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The Metro Hawks is a year-round athletic program, structured to serve boys and girls, young men and women who live primarily in the New York Metropolitan Area through basketball.
Metro Hawks 16s take Gym Rat Challenge
The Metro Hawks almost weren’t even in the Gym Rat Challenge. They weren’t originally entered and the 16u team only got in after the Ohio Shooting Stars pulled out the week of the tournament. But given the opportunity the Metro Hawks were ready. Their first pool game was at 12:20pm on Saturday afternoon and they didn’t get up to Albany until just after 12pm, just 20 minutes before the tipoff for their first game, but they came out and took care of business. They took care of business all weekend long en route to taking home the 16u Gym Rat Championship with an exciting 64-62 victory over FiDonce United.
The team came out hungry and looked primed for a big run from the get go. They were deep having brought 13 players and they were very talented bringing the likes of Jeff Neverson (Boys and Girls), Thaddeus Hall (Jefferson), and Will Robinson (Mt. Vernon). They started out by blowing out the LI Knights in there first pool game and they looked like they would cruise out of pool play without a challenge, but then they met a challenge in pool game #2.
The New England Storm came out and really took the game to the Metro Hawks. There big man did a good job getting inside using his height to his advantage, and they hit some big shots and played good perimeter defense. The NE Storm was up for a good portion of the 2nd half, building up a 10 point lead at one point, but led by Neverson’s ability to create, Hall’s ability to get to the rim, and a solid game by Andre Chambers (Wings), the Metro Hawks finished the game on a 14-4 run to squeak out a 66-64 victory.
That come from behind win spoke volumes of the heart and desire that the Metro Hawks had. They cruised to an easy 21 point win over CWB in their final pool game and looked primed for a big playoff run.
The playoffs started off with Metro looking very hot. Ian Vasquez (Wings) and Thaddeus Hall game the team a dynamic 1-2 scoring punch with Hall taking the ball at the rim with relative ease and Vasquez burning the nets from long range. They easily handled the Rhode Island Breakers in the Round of 16, and then took on a very talented NY Panthers team in the quarterfinals, but the Metro Hawks made a point in that game that they were here to play pummeling them by 72-51. Metro were now being talked about around Siena, but could they finish the job?
The Metro Hawks were matched up in the semifinals against the good shooting and fundamentally sound Jersey Shore Warriors. It was a good matchup for the Metro Hawks. Metro didn’t have a ton of size inside, but neither did Jersey Shore, so guarding the perimeter would be important, and it was something that Vasquez and Larry Graves (St. Raymond’s) did very well. Thaddeus Hall had a great 1st half as well scoring 16 of the teams 39 points and Jeff Neverson also provided great defense as well as a little bit of everything. Stephen Vasturia (St. Joseph’s Prep, NJ) did a good job hitting 3 three’s in the final 4 minutes of the half to close the gap a bit, but the Metro Hawks were still up 39-34 at the half.
The 2nd half saw Andre Chambers take over. His array of moves around the rim were impressive. Jersey Shore keyed up more on Hall and that left Chambers with opportunities that he took advantage of. Neverson also opened up his offensive arsenal a bit more in taking the ball down the lane numerous times. The defense also stepped up even more in the 2nd half and closed down the driving lanes. Will Robinson also took Warriors big man Roosevelt Cubbage (Paul VI, NJ) out of his game using his wide body to push him out of the lane. Metro Hawks for the most part were in complete control in the 2nd half and advanced to the 16u championship with a 72-62 win.
The championship game was going to pit another guard oriented team against the Metro Hawks in FiDonce United from Chester, PA. The two teams were very similar to each other in many ways and both looked good all tournament long, the game was bound to come down to the final possession, and it did.
Actually if you only saw the first half you would’ve thought that the Metro Hawks would’ve run away with an easy win. They jumped out nailing three after three by Vasquez and Hall, and Neverson got to the basket with ease, and Robinson who had not been much of an offensive threat in the playoffs until now had a big time half scoring on the low block on 3 straight possessions. FiDonce was really relying way too much on the 3 ball as Parris Ridgeway-Higgs (Hodgson-Vo Tech, DE) and Derrick Stewart (Neumann-Goretti, PA) were not getting the ball inside and their lack of size was killing them on the glass. At the half the Metro Hawks looked to be just 16 minutes away from a 16u title up 40-30, but things don’t always go that easily.
The 2nd half started out badly for the Metro Hawks. They came out flat and let Ridgeway-Higgs get to the rim with ease. The harassing pressure defense they applied in the 1st half was not their and offensively they were settling while FiDonce turned up the heat. 6 minutes into the 2nd half the Metro Hawks 10 point lead was now a 1 point deficit with them trailing 48-47. Who was going to step up and take over? Who was going to say this is our title for Metro? Jeff Neverson is who.
Neverson came to life. He cleared out the left side and took the ball down the lane where he connected and was fouled. He converted on the free throw to give Metro back a 2 point lead, but this was now a barnburner. Both teams would trade the lead back and forth in the waning minutes. With a minute to go and the game tied at 62 FiDonce had the ball and looked primed to hold it for one until Ridgeway-Higgs thought he had a lane down the left side, but Robinson was able to alter it a bit and Metro got the rebound. They slowed the game down and had Neverson hold for 1. He cleared out the left side and made his move with under 7 seconds to go, he drove down the left and improvised finding a cutting Andre Chambers who took one dribble and put up a short lefty hook that fell to give the Metro Hawks a 64-62 lead with 1.6 seconds left.
FiDonce then called a timeout. They got the inbounds to Ryair Smith (William Penn, DE) who took a dribble and before he could get off a shot he was fouled with 0.4 seconds left. FiDonce coaches complain to the officials that he was in the act of shooting, but it was to no avail. After an inbound Ridgeway-Higgs lofted up a 3 pointer from ¾ court that fell short, and that was it, the Metro Hawks had won the game and the 16u Gym Rat Championship!
The Metro Hawks in the title game were led by the 18 points of Thaddeus Hall, while Jeff Neverson added 16 and the Gym Rat Challenge 16u MVP. It was a true team effort though for the Metro Hawks. Everyone contributed and together they pulled together to win the title they thought they should’ve had last season. This same group lost the 15u title game last year and they came in to win the 16u title this season and when it was all said and done, mission completed. Congratulations to Coach Eric Andrews, his staff, and all the players on a great tournament and for bringing home the title to New York City.
This past weekend the Metro Hawks family lost one of its shining stars. Coach Calvin Chamberlain of the 14u and 11u Metro Hawks teams passed away Saturday, May 8, 2010. Anyone who had the pleasure of meeting Calvin understands how tremendous of a loss this is, not only to the Metro Hawks family, but also to the basketball community as a whole. Calvin wasn’t just a coach with the Metro Hawks program, he was a part of our close knit family. Calvin was always willing to lend a helping hand, he had a way with the youth and always did it with a smile on his face. No one had the ability to reach the young kids and teach them life lessons through basketball the way Calvin did. So at this time we would like to offer our sincerest condolences to the friends and family of Calvin Chamberlain and thank him for everything that he has done for the youth and the program. R.I.P Coach Calvin Chamberlain.
Services for Calvin Chamberlain will be held on Thursday May 13th at
Mt. Olive Baptist Church
202 Central Ave.
Hackensack NJ 07601
201 489-6888
The viewing will be from 9am-11am and the church service will begin at 11am
Richards trying to be more than just a token shooter
By Marc Raimondi July 31, 2009
Shane Richards, who recently transferred from Lab Museum to York Prep, is in his second summer playing AAU with the Metrohawks. Photo by Damion Reid
By Marc Raimondi July 31, 2009 A quick scouting report on Shane Richards isn’t hard to come by.
“He’s a shooter,” said Jermaine Jones, one of his coaches with the Metrohawks 15U AAU team.
The shaggy-haired kid from the Upper East Side, who conjures up images of Adam Morrison from his Gonzaga days, looks like a good shooter. Now Richards is trying to shake that stereotype.
The rising sophomore recently transferred from Lab Museum, of PSAL Class B, to York Prep, a tiny private school on the West Side. Along with playing for the Metrohawks, Richards trains hours and hours every day at the 92nd Street Y. He says he gets there on weekdays at around 3 p.m. and doesn’t leave until 8:30 p.m. On weekends, Richards by noon and stays just as late.
“I do shooting, dribbling, ball handling, quickness drills,” he said. “I do everything I can think of to make me a more complete player. And clearly I need to work harder now.”
Richards showed flashes of brilliance as a sophomore, albeit against lesser competition. He closed his first high-school season with 33 points in a PSAL Class B first-round loss to eventual champion Brooklyn College Academy. He’s a 6-foot-4 shooting guard with length and athleticism. This winter, Richards averaged 15.1 points and 4.3 points per game for the Gators, leading them to the PSAL Manhattan B-3 regular-season title.
“There’s great potential,” Jones said.
There’s also plenty of things to work on. Jones said Richards needs to concentrate more on his defense and rebounding. With his long arms and strong frame, he could be an above-average defender.
“He’s gotta play this game like it’s his last game every time he steps on the court,” Jones said. “And that’s what we’re trying to get him to understand.”
Jones says Richard, in his second summer with the Metrohawks, is coachable and has a high basketball I.Q. Richards moves well off the ball and off screens.
He isn’t happy with some of his performances lately, though, especially Friday in the Summer in the City AAU tournament at St. John’s University. Richards said he was playing better in the winter and even at the Rumble in the Bronx event near the end of the spring.
“I just need to get my confidence back up, just start shooting more and I need to work on my ballhandling,” Richards said. … “I don’t think it’s the level of competition, I think that it’s the big stage that gets me, actually. As I get older, I guess I’ll get used to it more.”
York Prep will be just as small of a stage as Lab. The choice to transfer, Richards said, was an academic one. He was hoping to go to a school with a higher basketball profile, but his parents had another idea. Richards doesn’t know the first thing about York’s basketball program.
Still, he has the Metrohawks and the Y to help him get better. Jones said it’s a matter of if and not when.
“I project him in two years to be one of the better city players, one of the better shooters, definitely,” Jones said.
Now if he could only just shake that “shooter” stereotype.
“I’m working on my all-around game as best as I possibly can,” Richards said. “I train really hard. It’s just putting it into games.”
mraimondi@fiveborosports.com
Metro Hawks 14s at Rucker
The Metro Hawks 14s continued their stellar play, wining a game a piece at The Rucker Tournament and Hoops in the Sun respectively.
The 14s matched up against a tough Team Scan squad at the Rucker. Scan took a quick lead in the first quarter, but mid-way through the first stanza the Metro Hawks found their stride.
Guard Aaron Ray came off the bench and provided another solid outing. Ray has been an instrumental piece in every game for the 14s. This time around Ray came off the pine and created instant offense to with his regular defensive intensity to give his team a 21-13 lead at the half.
Team Scan made their run early in the fourth quarter and closed the Metro Hawk lead to one point. But the low post tandem of Sven Hunt and Hakiem Grant answered. After a sub par first half, Hunt answered with a few ferocious dunks that gave his team the momentum and took the wind out of Team Scan’s sails. Grant was equally as effective cleaning up the offensive glass and converting on easy baskets.
When it was all said and done Metro Hawks held off a game Team Scan squad 39-36 to improve to 4-1 overall in the tournament. Grant led the way with nine points and six rebounds. Ray added eight points and three rebounds, while Hunt finished with six points and six rebounds. The back of Travis Flagg, Keith Williams and Joel Hernandez was solid as usual, containing Team Scan’s guards and taking care of the basketball.
Metro Hawks 14u at HITS
The first place Metro Hawks 14s showed fans in attendance why they are considered the best team at HITS. They used a complete team effort to dispatch of R2K 42-22.
The 14s exploited their size advantage early through the play of Sven Hunt (five points, four rebounds) and Isaiah Giles (four points, 11 rebounds). Both big men controlled the glass and created second opportunity shots for their team.
Guard Joel Hernandez (four points, two assists, two steals) had another solid game on the defensive end, keeping the quick R2K guards out of the lane. Hernandez was also a force on the glass finishing with 10 rebounds.
Every player played their role to the tee. Travis Flagg (six points, three assists, two steals) ran the team and created looks for others. Quaid Stone (five points, one block) created a spark off the bench, Keith Williams (five points) shot the ball well and Hakiem Grant rebounded the ball and scored when needed.
R2K was no match for the 14s as they cruised to the victory.
HITS All-Star Game
The Metro Hawks 14s were well represented in the HITS All-Star game, a great event hosted by Joe Cruz Jr. and the HITS staff. Leading the charge was guard Keith Williams, who led his West team to victory, finished with 19 points seven assists, six rebounds and three steals and took home MVP honors.
Isaiah Giles, who came into the game as an alternate when guard Aaron Ray couldn’t attend, went to work early and often in the paint. Giles showed an array of offensive moves and grabbed almost every rebound off the rim. Sven Hunt was not to be out done, as he showed his defensive prowess and capped the second quarter with a sweet coast to coast dunk.
As much as the big men were the focal point of the first-half, it was the complete opposite in the second half. Travis Flagg controlled the tempo of the contest in the second half and created offensive opportunity after offensive opportunity for his teammates.
The second half belonged to Williams. With his team down mid-way through the third quarter, Williams showed off his play making ability by finding a cutting Rashad Leigh (Was an alternate for R2K’s Shammgod Wells) for an east two. Williams then had arguably the play of the night when he converted on a three-point basket and drew the foul. He then hit the free-throw to complete the four point play cutting the East team’s lead to two. On the ensuing possession, Williams struck again. This time he took the ball coast-to-coast for a lay in to tie the contest. Williams then hit a late three, which basically spelled the end for the East team, as the West escaped with the win 78-76.
Metro Hawks 14u All-Stars stat line
East Team
Travis Flagg: 6 pts, 8 assts, 2 steals
Isaiah Giles: 12 pts, 16 rebs
West Team
Rashard Leigh: 4 pts, 4 rebs
Sven Hunt: 10 pts, 7 rebs, 3 blocks
Keith Williams: 19 pts, 7 assts, 6 rebs, 3 steals
David Samuels puts in extra work and it shows
Blessed Sacrament forward David Samuels has constantly worked on his game since the end of his junior year and college coaches have noticed. Photo by Damion Reid
By Zachary Braziller July 14, 2009 By the end of his junior year, David Samuels had reached a breaking point.
The talented forward was putting up impressive numbers for two-time CHSAA Class B champion Blessed Sacrament, numbers he felt were equal to or better than the best local talent in his class. Yet, he had nothing, in terms of prospective Division I suitors, to show for it.
He contemplated transferring, moving on to more visible programs such as PSAL power Wings Academy or Section I juggernaut Mt. Vernon. Instead, he has remained at the New Rochelle school with a different mindset – to make his own luck.
“Just reality, facing facts,” the 17-year-old Bronx native said. “Sometimes I felt like it was politics. I just had to work a little harder.”
Samuels dedicated himself like the forward had never done before. He began lifting weights, perfecting his post moves and running several miles a day in the morning – before practice or games during the summer with the New York City-based Metrohawks, his AAU club.
He would routinely call Blessed Sacrament coach Greg Wilson for the keys to the school’s gym before the coach even woke up.
“He took everything more serious,” Metrohawks coach Sean Adams said.
It has translated into the all-and-important July recruiting period, where Samuels has picked up the kind of interest he had long sought after. Samuels was the MVP of the Hoop Group Elite Camp All-Star game in Reading, Pa. On Sunday, he put up 25 points at the Hall of Fame National Invitational in Springfield, Mass. against New Heights Ashton Pankey and Devon Collier, a memorable performance taken in by Louisville coach Rick Pitino.
“I felt like this is where I need to be,” Samuels said.
Mid-major programs such as Iona, Loyola, Fairfield, Robert Morris and Drexel have offered scholarships. Miami, South Florida, South Carolina, George Mason and Hofstra have shown significant interest.
“One week, he took off,” Wilson said. “He’s hungry. He knows what’s at stake.”
How high Samuels projects remains in doubt. At 6-foot-7, athletic and an impressive leaper, he could be a small forward in a major conference or a power forward at a mid-major. Wilson said he would put Samuels, who plays above the rim but also has improved the range on his jump shot, in the top five of rising seniors in the city. The coach said the only difference between Samuels and Bishop Loughlin forward Jayvaughn Pinkson, the unanimous No. 1 in the five boroughs, is Pinkston can put the ball on the floor.
“Locally, he’s all-everything,” Wilson said of Samuels.
“He can be anywhere from the MAAC to the Big East if he really develops,” one Division I assistant coach said.
Samuels simply smiled when discussing all the schools suddenly after him. He doesn’t have a set list or a timetable to make a decision.
For now, the interest is more than enough, evidence that his decision to leave Rice following his freshman year and remain at Blessed Sacrament was a sound one. That the work he put in the weight room – he can now bench press 260 pounds; he barely could put up 100 when he arrived, Wilson said – will be rewarded.
Samuels still has a season remaining. While college coaches don’t typically flock to the Catholic league’s ‘B’ division, the Cardinals will play in several tournaments, such as Big Apple Basketball’s PSAL vs. CHSAA Challenge.
More importantly, Samuels wants to finish what the last two’s failed to accomplish – winning a state Federation Class B crown. They lost in the CHSAA Class B state title game the last two years. Samuels was an underclassman then, still lowly regarded.
“I can put this school on the map,” he said. “I need to take the leadership role, pass it on to the younger guys. I need to be a role model.
zbraziller@fiveborosports.com
14s Saturday at Rucker
After opening the Rucker Park Tournament with a win last two weekends ago, the Metrohawks 14s improved to 2-0 in week two with a 41-36 win over Dyckman this past weekend.
Dyckman kept the game close through the first quarter, using their speed to run and beat the Metrohawk defenders down the court. After an adjustment, the Metrohawks 14s using a stingy man to man defense to turn Dyckman over, which led to several fast break lay ups and a ten digit lead heading into halftime.
Dyckman opened the second half on a 5-0 run, to cut the Metrohawks lead to five points. After a timeout, Metro regained their composure and held off the Dyckman run.
After a few quick baskets, the Metrohawks pushed the lead back to double-digits. Again Dyckman made a run. They cut the lead to four points with just under two minutes remaining in the contest. However, the Metro 14s fended them off and hit free-throws the rest of the way to get the win.
Captain Keith Williams led the way scoring a team-high 11 points. Forward Tajay Henry finished with nine points, seven rebounds and a block. Joel Hernandez had an all around good game finishing with six points, eight rebounds, two assists, four steals and a block. Forward Hakeem Grant and guard Aaron Ray were instrumental of the bench, especially on the defensive end. Grant finished with seven points and seven rebounds, while Ray tallied five points and two steals.
14s Sunday at Rucker
Sunday the Metrohawks 14s made the trip back to 118th and 5th Ave. to face off against the Riverside Hawks. The Metrohawks raced out to a 13-2 lead with just over three minutes remaining in the opening quarter. Riverside answered with a run of their own to cut the Metrohawks lead to three heading into the second quarter of play.
Metrohawks turned up the pressure to begin the second quarter. Lead by the defense of Aaron Ray, Sven Hunt, Hakeem Grant and Joel Hernandez, coupled with the good shooting of Keith Williams, They went on a 10-0 run to begin the quarter.
Point guard Travis Flagg controlled the tempo of play throughout the fourth quarter. Flagg’s play along with the defense of guard Tyrone Ray, Rashad Leigh and Forwards Quaid Stone and Isaiah Giles, helped Metro push the lead to as many as 22 points en-route to a 47-27 victory over the Riverside.
Captains Keith Williams and Joel Hernandez led the way scoring 12 points a piece. Aaron ray finished with seven points and six rebounds, while Hakeem Grant chipped in with seven points and four rebounds.
14s Sunday at HITS
The Metrohawks 14s battled back from a 15 points deficit to knockoff New Heights on a shot by forward Hakeem Grant to improve to 2-0 at the HITS Tournament.
New Heights looked ready to put the game away in the first half. They led by as many as 15 points and by 13 for most of the third quarter. But, the Metrohawks would have none of it. Metro closed the third stanza on a 10-0 run, led by the lineup of Travis Flagg, Joel Hernandez, Aaron Ray, Hakeem Grant and Sven Hunt.
In the fourth quarter with New Heights holding on to a slim lead, the Metrohawks decided to use a full court press. The press worked to perfection and with just under one minute, Keith Williams led a break and pulled up for a jumper, which he nailed to tie the contest at 39-39. Metro made a defensive stand and with five ticks remaining on the clock Flagg found Grant for the lay up and the 41-39 win.
Hernandez led the way for Metrohawks, hitting every shot he attempted from the field and finishing with a team-high 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. Grant added nine points, including the game winner, six rebounds and two blocks. Aaron Ray finished with six points, five rebounds and three steals, while Williams chipped in with six points four rebounds and three assists for the mighty Metrohawks.
Congratulations to AJ Price on his selection by the Indiana Pacers in the 2009 NBA Draft
June 28th -
CONGRATULATIONS: To Coach Narvo Robinson and his wife in the birth of their twins, a son and a daughter this week. Congratulations to coaches Eric andrews, Jermaine Jones and douglas Jones and the players of our 15s on winning the Shock Exchange Tournament this weekend, their second championship this summer. Also congratulations to coach Danny Kiernan and Bruce Harris on their championship in the 16s of the Shock Exchange Tournament. Bruce Thanks for sitting on Danny's bench for Sunday's games We won with only six players.
Metro Hawks 17's in Spring Fling
The Metro Hawk's 17's finished up in the Spring Fling with a 2-1 rcord after splitting two games on Saturday. The first game was a come from behind win over The Playaz 16's 52 -49. After starting slow and falling behind by 10 points in the first half the Hawks stiffened their defense and were able to get back into the game. By denying their wing players it forced the Playaz's into turnovers or rushed shots. On offense Naquan Pierce and Xavier Baldwin were able to penetrate for layups or find Antoine Mason or Dom Milka for scores. On the defense the ironman (Dom) drew 3 charges and controlled the boards grabbing 10 rebounds in the 2nd half. Also Kareem Thomas was able to lock up their point guard. After Dom hit two free throws to put us up 1 we were able to hold on d and Mase was fouled on an inbound play. After he hit 2 free throws we were able to stop the Playaz from getting a good shot off. Later on in the our last pool game was vs Team Takeover. Once again we started slow and trailed at the half by 12 pts. And again the hawks stiffend on defense and led by Shaquille Stokes 13pts (10 in the 2nd half) and Dave Samuels also 13 pts (including a power put back dunk) and on a Naquan Pierce jumper (team high 14 pts) we took a 1 point lead. After team takeover took the lead back Shaquille was fouled and barely missed a chance at a 3 point play. However he missed both free throws and Team Takeover went up 3. We turned over the ball and they scored to up 5 it looked like it was over. But on the ensuing inbounds they were called for a technical. After Naquan hit both free throws to cut it to 3 we were unable to get a three point shot off. We will next be in Boo Williams and will be at full strength with Aaron Brown and Shaq Thomas. Kenny Pretlow
MetroHawk Jrs Hold Off Bunky Reid
Jay Mumford
NYCHoops.net Staff Writer
It was 1:20PM, and there was no sign of the Bunky Reid All-Stars for their 1PM game against the MetroHawks Juniors.
They eventually arrived -albeit very late, not warmed up and undermanned- and their early tightness would come back to haunt them in a 77-74 loss, and render a huge fourth quarter charge void.
As if arriving to the game late and cold to face a solid Metro Hawks team wasn't bad enough, Bunky Reid's leading scorers in yesterday's big win over Gauchos (Sheldon Hagigal and Paris Abrams) were still MIA. Therefore, it wasn't a surprise that the MetroHawks rolled out to an early 8-2 lead behind their front line having a block party. Bunky Reid's size disadvantage hurt them when trying to score inside, but they eventually reverted to what they do best when point guard Tyrece Redd cashed in with a fast break lay-up. Redd would then find Jerome Floyd in transition and all of a sudden, the game was tied at 8. Goey Charles gave Bunky Reid their first lead of the game, 11-10, with a trey from the corner, but it would also be their last. Balanced scoring from Metro would key a 14-5 run and Bunky Reid was down, 24-16, at the end of the first quarter.
Both Hagigal and Abrams showed up late in the first quarter, but their immediate insertion in the game didn't help Bunky Reid's plight. The hot shooting duo were frigid in the second quarter and Bunky Reid didn't get much help elsewhere. Their trademark pressure defense awarded them opportunities to score, but missed shots defeated the purpose and when Metro point guard Jhamir White followed up his missed free throw, he gave his team a 15 point lead, 37-22. Sub-par free throw shooting from Metro allowed them to stay within striking distance, but shooting guard Khaleev Ginyard's three pointer and 15 footer accounted for two of Bunky Reid's paltry three field goals for the second quarter. Miraculously, Bunky Reid was only down twelve, 41-29, at the half.
The third quarter only got worse for Bunky Reid, as the Mike Taylor Show was set to begin. The Boys & Girls HS standout marksman started the second half with a 7-0 solo run to put Metro up nineteen, 48-29. As Bunky Reid continued to falter with their long range shooting, Metro's Malik Nichols and Terik Bridgeman piled up the inside points. By the time Nichols made his last bucket of the quarter, Metro had gone on a 17-3 run and expanded their lead to a whopping 26 points, 58-32. The game appeared to be over, but Bunky Reid began to make use of their pressure defense for transition buckets and ended the third quarter with an 11-2 run keyed by a now warmed up Hagigal. The talented sophomore combo guard would continue to lead the Bunky Reid charge in the fourth quarter and when he nailed one from downtown to cut the lead to twelve, 69-57, it would be the first three of 11 straight Hagigal points (including four consecutive free throws from a technical and personal foul). Abrams finally got an elusive three pointer to drop in a game where they just weren't falling for him and in six minutes of play, Metro's 26 point lead had dwindled to five points, 73-68. Two critical free throws from Taylor gave Metro some breathing room, but Hagigal corked off another three to cap a doughty, 17 point fourth quarter performance cut Metro's lead back down to four, 75-71. Unfortunately for Bunky Reid, there was only ten seconds left in the game at that point and Metro was able to avoid a potential implosion by cashing in at the free throw stripe. Bunky Reid outscored Metro 31-17 in the fourth quarter, but the their slow start and two and a half quarters of shooting woes would be their afflictions in the long run.
Metro Hawks Juniors were lead by Mike Taylor's game high 22 points, while Sheldon Hagigal chipped in a team high 21 points for Bunky Reid All-Stars. Khaleev Ginyard added 17 points for Bunky Reid All-Stars.
Metro Hawks in Spring Fling
The Metro Hawks 17's opened up pool play in the Spring Fling with a 52 - 22 rout over the Jersey Jayhawks. We were led by Antoine Mason and Mike Taylor with 11 pts each. Naquan Pierce had 10 pts 10 assts and Dave Samuels 8 pts 10 rebs. Next game is Saturday vs Playaz Red and Team Take Over
Metro Hawks at CYP
The Metro Hawks 17's played in the 63rd Annual CYP Tournament in the small gym in Porchester NY. We open up with a 77 - 67 win over FCIAC All stars. We were led by Boys High soph Mike Taylor with 21 pts, JFK"s Naquan Pierce 12 pts 15 asst, New Rochelle's Antione Mason 10 pts 8 rebs 7 assts, and Christ the Kings Dominykas Milka 10pts 15 rebs. In the semi's the Hawks faced the Gauchos who were led by State mvp Durand Scott from Rice. In a physical knock em down all out game the Hawks prevailed 67 - 65 in ot. Antoine Mason led the way with 22 pts with 10 of them coming in 4th and ot as he stepped up in a big way. Joel Wright scored all 12 of his pts in the 2nd half and grabbed 18 rebs and Mike Taylor scored 10pts with 6 coming in ot. As the game went back and forth with both teams making plays the Hawks held a three point lead with 10 seconds to go but Scott drilled a three to tie the game. In ot the Gauchos raced to a 6 pt lead with 1:40 to go. However the Hawks refused to lose. Joel Wright scored a tough layup and was fouled. He made the free throw to cut the lead to 3. Naquan Pierce came up with a steal and fed Mike Taylor for a jumper to cut the lead to one. The Hawks then played tough defense which led to a steal by Joel who from his kness hit Mase for the layup to put us up one. The Hawks then denied Scott and forced the Chos into a bad shot that Justin Exum rebouned and was fouled, he hit one of two . The Hawks then doubled Scott which led to a loose ball as time expired. The Hawks now faced the NY Panthers in the championship who were led by Kevin Parrom, Omari Lawerence, and Chaz williams. We probaly left a lot on the floor in the Cho's win and while we competed hard we fell short 71-56. Mase hit for 14 pts and was All Tourney Mike Taylor added 10 pts and aslo was All Tourney. Justin Exum had 13 and David Samuels 10pts. It was a very good tourey for the Hawks as the touney is for seniors and we had only one but our underclassmen played very well, Next up is the Spring Fling
Latest News
Count No. 1 ranked Pittsburgh, Rutgers and St. John’s among those hot on the trail of Mike Taylor, the 6-foot-3 shooting guard out of Brooklyn Boys & Girls.
When Taylor dropped 19 points, including five 3-pointers on Lance Stephenson and Lincoln in a 71-61 victory on Jan. 6, St. John’s head coach Norm Roberts was joined by Pitt associate head coach Tom Herrion and Rutgers assistant Craig Carter.
“Mike Taylor can really shoot the ball,” said recruiting expert Tom Konchalski. “He’s a terrific 3-point shooter.”
Elmer Anderson, the Boys & Girls assistant, said St. John’s and Rutgers have offered and Pitt is extremely interested. Virginia Tech and Central Florida are also involved.
“We want to be in the Mike Taylor Sweepstakes,” Anderson quoted Herrion as saying. Taylor is averaging 17 points for Boys & Girls, which meets St. Raymond’s of The Bronx on Jan. 23 in the first round of the SNY Invitational. Thomas Jefferson and Mount Vernon meet in the other game, with the winners to square off Jan. 24 in the title game at NYU’s Coles Center.
Boys & Girls also faces Jefferson in a key PSAL Brooklyn AA game on Thursday at 5 p.m.
As for Taylor’s recruiting, Anderson said: “His recruiting is already taken off considering he’s just a sophomore. When you got the No. 1 team in the country crazy about you and the associate head coach in attendance, he’ s a high-major player.”
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