Coaches vs. Cancer Classic - Event Recap

New England Recruiting Report | Saturday, December 10th, 2016

The 2nd annual Coaches vs. Cancer Classic featured four highly entertaining games all going to benefit an even better cause. With all eight teams wearing their pink Coaches vs. Cancer shirts on the sidelines, the event raised well over $1,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Here’s a recap of the action:

Brooks 74 Wilbraham & Monson 48

What was a close game for the better part of the first half, broken open at the 16 minute mark as Brooks capitalized on their tremendous depth. Five different players scored in double figures led by Adonis Williams’ 15 as the senior swingman showed why he has division II offers on the table. Pat Freiermuth, who is headed to Penn State on a football scholarship, and Fru Che scored 11 each while Justin Connolly had 10 as Brooks asserted themselves inside. Brian Wright-Kinsey provided a weapon behind the three-point line and finished with 10 points. WMA sophomore Idan Tretout led the way with 15 for the Titans, including a number of deep jumpers of his own, while Enike Anyia announced his arrival in the New England prep ranks with 12 points inside.

MacDuffie 66 Williston Northampton 56

In what was just the hard-fought battle that you would expect between two local rivals, MacDuffie held on against a resilient and gritty Williston Northampton squad. With textbook floor spacing and plenty of three-point shooting, Williston was able to keep it close all night long. Spencer Danforth had a huge performance with a team high 22 points while Kyle Henseler and Caleb Cost were double figure scorers in the backcourt as well. Big man Mike Mahoney came alive for a pair of huge dunks to make his presence felt in the paint. MacDuffie was carried by sophomore sensation Ismael Massoud for the first 20 minutes as he scored 21 of his team high 25 before the break. Dana Tate got it going in the second half, mixing in physical drives with tough pull-ups and threes for 18 points while Jake Kakar also provided a spark from behind the three-point line with 12 points.

South Kent 70 Knox 58

South Kent appeared to be on the verge of running away with the game after the first 20 minutes but Knox came charging back in the second half, cutting the deficit to as few as 5. Cardinals’ guard Myles Williams had his latest huge late game play though, drilling a three at the two-minute mark that would seal the outcome. Nick Washington was huge on the glass, coming up with 15 rebounds, while Cincinnati bound guard Trevor Moore paced the team in the scoring column with 18 points. Junior forward Malachi de Sousa continued his strong play, finishing with 14 points as he got out in transition and mixed in a couple of jumpers, while also getting it done defensively and taking a big charge. Wassef Methnani and Omar El Sheikh both scored 15 for Knox as Methnani showed his inside-out skill set and El Sheikh attacked the rim.

St. Luke’s 64 Champlain St. Lambert 47

The full court pressure and consistent intensity of St. Luke’s gave them an early lead before allowing them to distance themselves in the second half. They played with great energy for all 32 minutes, were able to create offense from their defense and both space the floor and share the ball. Boston University pledge Walter Whyte led the way with 17 points but junior guard Andrew Varoli was a major spark from the perimeter with 15. Jonas Harper and Joel Boyce both played solid floor games as well, sharing the ball handling and distribution responsibilities, while also pressuring the ball defensively.  Corey Nzigamasabo scored a team high 13 for Champlain as he did his best to step-up when Nikita Kasongo went down with injury.