A pair of free throws by St. John the Baptist (West Islip, NY) senior guard Prentice Small with five seconds to play clinched a 103-102 victory for the Long Island/Westchester squad over New York City at the Metro Classic at Christ the King High School on Sunday night.
After Malik Boothe fouled Small (10-for-10 from the line) near halfcourt, the lefty sunk the first shot and connected on the second after a New York City time out. Xavier's Nick Hendra missed a 30-footer as time expired.
Peekskill's Mookie Jones took home MVP honors. The rangy 6-foot-5 small forward out of the class of 2008 showed a formidable stroke from mid-range on out, and ran the floor for some easy baskets. One of the top juniors in the state of New York, Jones is receiving interest from the Big East and the ACC.
The teams traded leads in the last three minutes, as Boothe tried to will NYC to the win. The guard's spinning drive off glass had positioned his team for the win at 102-101 before Small's free throws.
Others who shined for the suburban team included 6-foot-3 junior wing Sean Kilpatrick of White Plains (16 points, three three-pointers), a catch-and-shoot guy with good size.
Mount Vernon senior point guard Mike Coburn (12 points) spearheaded some easy transition baskets and opened things up with his penetration. Small, the 5-foot-8 lefty lead guard, got to the line time and again, while 6-foot-5 senior power forward Brian Hutchinson of Elmont High School (10 points), 6-foot-7 junior power forward Kevin Jones of Mount Vernon, and Chaminade senior Andrew Beinert all had their moments.
6-foot-5 senior power forward Andrew Gabriel of Christ the King led all city scorers with 17 points and more importantly, was diligent on the glass, showing yet again why he is one of the more undervalued prospects in New York City in this senior class. Gabriel is worth a look by division one schools too.
Boothe tallied 14 points, imposing his will at times at both ends of the floor. St. Raymond's senior Gerald Colds (13 points) proved had to contain off the bounce.