Connecticut Recruiting, Marquette Recruiting, Pittsburgh Recruiting, Providence Recruiting, Rutgers Recruiting

HOWIE FRAJBERG METRO CLASSIC SUMMARY

NYC Boros hold off the ‘burbs to win on overtime, 124-120.

by Zach Smart

West Hempstead—The New York City-based Boros had fought back valiantly all afternoon, roaring back from an early 17-point deficit.

For three minutes, however, the crowd collectively crossed its fingers. Durand Scott went down hard, landing awkwardly after attempting to alter a fast break layup by the Burbs’ Sherrod Wright.

The kid who had been the catalyst for the Boros all game long, skying for rebounds, snaking to the basket and creating scoring opportunities along the baseline, was hurting. Scott, a wiry 6-foot-4 guard from (perennial power) Rice High School, was on his back, overwhelmed with excruciating pain as he grabbed his ankle.

He sat there, grimacing in pain, waiting, waiting, waiting—for a trainer and some sort of medical relief.

A trainer was nowhere to be found, and the anxiety compounded. “Do we have a trainer in the house?” The announcer asked the standing room-only crowd at the Howie Frajberg Metro Classic Sunday.

Eventually, a trainer emerged from the deck and Scott was helped off the court to a standing ovation. Scott suffered a high-ankle sprain, the last thing a highly-touted recruit needs before the season begins. Scott had completed an official visit to Miami earlier in the weekend and has also visited Big East rivals Pittsburgh and Connecticut. UCLA and Tennessee are also among his five favorites.

Without one marquee player (and Lance Stephenson a no-show), the Burbs didn’t flinch. Behind Game MVP Chaz Williams (Bishop Ford HS), who scored a game-high 34 points, the Boros outlasted the Burbs, 124-120 in overtime.

“We gave up a big lead, turnovers and missed free throws were the problem,” said Wright, who’s being pursued by Marquette, Providence, and Pittsburgh, amongst others.

Wright, who hails from a traditional basketball breeding ground in Mount Vernon, N.Y., had plenty of interest from Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights, who own the services of two of Wright’s former teammates in 5-foot-11 playmaker Mike Coburn and 6-foot-7 forward Jonathon Mitchell, were actively pursuing Wright this summer but have backed off. Wright, who said he’s receiving a lot of ACC interest, was supposed to visit Marquette yesterday but a clearinghouse issue postponed the trip.

Williams, a sympathetically-listed 5-foot-9 guard, who’s committed to Hofstra, was the little engine that could for the Boros, which trailed 34-17 in a first half that saw them swarmed on defense and thrown out of their groove.

The Burbs squandered a colossal lead despite their tight hold on it. A personal 6-0 run by Wright, who led the Burbs with 28 points, kept them above water in the waning moments of the first half, but the Boros simply wouldn’t relent.

Williams nailed a trey that cut it to 57-49 before Sean Johnson (Christ The King HS) knifed through the suburbs suddenly-leaky suburban defense for an easy two with 24 seconds remaining.

The momentum carried into the second half, and the scoring surge continued. An earth-shattering one-handed dunk from the Burbs’ high-flying George Beamon (6-3 guard from Roslyn HS) tied things up at 60, but Scott was quick to answer.

After drawing a foul and connecting on a pair of free throws, Scott finally put the Boros ahead. A wild, back-and-forth battle ensued.

Peekskill’s Ralph Watts lost a pair of defenders on a swift move to the cup. He drew the foul and nailed the pair of freebies, pumping the Burbs’ lead back, 79-74.

Then, Beamon glided in for an easy layup off of a cross-court pass from Watts, making it 81-75.

Watts, a 6-foot-1 guard who’s expected to make waves on the Section I/NYS scene this season, has made an oral commitment to play at Albany next season.

The two teams continued to go at each other at a frenetic pace. With the minutes of an emotional and physical afternoon winding down, the city cats led by just two points after JT Moore (Brentwood HS) buried a pair of free throws. Moore, the main supplement to Wright all afternoon, poured in 26 points and sent the game into overtime with a clutch last-second jumper.

After Michael Taylor and Sherrod Wright traded big threes, Moore swished a quick release jumper with just about a tick remaining. It was about as clutch a shot as we’d seen all day at Garden Island, the 516-area code’s mecca of hoops.

In the overtime period, Russ Smith and Williams stepped up in Scott’s absence. Smith, a 6-foot guard from Archbishop Molloy, delivered an eye-popping dunk that gave the Boros a one-point bulge. On the ensuing possession, Williams ripped off a nifty up-and-under move, allowing them to keep the slight edge.

The Burbs coughed up decisive free throws in the final seconds, allowing the Boros to run away with the ball and a 124-120 “W” in which they showed much resolve.

Beyond Williams, Scott scored 22 points before his exit. Smith paced the Boros with 17.

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