Slam Dunk Day 2 recap and photos
Slam Dunk to the Beach continued Dec. 28 with a full slate of games.
Immaculate Conception (N.J.) 58, Rock Creek Christian (Md.) 54 (OT) – Senior guard Zion Bethea scored 18 points and sank a crucial bucket in overtime to lift the Lions to a come-from-behind victory. Immaculate Conception trailed 15-4 early but chipped away at the deficit, tying the game on a lay-in from Amar’e Marshall with 40 seconds left in regulation. They finished the extra frame on a 9-2 run.
Albany Academy (N.Y.) 62, Lake Clifton (Md.) 43 – Senior wing Andre Jackson wowed the Big House crowd with his high-flying ways and smooth stroke, scoring 16 points as the Cadets eased away from the Lakers. The Connecticut commit added nine rebounds and seven assists in the blowout, which saw Albany lead for all but the first two minutes thanks to its crisp ball movement and 49 percent shooting. Sophomore center Riley Mulvey tallied 13 points and 10 boards for the Cadets, while senior guard Zaccheus Blackwell paced Lake Clifton with 13 points.
Eleanor Roosevelt (Md.) 56, Dover (Del.) 51 – Senior swingman Quinton Mincey scored 21 points and snagged nine rebounds as the Raiders erased an eight-point third-quarter deficit to down the Senators. Mincey, a Mount St. Mary’s pledge, converted a key three-point play in the final minute to put the game out of reach. Senior guard Joemel McNair chipped in with 13 points for Roosevelt. Dover, playing without injured star Eden Davis, got 15 points and five assists from senior guard Jordan Allen and acquitted itself well against the defending Maryland 4A state champs.
Westtown (Pa.) 48, Hudson Catholic (N.J.) 27 – The Moose stampeded past the Hawks behind 20 points from junior point guard Jalen Warley, who hit seven of his 10 field goal tries and added three assists. Warley helped break open a tight, choppy affair by pouring in 15 points in the second half, when Westtown outscored Hudson 35-13. The Hawks, up against a front line that featured 6-foot-10 Dereck Lively and 6-foot-11 Franck Kepnang, shot an anemic 23 percent from the field.
Our Saviour Lutheran (N.Y.) 88, Legacy Early College (S.C.) 76 (OT) – Senior wing Dylan Wusu scored 17 of his 22 points after the break, and junior guard Maximus Edwards poured in seven of his 18 points in overtime as the Falcons triumphed over the Lions. In what was arguably the most exciting and well-played game of the tourney so far, Our Saviour came back from eight points down in the third quarter behind the stellar play of Wusu, Edwards, and senior point guard Posh Alexander. Junior swingman Ike Cornish put up 20 points for Legacy, which also got 18 apiece from junior guard Jacobi Wright and senior forward Brayland McIntyre. Both teams shot well over 50 percent from the floor in this up-and-down affair.
No. 14 Roselle Catholic (N.J.) 52, Sanford (Del.) 36 – Senior big man Cliff Omoruyi scored 14 of his 16 points after intermission, and senior guard C.J. Wilcher added 14 points as national powerhouse Roselle Catholic downed the First State’s top squad. Sanford hung with Roselle early, but the Lions used a 17-0 midgame surge – including a 9-0 second quarter – to establish control. The Warriors were paced by senior guard Corey Perkins, who collected 10 points and five assists.
