Rivals Win Pool in Pittsburgh

New England Recruiting Report | Saturday, April 17th, 2010

The Mass Rivals sent two u17 teams to the Pittsburgh Jam Fest this weekend and came away with good results. 

The White team won their pool by smacking Team Delaware 80-36 and then scoring a victory over YAAACE, the national champions from Canada, 49-42. 

Jordan Laguerre exploded in the opener, dropping eight three-pointers and 36 points on Team Delaware while Joe Mussachia chipped in with 16.

Laguerre scored 24 of his team’s 49 against YAAACE while Cedric Kuakumensah chipped in with 10 points and 7 blocks. 

Unfortunately for the Rivals they ran into the New Jersey Playaz in the first round of bracket play and fell 74-52 despite Laguerre’s third consecutive 20 point game of the tournament.  Jamie Holder had his best game of the weekend in the playoffs, finishing with 16 points. 

The Rivals Blue team played in the u17 bracket despite carrying a much younger roster including freshmen Noah Vonleh and Derek Collins as well as sophomores Javon Williams and Devin Gilligan. 

The Blue squad went 1-2 on the weekend but competed in several close games. 

Williams and Collins both scored a game high 18 points in a two point loss to the Ruth Lewtor All-Stars. 

Vonleh was the standout in the next two games as he scored 16 points against Team Loaded from Virginia and 22 in a 79-56 win over Donyell Marshall Foundation. 

Mack Burt, a junior at St. John’s Prep, had his best game of the tournament against Donyell Marshall as well, as he went for 25 points and five three-pointers. 

Ben Hill provided a consistent defensive presence inside the paint for all three games, finishing with double digit rebounds in each game to go along with several blocked shots.