Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Brawl mars English-Winthrop tilt

By Joe Vieira | Wednesday, January 27, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com |

LYNN - A fantastic high school basketball game between Northeastern Conference rivals Lynn English and Winthrop was marred by a shouting match between a Winthrop assistant coach and an English player that eventually grew into a 100-person mosh pit last night.

Vikings assistant Poncho Bingham began a verbal exchange with an English player during the postgame handshake, but Lynn police officer Paul Holey quickly stepped in and tried to walk Bingham out of the gymnasium. Exiting fans soon became involved, however, and the situation quickly escalated into a shoving match between fans, players and coaches from both sides.

No punches appeared to be thrown in the midst of the mob that spread out from the scorers’ table across the Winthrop bench area, and police and officials from both schools managed to separate the sides after approximately two minutes. Police escorted the Winthrop delegation to its buses.

Holey said he spoke with the parties involved and that no criminal charges were pending as of last night.

“It’s a terrible way for a basketball game to end,” said English coach Buzzy Barton, whose team won a 69-51 decision that was much closer than the score indicates. “It’s sad to see adults act like that. It’s not good for the game.”

Top-ranked English (12-0, 10-0 NEC) opened the game on a 20-3 run, spurred by quick outlets for easy fast-break points, 4-of-6 shooting from behind the arc, and a dismal 1-for-11 performance from the field for the Vikings (12-2, 8-2).

Dino Mallios (game-high 27 points) single-handedly pulled Winthrop back into the game in the second quarter, scoring eight straight points to open the frame. He added four more down the stretch and, along with six points from Jake Connors, had the Vikings within six points, 29-23, at the break.

“I did (expect the Winthrop comeback), because they’re a good team and they execute really well,” Barton said. “I knew sooner or later they’d try to slow us down, which they did. They shut that fast break down.”

Mallios scored four straight points to pull Winthrop within three, 36-33, midway through the third. Collins came up with an athletic tip-in to cut the lead to one, and then Jarred Bingham drove the lane for a lay-up that gave the Vikings their first lead with 2:40 remaining in the quarter.

It was Winthrop’s only lead, however. Two free throws for Jarell Byrd took the lead back for English, and a 3-point play by Ryan Woumn pushed it to 43-37 a minute later.

Woumn scored 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including seven to close the door after the Vikings had pulled within five, 55-50, with 3:06 to go.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/high_school/general/view.bg?articleid=1228558

Monday, January 25, 2010

Monroe takes advantage of extra year

Brockton center uses time to raise grades for college
By Jake Seiner | January 24, 2010

BROCKTON - Standing to the right of the free-throw line, staring down the basket in front of him, Mario Monroe bobbed his head coolly to the song playing over the public-address system. His lanky frame hidden under a red, long-sleeve Brockton High warm-up jersey, the 6-foot-8 center corralled a basketball at his right hip and watched as his teammates tossed in layups in their pregame routine.

When the lane cleared, Monroe paused momentarily, then went into motion. He glided through the paint and effortlessly lifted himself to the cylinder to flick in a graceful two-handed slam.

Monroe tossed in a few more dunks as he cruised through warm-ups, each throw-down smoother and more natural than the last. Just going through his routine.

But his journey to suiting up for the Boxers this season has been anything but routine.

After attending West Roxbury High as a freshman and sophomore, Monroe transferred to North Cambridge Catholic. Last spring, after two years at NCC, he did not have enough credits to graduate and his athletic eligibility, seemingly, had been exhausted.

Determined to earn his diploma and play basketball in college, Monroe moved in with his mother, a Brockton resident - he’d previously lived with his father - and enrolled at Brockton High School during the summer. Once enrolled, Monroe applied for a fifth year of eligibility with the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, but his request was initially denied.

The Monroe family appealed, pointing to a knee injury that kept him sidelined for most of his freshman season at West Roxbury. The MIAA heard the appeal and granted an extra season of eligibility earlier this month.

“At first, it was hard because I got denied,’’ Monroe said. “I was kind of depressed because it’s my last year. What was I going to do?

“It was frustrating because it’s like, ‘I’m going to the gym, but what am I going to get out of it? Am I going to be able to play?’ ’’

Thanks to the MIAA waiver, and his improved work in the classroom, Monroe is now focusing on playing college basketball, possibly at Robert Morris, a Division 1 program in Pittsburgh.

“His grades have improved since he came here to Brockton,’’ Brockton athletic director Tom Kenney said. “I think this was a good move for Mario as a person.’’

For now, Monroe is focused on helping the 10-1 Boxers roll into the state tournament.

Last Sunday night, he made his much-anticipated debut for the Boxers in a nonleague matchup against visiting Andover.

When he stepped onto the court with just under six minutes left in the second quarter, he was greeted by enthusiastic applause from the Brockton crowd.

“It felt good - it’s kind of a big weight off my shoulders,’’ Monroe said about returning to the court. “The community’s been great. They welcome you, and if you need anything, they got you.’’

Monroe quickly put his talents on display to the faithful. A minute in, he posted up and knocked down a textbook jump shot about 12 feet from the basket. The ball barely moved the net as it fell through the rim.

Monroe grabbed four rebounds, netted two points, and blocked one shot in a four-minute second-quarter stint. Brockton outscored Andover 16-5 during that span.

In 10 total minutes, Monroe registered six points and six rebounds as the Boxers rolled to an 82-44 win. As the center becomes more accustomed to Brockton’s style and gets back into game shape, Boxers’ coach Robert Boen anticipates he will become a regular part of his squad’s rotation.

“In the first half, he did a really nice job,’’ Boen said. “He was very smart on defense, I thought. He realized he could sag off his man and give some help, and I thought that really rattled Andover to just suddenly have that big guy standing back there protecting the basket.’’

Monroe offers Boen flexibility. The tallest player in the Boxers starting five on Sunday was 6-foot-4 junior Shane Sims, and with fleet-footed guards Leonardo Medina and Kyle Houston on the floor, Brockton has had the ability to play with fast-paced, guard-heavy sets.

With Monroe in the middle, 6-foot-3 Jahleel Moise and 6-foot-2 Traece Macklin can play forward, allowing the Boxers to go big.

“He’s fit in very nicely,’’ Boen said. “For a kid who’s getting a lot of attention, he’s been very nice and humble and just coming to work hard.’’

“If I could change it - do it all over again - I wouldn’t, because it taught me a lot about life,’’ Monroe said of the path leading to Brockton. “Everything’s not going to go your way; the question is what you’re going to do with it when it doesn’t go your way. God made it happen that way for a reason.’’

Unbeaten New Mission worthy of a lot of attention

By Evan MacDonald, Globe Correspondent | January 25, 2010

New Mission boys basketball coach Cory McCarthy calls his Titans “the best team that nobody’s ever heard of.”

If the Titans keep up the pace they’re on now, it won’t be long before people begin to take notice.

New Mission entered Sunday’s game against East Boston with a perfect 12-0 record, including 9-0 in the Boston City League. Furthermore, the Titans have been dropping opponents by more than 25 points per game; a 72-67 win over Brighton Jan. 8 was the only game New Mission failed to win by double digits.

Still, McCarthy feels his team hasn’t been getting the respect it deserves.

“People say we’re big and athletic,” McCarthy said. “It’s never that they can get up and down the court, and that they play the game right.”

Last season, the Titans finished 12-9 but failed to qualify for the City playoffs. That squad did advance to the Div. 4 North semifinals, where it lost to eventual sectional champion North Cambridge Catholic.

A large part of why the Titans are so improved this season is that the players have matured together. This year’s team is filled with juniors and seniors. Furthermore, seniors Ousmane Drame and Osmel Odena and juniors Samir McDaniels, Jonathan Basile, and Kachi Nzerem play together during the summer on the Boston Warriors AAU team.

“We have a lot of returning players, and the chemistry is great,” said the 6-foot-4-inch McDaniels, who leads the team in scoring at 22.1 points per game. “Most of us have been together since we were freshmen. So as the years have gone, we’ve gotten stronger.”

Drame, a 6-8 center, has only been playing basketball for three seasons. The native Liberian, who has grown 8 inches over the past two years, averages 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 blocks per game while anchoring the team’s 2-2-1 press.

“I get better every year, because I work hard in the summer,” Drame said. “I think I can get better, and I can get stronger. I still have a lot of stuff to work on.”

McCarthy, who coached the New Mission girls for four years before taking over the boys’ program last season, said Drame is especially effective when the Titans’ coaching staff pushes him.

“The more you motivate him, the better player he is,” McCarthy said of Drame. “I feel like if I’m really hard on him, I get a lot out of him.”

Odena, the team’s shortest starter at 6 feet, averages 16 points and nine assists per game. McCarthy considers him to be one of the best point guards in the state.

Rounding out the starting lineup are Nzerem (6-4) and 6-2 junior Charles Gunter.

Off the bench, McCarthy can turn to even more size in freshman Nathaniel Anderson (6-6), senior Taj Banks (6-5), junior Darius Davis (6-4), and Basile (6 feet). Junior James Morgan (5-8) is the team’s only regular who stands less than 6 feet tall.

All that size is especially helpful in making New Mission’s pressure defenses effective. McCarthy likes to employ a half-court press, and he said it’s difficult for opposing guards to throw the ball over the top of McDaniels and Davis at mid-court.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Titans’ success is that New Mission, which is located at Roxbury Crossing, is the smallest school in the Boston City League - the MIAA’s alignment figures from last year list the school as having just 264 students. (The next-smallest school, Snowden, has 612 students.)

But the Titans have exceeded expectations, even against schools such as East Boston, West Roxbury, and Brighton, which have five times as many students.

McCarthy said he thinks New Mission’s size is partly to blame for its perceived lack of respect. He said critics think he and his staff recruit players to come play basketball at New Mission.

“They think, ‘What’s the smallest school in the Boston City doing with these players? Are they recruiting?’ McCarthy said. “But how could we recruit? [It’s just that] nobody’s ready for someone to come in and take what they’ve been doing for so long.”

The Titans’ experience against larger schools should aid them when the Div. 4 North tournament begins in about a month. The playoff landscape figures to be tough, as both Winthrop and defending state champion Cathedral loom as potential foes.

McCarthy, who won a state title with the New Mission girls in 2007, said he expects his current team to make a run, and that it will keep playing with the same tenacity that’s helped push it to the impressive start.

“You have the approach every game the same way, whether it’s the regular season or the tournament,” McCarthy said. “That’s the best thing about basketball. It stays the same, but you never know what you’re going to get out of it.”

Ultimately, McCarthy said he doesn’t care what other teams think of the Titans, because the players and the coaching staff enjoy being a part of the program.

“They’re loyal to each other, and loyal to the game. They know each other inside out,” McCarthy said. “As long as my kids go to work, go to study hall, respect each other, and play the game the right way, I’ll be happy with that.”

Quickness on court

Burke’s Khadijah Ellison rising star

By Dan Ventura / In the Paint | Sunday, January 24, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | High School

Photo by Stuart Cahill
There was a time when you had to force Khadijah Ellison to get on a basketball court.

Now, you can’t get her off the hardwood.

In three short years, the Burke junior standout guard has gone from hoop novice to bona fide Division 1 college recruit. She currently is ranked 54th in the class of 2011, which bares even more watching when one considers that No. 55 Ka’lia Johnson (Duke) and No. 58 Danielle Butts (North Carolina) already have given verbal commitments to ACC powers.

“I’ve had something like 16 or 17 girls get scholarships, but none have ever been ranked as high as this girl,” said longtime Burke girls basketball coach John Rice. “I’m not gonna say that Khadijah is better than a Starr Fuller or an Elaine McCants, but this girl (has) already been ranked higher by ESPN than anyone I’ve had before.”

Ellison never stepped on a court before the eighth grade and even that was a struggle. It was former teammate Niesha Kelly who helped make the game more enjoyable.

“I never liked it, never even watch the games on television,” said Ellison, who is averaging more than 25 points a game for the 8-3 Bulldogs. “It was playing with her that helped me start liking the game.”

Ellison spent her freshman year at New Mission along with Kelly, averaging more than 11 points. After spending the early part of last season at New Mission, Ellison transferred to Burke, where she sat out the rest of the season.

“It was no special reason,” Ellison said. “I like the girls, but it was time for me to move on.”

Ellison certainly made her presence felt on the AAU circuit while playing for the Albany City Rocks and the Showstoppers. Her athletic ability was second to none and the ballhandling and shooting skills caught the eye of several Div. 1 colleges.

“That’s the first thing you notice,” Rice said. “Her physical skills are through the roof. Then you add in the fact that she can handle the ball, shoot the 3, play either guard position and you see why colleges want her.”

Ellison had a chance to play against her former team for the first time last week. It was obvious that she was a little too excited for the matchup and, as a result, her shot was off. She finished with 21 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a 65-53 loss.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen her miss shots like that,” Rice said. “I think playing against them and knowing that people were there to see her probably affected her game.”

Since she’s only been playing competitive basketball for three years, Ellison is a bit behind the competition as far as experience is concerned. Former Boston English star Donald Jeffes has been working with Ellison, stressing fundamentals as well as other aspects of the game.

Jets press pays off

By Dan Ventura / Schools | Monday, January 25, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | High School

East Boston coach Malcolm Smith isn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Seeing that New Mission was without star point guard Osmel Odena, who was in Florida due to a family emergency, the Jets cranked up the fullcourt pressure to the max. The end result was 30 turnovers and a hard-fought 68-66 victory in yesterday’s Publics vs. Catholics Roundball Classic.

“We weren’t oblivious to the fact that Osmel wasn’t here,” said Smith. “I feel he is one of the top two point guards in the area, so that was our game plan all along.”

Even with the turnovers, New Mission (11-1) hung tough, evening the score at 60 on a basket by Kachi Nzerem (16 points). But East Boston’s Jeff Amazan stepped up big down the stretch, breaking the tie by making all three foul shots, then hitting a huge 3-pointer on the next possession to make it a 66-60 game with 28.9 seconds remaining.

New Mission led for most of the first three quarters behind the play of Samir McDaniels (17 points, seven rebounds) and Nzerem. But the Jets rallied, led by Elijah Chisholm (12 points) and Dimitry Coronel (13 points), to end the third quarter on an 11-0 run.

In other action at the tournament, senior center David Campbell scored 17 points, blocked eight shots and grabbed seven rebounds as Madison Park (11-1) beat St. Raphael’s, 66-35. Also, Gavin Mahoney’s layup with 4.9 seconds left gave Winthrop a 52-50 victory over Cathedral.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Five-Star Game of the Week: Basketball X-Perts New England Public vs Catholic Roundball Challenge January 24

Public vs Catholic Roundball Classic: Presented by Basketball X-Perts
@ Emmanuel College (Head Coach Jamahl Jackson-long time Five-Star staff member)

Game One- 3pm Madison Park (MA) v St Raphaels (RI)
Madison Park comes in at 10-1 and ranked in the top 10 in MA Div 1 Boys Basketball. Head Coach Dennis Wilson has a core of seniors that he says has "really bought into the TEAM concept". All parts equally important, they have utilized that depth and experience to be off to one of the best starts in school history. 5-9 Senior Point Guard Spencer Braithwaite is the floor general that makes the operation successful. In the post 6-5 SR front line man David Campbell is good for a double-double every time hes stepped on the floor this season. Both players are receiving scholarship looks at this point.
St Raphaels is a Div 1 team from Pawtucket RI. They are currently 7-7. Coach Sorrentine's team has only two Seniors on its roster, but he has molded the younger players into a force to be reckoned with in the state of RI, which includes star 5-9 freshman point guard, Charles Correa (18ppg, 7apg) and 6-4 sophomore wing, Cesar Mejia.

Game Two- 5pm East Boston (MA) v New Misssion (MA)
A much anticipated battle of the unbeatens has Coach Malcolm Smith's East Boston team off to an 11-0 start and a Div 1 MA top ten ranking facing Coach Corey McCarthy's New Mission team who is MA #1 ranked Div 4 team and has that same 11-0 record.
East Boston players to watch-
New Mission players to watch- SR Osmeo Odena, SR Ousmane Drame, JR Samir
McDaniels

Game Three- 7pm Cathedral (MA) v Winthrop (MA)
Coach Carnell Suttles has his Cathedral (Div 4 top Five team) team off to a 7-3 start. They play tonight (1-22) v St Mary's prior to the Roundball Classic on Sunday. Players to watch for Cathedral are as follows: 6-1 SR Wing Ernest McNeil, 6-0 SO Guard Kyle Lawyer (18ppg) and 5-5 SO Pt Guard Carlos Bermudez. All three of Cathedrals losses have come to higher Div teams.
Coach Dave Brown has Winthrop rolling right now, off to an 11-1 start and a top 5 Div 4 ranking in the state of MA.
This is a classic North v South Div 4 battle and a possible preview to the TD Bank North Garden matchup in March!
Withrop is led by 6-1 SR Dino Mallios, a St Anslem's commit, Gavin Mahoney 5-9 SR point guard and 6-2 SR wing Mark Jenkins.

-Tony Bergeron/ Leigh Klein, Five Star

LINK: http://5starbball.tv/profiles/blogs/fivestar-game-of-the-week-1?xgs=1&xg_source=msg_share_url

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

EASTIE RALLIES TO TAKE DOWN MP

Dan Ventura Boston Herald

A game full of imperfections had a perfect ending. That is, of course, if you are an East Boston fan.

Trailing for most of the game, the Jets rallied from a 12-point deficit in the final seven minutes to force overtime. From there, East Boston took over in the extra session, outscoring Madison Park, 15-6, to take home a hard-fought, 91-82, victory last night at the Madidome.

It was a marathon affair to say the least as 61 fouls (according the official book) were called. East Boston was whistled for 12 in the first quarter alone (as opposed to two for MP) and watched as the Cardinal attempted a whopping 20 free throws in the opening eight minutes.

But that might not have been such as a bad thing as it turned out. In the old days, a trip to the free throw line was better known as the charity stripe. Well, it was no charity for MP, which made just 11-of-20 in the opening quarter and 33-of-63 (imagine getting 63 free throws in a game and losing?) for the contest. By contrast, EB was 23-of-39 from the line, eight of the attempts coming in the waning moments of overtime when MP was forced to foul.

Even with this disadvantage, the Jets still managed to be down by just three (17-14) at the break. Madison Park kept the lead through three quarters (59-50) largely on the strength of big man David Campbell, who was immense with 25 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots. With Campbell and speedy point guard Spencer Braithwaite (22 points, six rebounds, six assists) leading the way, MP carried a 62-50 lead into the final seven minutes.

But the walls started to cave in when Campbell was whistled for his fifth foul shortly thereafter. Without Campbell in the paint, East Boston received the jolt it needed and began attacking inside with a vengeance. Dion Ruff was a whirling dynamo for the Jets in the final quarter, scoring 11 of his 13 points in that stretch. His two free throws with 3.2 seconds gave Eastie a 76-75 lead.

Things weren’t easy for Eastie and you just had a chance something was going to happen in the final 3.2 seconds. It did as Braithwaite was fouled just as he was ready to shoot with 0.2 seconds left. He missed the first and made the second to force overtime.

Despite some serious foul trouble (Dimitry Coronel, Jeff Amazan, Elijah Chisholm, Tweet Wynn and John Flakes all fouled out for Eastie), the Jets took control midway through the overtime and never looked back. Amazan (18 points, five rebounds) and Walter Lewis (15) scored all 15 of Eastie’s points in the extra session to give them the wild win.

For Amazan, putting it to MP is old hat. Last year, as a member of Charlestown, Amazan help fashion one of the biggest comebacks of the season. Trailing by 17 with less than three minutes to go, the Townies rallied to win on a 3-pointer by Amazan from the baseline.