Slam Dunk recap Day 3
Archbishop Wood (Pa.) 65, Our Savior New American (N.Y.) 63 – Senior forward Julius Phillips converted a lay-in with one second on the clock to send the Vikings home with the victory. In a back-and-forth affair that featured nine lead changes, Our Savior erased a six-point deficit in the final two minutes and had a chance to win it with 15 seconds left. The Pioneers turned the ball over on that possession, giving Archbishop Wood the ball as the clock wound down. Sophomore guard Muneer Newton worked around an Our Savior full-court press and found a streaking Phillips, who banked in the game-winner. Sophomore wing Daeshon Shepherd scored 18 points and corralled seven rebounds for the Vikings, while sophomore guard Jaylen Stinson added 17 points and knocked down three three-pointers. The Pioneers were paced by sophomore forward Jonathan Kuminga, who tallied 26 points, six boards, seven assists, and five three-pointers.
#25 (MaxPreps) Roselle Catholic (N.J.) 79, Salesianum 44 – Kentucky-bound senior wing Kahlil Whitney scored 16 points as the heavily favored Lions pulled away in the second half. Senior guard Josh Pierre-Louis, a UNLV commit, added 17 points and seven rebounds for Roselle, which outscored Salesianum 47-20 and shot 69 percent from the floor after intermission. Pierre-Louis brought the crowd to its feet with a baseline tomahawk slam in the final minutes. The Sallies got 14 points and four three-pointers from senior guard Maxamilian Ferrante.
Sanford 62, Bishop Walsh (Md.) 47 – The Warriors shot the lights out of the Big House early on and held on for a hard-fought win. Junior wing Jyare Davis netted 23 points and grabbed six rebounds for Sanford, which converted 14 of its first 21 field goal tries and led 36-17 on a lay-in from sophomore forward Nnanna Njoku early in the second quarter. Junior guard Hassan Perkins added 17 points and seven boards for the Warriors, while Njoku contributed 13 points and six caroms. Senior guard Callum Baker did his best to bring Bishop Walsh back, pouring in 18 points and going 6-for-10 from three-point range.
Gonzaga College (D.C.) 76, Liberty (Nev.) 53– Freshman guard Devin Dinkins came off the bench to tally 13 points and junior guard Chuck Harris added 12 in the Eagles’ rout of the Patriots. Thirteen different players scored for Gonzaga, which shot 58 percent from the floor and used a 20-2 second-quarter run to create separation. Junior wing Julian Strawther and junior guard Dante’ Davis scored 16 points each for Liberty.
Westtown (Pa.) 62, Albany Academy (N.Y.) 52– Junior forward Noah Collier poured in 28 points on 10-of-14 shooting to help Westtown take down Albany Academy. The Moose led throughout and withstood a late surge from the Cadets, who got 25 points and seven three-pointers from Yale-bound senior guard August Mahoney. Westtown senior guard Jalen Gaffney displayed the sweet stroke and court vision that earned him a full ride to Connecticut, scoring 19 points on 4-for-9 three-point shooting and dishing out four assists. Junior guard Andre Jackson piled up 13 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals for Albany.
Player of the Day: Noah Collier, Westtown (Pa.) – The junior forward was unstoppable on all three levels in Westtown’s victory over Albany Academy, scoring 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting. The 6-foot-8 Collier dunked four times, showed off a soft mid-range jumper, and even ventured outside for a three-pointer. He added four rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 32 minutes. The Philly native can jump out of the gym, finishes well in transition, and has good footwork for a young big man, skills that have landed him offers from Syracuse, Seton Hall, and VCU, among others.
Dunk of the Day: Cliff Omoruyi, Roselle Catholic (N.J.) – Late in the third quarter of his team’s victory over Salesianum, the 6-foot-11 junior and consensus top-100 prospect strapped on his Moon Shoes and followed up a teammate’s miss with a thunderous two-hander. Omoruyi landed on his back but popped right up, upping the “wow” quotient a few points.
