ISB Invitational – Day 3: From the Blacktop to the Gym

Semifinals: Bingo’s All-Stars vs. Krispy Kutz
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Krispy Kutz surprised a lot of people by advancing this far, but they showed everyone that it was no mistake. Jasmine “Total Package” Mansell joined the lineup and came off the bench. Bingo’s squad pounded the ball inside three consecutive times to James “Stixx” Williams, so TP found his role on defense. On offense, he scored on his first possession. Then, Mike “Optimus Prime” Glover came from out the shadows. According to MC Joe Pope, he had a “spin move so quick [that] he dried his shirt.” “Cross Country” made a crazy up-and-over layup and one for Krispy Kutz to cut the deficit to three. Keydren “Kiki” Clark was the answer on the other end. Bingo’s team held that same three point advantage at the half.

Jessie Sapp, also known as GT or Georgetown for his school, boosted his squad to a 53-49 lead as Cross Country hit a baseline right hander on the left side. Bingo’s team quickly regained the lead but Krispy Kutz locked down on defense and snatched four steals in two minutes to tie the game at 59 with 2:06 remaining in the 3rd quarter. In the 4th quarter, Mike Glover played with heart. RELENTLESS! With a mere five point lead, Glover grabbed an offensive board and put it back – 79-72 at 1:45. On the next play, Kiki throws a prayer to Glover. Operation: shut down! Cross Country launched a three-pointer on the other end but misses. Who comes up with the rebound but…Mike Glover! Talent from the Bronx is really representing lately…

FINAL SCORE: Bingo’s All-Stars 83, Krispy Kutz 73

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Semifinals: Team 914 vs. Ooh Way
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Apparently it was supposed to rain on the first two days of the ISB Invitation but didn’t. With high winds and dark skies and another chance of rain, no one seemed to understand why Sunday would be any different. The game started with a marquee match-up: Aaron “The Problem” Williams vs. Melvin “The Problem Child” Creddle. Both point guards gave the ball up in the paint and let forwards do the work inside early. Torey Thomas provided Team 914 with good guard skills alongside Williams, especially on defense. The game was tied at the end of the first quarter until Quinton “T2″ Hosley started to turn it up for Ooh Way. Jomo Belfour tossed up a long ball for Team 914 but Kenny “Serious Satellite” Satterfield came right back with the same medicine. Defense pushed Ooh Way’s lead to four points before the game was called at 3:40 with a slight rain delay. After the crowd was already told to go to Baychester Community Center in the Bronx, the skies cleared up. From the blacktop to the hardwood…

An hour and a half later, the game restarted with all four corners of the gym covered with fans, other players, and other coaches. You can take the players out of the street but you can’t take the street out of the players! High energy basketball was the verdict. K-Sat’s first half ending three-pointer lifted Ooh Way to a 40-36 lead. Belfour gave Team 914 the lead until T2 decided to put on a show. Monster dunk. Layup in the lane. Kareem Reid and Melvin Creddle were giving up every possession to get this guy the ball down low. And then…there was the crossover… Creddle, or “The Problem Child,” crossed Belfour at the foul line, and the crowd went CRAZY! The game was stopped for a minute or two. Next play? Problem Child again but this time with a long jumper. T2 made it a ten point lead with his outside range. End 3rd: Ooh Way 61, Team 914 57.

Team 914 had fans in the building too and were showing support as the team slowly crept back into the game. The other Problem – Aaron Williams – started to step up and push his team. Strong drive to the basket and free throws. With 914 down two, Problem stole the rock and came down the other end with a 180 reverse dunk to tie the game at 73. After a series of free throws, Ooh Way called timeout with 29.4 seconds and down one point. The Best Kept Secret was fouled with 26.8 seconds and drained both shots from the free throw line and making it 76-75 in favor of Ooh Way. Team 914 worked the ball around the perimeter until Torey Thomas made the biggest three pointer of the game! Magic! The Problem Child was surrounded by three defenders on the other end and Thomas came up with the ball. He sank both free throws for the dagger. The Ooh Way run was done!

FINAL SCORE: Team 914 80, Ooh Way 78

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High School Finals: Dyckman vs. Nia Prep (Newark, NJ)
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The game was evenly matched early on. At the end of the 1st quarter, the score was 15-14. Nia Prep bragged one kid worth mentioning: Jeffrey Short. He has verbally committed to Fordham University. The kid rocks braids – reminiscent of a young Rafer Alston – and has a smooth game with flashy passes and quick crossovers. He led his squad with assists to the open man in any corner, but the Dyckman program was just too deep. They have been playing together for some time and show good chemistry on the court. Unlike the men’s unlimited, the young boys really showed true defense with monster blocks in the paint, and physical defensive rebounding. With a five-point lead at halftime, Dyckman battled Nia Prep down to the wire. At the 4th quarter, the team from Washington Heights held an 87-84 lead over the Jersey crew. On the in-bounds pass, Jeffrey Short came to the ball and shot a three-pointer at the buzzer but clanked off the back of the rim. Kenny Stevens‘ and Ralph Pena‘s success with the Dyckman program continues. Dyckman will always be around to watch, so keep your eye on Nia Prep’s Jeffrey Short…

FINAL SCORE: Dyckman 87, Nia Prep 84

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Men’s Finals: Bingo’s All-Stars vs. Team 914
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It was 9:43pm on Sunday, June 6, 2010. The only basketball game everyone that everyone was concerned was the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in California. But in Baychester Community Center in the Bronx, NY, there were two other teams battling in the finals. Team 914 and Bingo’s All-Stars. Some can say Team 914 was the Celtics – a team converted from worst to first with veterans, talent, and great team chemistry. On the other side, Bingo’s All-Stars, coached by the streetball don who can be compared to Phil Jackson, have won championship after championship. Like the Lakers, they have haters and a huge fan base.

Team 914 came out with high energy and fresh uniforms despite just playing two games ago. They continued to play up-tempo with a give-and-go explosive offense. Bingo’s team relied on an inside game, as Mike “Optimus Prime” Glover put in his usual work in the post. He wore his heart on his sleeve the whole night. Team 914 would take an early lead, 16-13, with four minutes left in the 1st quarter. Like the Inside Streetball Invitational, the championship turned into a physical game with guards even going down low. Glover continued to dominate all ends of the floor – points, rebounds, and blocks. His one-handed slam gave Bingo a three-point lead. By halftime, everything changed with Team 914 in front, 58-52. Bingo’s All-Stars were not used to being on the losing side..

MC Joe Pope proclaimed buckets, rebounds, and everything as “nothing easy.” The second half saw Optimus Prime playing with more heart than anyone on the floor. Junie “General Electric” Sanders fade-away on one foot cut the deficit to three points but an alley-oop on the other end kept the game in favor of Team 914. Keydren “Kiki” Clark and Glover keep the game tight. The difference was Glover’s opponent. Most people saw him as #15, while Team 914 knew him as _________. He locked down Glover on defense and went right back at him with an in-between the legs cross to a layup on the left side. The crowd was loving it. Did I mention that ______ donned two white strips in the shape of an X under his right eye? Earlier in the day, he took a beating down in the paint. Joe Pope announced, “he got the Steve Nash eye-patch,” as Team 914 went up by five points. Another isolation left the fans feening for more! Bingo’s All-Stars had one more chance with 1:38 as they called a timeout and down, 105-101. Aaron “The Problem” Williams sealed the deal with two free throws and veteran leadership on the court. Can we expect a rematch of the two best teams in New York City anywhere this summer?

FINAL SCORE: Team 914 112, Bingo’s All-Stars 103

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