NEHF Sunday Morning Recap

NERR Staff | Saturday, April 12th, 2014

The action is up and running on the third and final day of the Northeast Hoops Festival and we’ll continue to recap the action in all three high school divisions leading right up to this afternoon’s championship round:

Varsity Division

• The CT Northstars were able to pick up a nice win with the outside shooting expertise of Adam LeClerk. LeClerk was able to find the range as they cruised to a win over the Wizards.

• House of Sports’ 6-foot-5 forward Kai Mitchell registered a tip-in as time expired to give his team a two-point win over LOX. The wide body also showed a refined perimeter game, a new wrinkle he’s added since last AAU season. His teammate and Manhattan-commit Rickey McGill led all scorers with 37 points.

• MB Nation and USAD were headed for a Sunday afternoon semifinal as both scored convincing quarterfinal wins on Saturday mornnig.  The Nation continued to rely on their tough defense to anchor their efforts while Shyheim Ulrickson showcased his talents among an otherwise veteran nucleus.  USAD got interior contributions from Sunday Okeke that allowed them to spark their running game as they scored a big win of their own.

• ABC’s 6-foot-4 guard Roy Kane showcased a tight handle, which in the final minute he used to breakdown his defender from the top of the key, draw a crucial foul and sink two free throws to secure a win.

• Despite going up against top recruit Cheick Diallo, Maine Athletic Club’s Nicholas Mayo held his own. The 6-foot-7 center/forward utilized his strength and body control to create space and scoring opportunities inside. He also didn’t hesitate to shoot when given an open look on the perimeter.

• Stamford Peace's 6-foot-6 forward Will Rayman showed excellent range. He moved continuously without the ball and, when crowded defensively, made one dribble drives that earned him multiple trips to the free throw line.

• In one of the most competitive games of the weekend, CT Northstars (Joe) pulled out the victory over the NE Jump. The Northstars were led by guard/forward Everal Spyk.  Spyke has an impressive handle and used it to break through NE's pressure defense and create for his teammates. For the Baller's, Tyer Vartanian competed hard in the paint and was constantly crashing the offensive glass.

10th Grade Division

• Tariq Ricketts steal and layup were enough to put USAD past the South Shore Wolfpack. USAD mounted a rally in the closing seconds as it looked like the Wolfpack would seal it away with the good guard play of Mike Reale and Larry Codio. Both showed the ability to penetrate and shoot from the perimeter.

• The Worcester Sting were able to sneak by the North Shore Bobcats in the 10th grade American division as brothers Dhalyn Sanders (9th grader) and Jaimorri Sanders (10th grader) carried the offense. The two guards were able to keep the pace and make plays against the Bobcats zone when it counted.

• Team VBC got a nice team win over CT Hoopstars, who might have had the best player on the floor in Brad Landry. Landry hit five three pointers and finished with a total of 24 points in the loss.

• Boston Elite’s Nate Duda was relentless in attacking the basket. Despite missing a few easy layups, the St. Andrew’s sophomore put constant pressure on opposing defenses which created driving lanes for his teammates.

• In the 10th grade American division Lone Wolf Athletics took down New Hampshire Flight in a hard fought game. Lone Wolf was led by Jackson Dwyer, while Flight got a solid performance out of Clay Crow.

• The Metro Heat was able to erase a 9 point halftime deficit to beat New Hampshire Flight 65-64 in 10th grade National. NH Flight was able to race out to a comfortable lead as Matt Rizzo orchestrated everything from the point. He was able to penetrate throughout the game and finish around the big Heat defenders, but the big men duo of Tyrell Wade and Terrell Williams was too much to handle. Wade showed the ability to finish with both hands and was a force on the boards while Williams flashed superb athleticism as the Heat were able to secure a nice early morning win.

• BV Chaos Donovan came out strong and held off a tough CT Northstars team in a 10th grade matchup.  Nick Lukasevicz played a great game for the Chaos while hitting a couple a threes and using his strength to drive and score.

• NE Jump picked up another win while dominating CBA Heat from the tip. Point guard Alex Buresh and his overall game were impressive again, as he controlled the game and made the right pass when his teammates were open.

9th Grade Division

• The New Hampshire Fire defeated the South Shore Warriors (T) by a score of 68-38 because of a tremendous team effort. Individually, Danny Gibson played a great game on both ends.

• In an early morning matchup between in the 9th grade American division Worcester Sting attacked early and often. Using a full court press they were able to disrupt the South Shore Wolfpack and get easy layups. The Sting was led by lefty swingman Voshon Davis and Otis Whaler. The Wolfpack got a solid performance out of big man Phil Barnett, but it wasn’t enough as the Sting ran away with it late.

• RI Cyclones controlled the game from the tip and quickly put away the CBA Heat. Big man Brett Buckl competed hard on the glass and finished well in the paint for the Cyclones.

• In a 9th grade matchup, the NE Jump continued their winning ways by handling Mass Elite. Combo guard Perry Wynn was impressive on the offensive end, scoring a number of ways.

• Albany City Rocks bounced back from a close loss to Expressions yesterday with a with 20 win over Mass Premier. Kobe Lufkin's hot hand carried over, as he hit a number of shots from long range. City Rocks big man, Andre Bailey also continued his strong play in the paint.

• The Team Scan 8th graders continue to impress playing up in the freshman division, closing their weekend with hard fought win over a talented Boston Spartans squad with fans surrounding all sides of the court to watch the action.