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SATURDAY AT THE JINGLE BELLS JUBILEE

Some of the top teams in New Jersey converge for some holiday hoops

by Matt Whitfield

Paterson Catholic High School in New Jersey was the scene Saturday when six highly acclaimed New Jersey high school basketball teams converged with a top CHSAA challenger from New York City and a traditional Philadelphia power for the Jingle Bells Jubilee Tournament organized by The Playaz Basketball Club of New Jersey.

The first two round were played over the weekend and the tournament will wrap up on Tuesday afternoon and NBE will be there for a much-anticipated finale.

Bruce, Linden Thwart Passaic 51-38

A battle of two of the state’s premier public programs kicked off the action Saturday afternoon in Day One of the Jingle Bells Jubilee Tournament at Paterson Catholic High School. Linden, which was lead by 6’10 senior St. Joseph’s commit David Bruce, faced off against Passaic led by 6’4 senior Tyshawn Pickett. The game featured two teams of similar size and caliber. Despite the low score, the game was played at a fast pace. Good defense would be played by both sides, however one team would have the services of a player who was a man amongst boys and would lead his team to victory in this one.

Early on both teams looked to be getting a feel for each other with the score tied 12-12 at the end of the first quarter. However, the action picked up in the second as Linden led by David Bruce dominated the floor and the boards en route to a 25-17 halftime lead. Bruce was all over the place in the game besides having lighting fast hands and being exceptionally agile for a big man it seemed as if Bruce did it all for his team. When Linden needed points they got it from him, when they needed a key stop to slow any possible Passaic momentum they got it, when they needed a rebound they certainly got it from him, even if he had to rebound his own shot with two Passaic defenders trying to box him out. Bruce was too much, and Linden would never look back from their halftime lead as they would go on to 51-38 victory.

Bruce finished with a game-high 24 points on the day. Romell Bateman, who also played strong for Linden, would finish with 13 points. Pickett led Passaic with 16 points in the losing effort. Linden advanced to the semifinals where they lost a close match-up to Bishop Loughlin yesterday 42-41. They will take on Paterson Kennedy in the third place game 2:00 pm on Tuesday.

Epps and Johnson Lead Plainfield to a Second Come From Behind Win

In the second game on Saturday’s schedule, St Peter’s Prep and Plainfield squared off. This game featured three of the brightest young stars in the New Jersey high school basketball scene. Unlike the first game, this game would be a close and exciting game throughout. Comebacks, mind blowing speed, dunks and ankle breaking plays, this game had it all.

The game started off going back and forth at first and St. Peter’s was able to take a slim lead in the first quarter. However, Plainfield would own most of the second quarter, but St. Peter’s was able to battle back and tie things up going into the break at 30-all.

In the third quarter, Plainfield came out and took a decisive advantage led by the play of Tyrone Johnson and Isaiah Epps. The two combined for 40 of their team’s 61 points in the game. If either of the two weren’t scoring Saturday, one of the two almost always seemed to be responsible for the creation of a play that led to a basket. St. Peter’s on the other hand did not have their highly touted underclassmen guard Myles Davis, a Plainfield native, at his best. Davis just did not get his offense working in this one, hurting his club down the stretch.

Plainfield held a 44-39 lead at the end of the third quarter, and continued to out-play their opponent going into the fourth quarter. St. Peter’s, however, led by 6-7 Ronald Roberts, cut the Plainfield lead and made things real interesting. Roberts had a game-high 25 points and scored two consecutive baskets to cut the Plainfield lead to six near the six minute mark of the game. St. Peter’s continued their inspired play and even got the game as close as a two points when JJ Hladik hit a three pointer. That would be as close as they got however as the combination of Epps and Johnson proved to be just too much.

During the final stretch Tyrone Johnson was fouled repeatedly, including a foul in which he took it to Keith Lumpkin, a player a hundred pounds heavier than him, in which he was double team and hacked. Eventually a foul was called in his favor. By the look on Johnson’s face though he knew that, despite nearly blowing a ten-point lead, with Plainfield’s toughness, skills and speed they would not be denied a victory in this game.

Saturday’s 61-53 win was Plainfield’s second consecutive come from behind victory. On Sunday, Plainfield then took on Paterson Kennedy in an exciting game in which they came out on top 85-72 in OT. They will take on NYC powerhouse Bishop Loughlin Tuesday at 4:00 pm in the finals of the Jingle Bell Jubilee Tournament, run by the Playaz Basketball Club. This game should be a recruiter’s dream as it features three big-time college prospects in Isaiah Epps, Tyrone Johnson, and Jayvaughn Pinkston. Will the duo of Johnson and Epps be enough to beat the big NYC basketball factory?

Paterson Kennedy Too Much For Philadelphia Foe

In the third game of the day, Philadelphia-area high school Monsignor Bonner traveled to Paterson to take on hometown high school Paterson Kennedy.

Bonner held their own as they would only trailed by seven points at halftime, 27-20. Kennedy would prove to be too much as the game wore on and was led by Shondel Stewart, who finished with 22 points, and Asmar Edwards, who finished with 14 points. They would outpace Bonner in the third quarter by a margin of 27 to 12, and never really gave Bonner a hope for victory.

Paterson Kennedy won the game by a final score of 71-52. They faced off against Plainfield Sunday and lost a close OT game. They will take on Linden in the third place game Tuesday at 2:00 pm.

In The End Size Does Matter

In the fourth and final game of the day New York City powerhouse Bishop Loughlin would take on Paterson’s other public high school, Paterson Eastside. Warming up, Bishop Loughlin had the look and aura of a college team but that would not deter Paterson Eastside early on.

In a battle of size versus speed, Paterson Eastside would out-play and out-hustle the big boys from Brooklyn for much of the game. Despite their smaller physical size, Eastside dominated early on as they’d out-hawk Loughlin for offensive rebounds and scored readily en route to a 47-37 halftime lead.

Despite his previous pedigree, 6’6 junior Jayvaughn Pinkston was held relatively quiet in the first half of the game. Despite his size and rebounding abilities, Pinkston was not a major presence for Bishop Loughlin in the first half. But you can’t hold down a 6’6 220 pound stud for long, as Eastside would find out.

Despite the energy of the home crowd, Paterson could not pull away with their ten-point lead in the second half. The game just seemed to be getting out of reach for Loughlin when big man Pinkston would come up with a big board or score. With the help of Brandan Frazier and Pinkston, the big boys from Brooklyn would seriously quell any momentum Eastside had as they trimmed their lead to three at the end of the third quarter.

Then, lead by Pinkston’s 14 fourth quarter points, Bishop Loughlin exploded onto the scene in Paterson, letting the home town fans know they didn’t cross the Hudson to lose. Pinkston played like an offended bull in the quarter scoring point after point showing why he is currently New York City’s top rated junior. The final score was 89-78 as the buzzer sounded to end the game, but anyone who played or watched knew the game was much closer than the final score indicated

After the game Bishop Loughlin head coach Rudy King said, “We were making this game difficult. They had some pretty decent shooters and once we started making them put the ball on the floor and dribble to the rack, they started turning it over. I was very proud of them, the way they responded. But you know, New York City kids play that AAU circuit, they play the best so it’s just a matter of them putting the IQ with the athleticism and making it work together toward the success.”

On the day, Pinkston would finish with 23 points, Trevon Hamlet led Loughlin in scoring with 26, and Brandon Frazier would have another 23 points as Bishop Loughlin would win the hard fought game.

Bishop Loughlin takes on Plainfield in what should be an exciting final to the Jingle Bells Jubilee tournament Tuesday at 4:00 pm.

Player Notes:

Tyrone Johnson, 6’2 sophomore point guard. 16 pts.
Elite Speed. Can take the ball himself from one end of the court to the other in a hurry. Excellent ball handling skills. Looks and plays confidently on the court. Pretty solid defense for just a sophomore.

Following the game, Johnson told NBE that Georgetown, Tennessee, Texas, Rutgers, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh, Stanford, UCLA, Memphis, UMass and Marquette have been showing interest in him. This is a 2011 recruit that will continue to be tracked heavily by top programs.

Isaiah Epps, 6’2 junior guard. 24 pts.
Good scorer and teammate. Passes, slashes or just does whatever the need is. Crisp passes in transition. Hustles real hard, even went flying into the Plainfield part of the stands Saturday going after the ball.

At the Hoop Group Tip-Off Showcase the previous weekend, Epps told NBE that Pittsburgh, Maryland, Kansas, Rutgers and Seton Hall comprised his list.

Myles Davis, 6’1 sophomore guard.
Not a very good game for the class of 2011 guard that came in highly touted. His shot was not falling and then foul trouble added to his difficulties. Look forward to seeing him this coming weekend at the Playaz New Year’s Jump Off at Teaneck High School to see if he can bounce back.

Jayvaughn Pinkston, 6’6 junior forward. 23 pts.
Absolute animal under the basket and will only get better with time. Sets the tone for his team and is capable of taking over a game. Good defense for his size. Moves adequately for a big man.

According to Loughlin head coach Rudy King following the game, Pinkston has offers from USC, Cincinnati, Ohio St, St. Johns, West Virginia, Louisville and Connecticut.

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