applecart.
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