BABC Holiday Classic Event Recap II
On Tuesday night, Madison Park defeated Somerville 68-58 behind four players who scored in double figures. Sophomore guard Malik Smith led the way with 16 points, while senior Raheem Singleton added 15 and juniors David Daniels and Peterson Bernard had 12 each. Somerville star junior guard Ta'Keame Gomes had 12 points, half of them coming on a couple of clutch three-pointers as they tried to rally in the second half.
Smith shows plenty of promise from the wing, while Bernard is a player many are waiting to see dominate. He has a college-ready body for the low post and good mobility, and can rebound well considering he doesn't box out well, but he lacks a back-to-the-basket game at the offensive end.
On Wednesday night, Cambridge Ringe & Latin took home a close win over Springfield Central. Junior point guard Robert Wesley didn't start due to a bad ankle suffered in a recent practice, but played a solid game off the bench. He scored 11 points, handed out several assists and made a few steals as he showed good ability at the defensive end. In fact, it was his defense that seemed to energize his team when he came in as it helped create some offensive opportunities. Wesley showed he can score the ball in the spring when he played with the Greater Boston Lions AAU team, but looked improved as a floor leader here as he made a few nice passes, a couple of which his teammates just didn't cash in. The 5'11" point guard has received his share of Division I interest, mainly from a few Northeast Conference schools.
On Friday, Bishop Hendricken lost a 65-64 heart-breaker in overtime to Archbishop Williams in a game that had a controversial ending. As Archbishop Williams trailed 64-62 with time running down, junior guard Ricky Titus, who finished with a team-high 22 points, had a potential game-winning three-pointer blocked. But he got the ball back and put up another shot as time expired, and it went in to seemingly send the game to a second overtime tied at 64. But the officials called it a three-point shot, which surprised just about everyone in the gym because it looked like Titus was clearly inside the three-point line.
For Hendricken, senior shooter David Rufful played a terrific game, shooting well off the dribble and the catch en route to a game-high 26 points. His shots also included a clutch three-pointer as they rallied late in regulation to send the game to overtime.
The tournament ended with a match-up that was eagerly awaited, as Notre Dame Prep took on Winchendon in an invitational game. The game didn't come close to living up to the hype once the ball went up, as Notre Dame Prep led by double digits for much of the game en route to an 80-60 romp. The Crusaders simply dominated, led by Wisconsin-Milwaukee signee Deonte Roberts, who was the best player on the floor. Top scorers for the game were not available, but Roberts drove to the basket often to create opportunities and made the most of them, as did many of his teammates.
Phil Kasiecki is the managing editor for hoopville.com. To read more of Phil’s stories about both high school and college basketball in the New England area please visit www.hoopville.com.
Malik Smith
Peterson Bernard
Robert Wesley
David Rufful