Advertisement
basketball Edit

Jefferson Grounds n' Pounds Robeson in PSAL Semis

Shamorie Ponds scores off the dribble
Shamorie Ponds scores off the dribble

BROOKLYN, NY - Robeson came out strong against Jefferson in the semifinals of the Brooklyn Borough Championships on Thursday. They were ready to play and it showed on the scoreboard. They jumped out to a 15-6 lead in the first quarter and it looked like it was going to be a long day for the home team. Eventually, Jefferson was able to get things working and ended up closing the gap to 17-14 at the end of the period.

The second quarter was a different story. Jefferson flipped the script and just put the game in a headlock from the start of the period. Shamorie Ponds, who led all scorers with 35 points, started things off with a pair of free throws and then knocked down a three from the top of the key. Fellow senior guard Curtis Smith made a layup and the run was on. The Orange Wave opened up with a 14-2 run and took control of the game. The end result was an 87-68 victory that wasn’t as close as the score.

Ponds made another three in the second period, and Smith made back to back triples which made it 42-25 right before the half. It was almost like a knockout punch that didn’t really connect, but Robeson was dazed. They probably couldn’t believe what hit them. Smith was on fire as well, knocking down 3 threes in the game on the way to 20 points.

The score at the break was 44-28, but Robeson came out determined to make a game of it. They had the taller team and they started to make plays inside the paint. They cut Jefferson’s lead to 46-36 on an inside score by Israel Farrington. Ponds then showed his talent, by nailing a step back three on the left side of the court. He followed that on the next possession with a behind the back crossover dribble, step back three that put Jefferson up by 14.

Robeson was never close enough to the Orange Wave the rest of the game to make a serious run at getting the victory. Farrington finished with 12 points, as well as sophomore Aquarn Butler. The high scorer for Robeson was Isaac Kante with 32 points.

Jefferson will play in the borough championship at York College on Sunday. They will play Lincoln for the Brooklyn title. The last time the teams met, Jefferson Coach Bud Pollard sat down Ponds and other main players to rest them as well as to see what players on the bench could contribute during the playoffs. This time, there is no doubt that nobody will be resting on Sunday.


Follow us on Twitter @NYCHoops
Follow us on Twitter @NYCHoops ()
Advertisement