Schools
Heartbreak for Huguenots at Slam Dunk Tourney (VIDEO)
A foul call with 0.4 seconds left put an end to a great game between New Rochelle and Kingston.
The New Rochelle Huguenots and the Kingston Tigers faced off in the first round of the 13th Annual Slam Dunk Tournament at the Westchester County Center Wednesday night. The two teams were playing for the right to face an impressive Jamestown team in the finals Thursday night at the County Center.
Down two with under 30 seconds to play, Kingston guard Justin Robinson had the ball in his hands. After a crossover at the top of the key, Robinson had a bit of air between him and his defender. Robinson didn’t hesitate and with 18 seconds remaining, he drained a pullback mid-range jumper to tie it up.
New Rochelle had the ball with just a few ticks left on the clock. The Huguenots turned the ball over and Robinson scooped it up as the clock wound down. With 0.4 on the clock, Robinson was fouled. He made both his free throws and the Tigers walked away with a thrilling 57-55 win.
Find out what's happening in New Rochellewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“My coach always tells me I am supposed to want the ball and to want the shot in those situations,” said Robinson. “I wanted it, got a look and was able to sink the shot. I’ve never had to make a free-throw in that type of situation but I was glad to be on the line and make them.”
The two teams were evenly matched throughout the first half. New Rochelle shot only 36 percent on the half and Kingston shot 66.4 percent. The Huguenots were 4-8 from 3-point land which put them ahead 28-25 at the half.
Find out what's happening in New Rochellewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Joseph Clarke was a dominant force in the first half for New Rochelle. Racking up eight boards and scoring 10, Clark gave his team a huge spark off the bench.
For the Tigers, it was guard Justin Robinson who made the biggest impact. Not only did he run the offense from the point guard position but he had 10 points, four steals and played the entire first half.
“I think I’ve got one of the best guards in the state,” said Kingston Head Coach Ron Kelder. “He makes two big free throws to ice the game and the jumper to tie it. I know he always wants to take the big shot; he’s not afraid of any shot.”
Kingston will go on to play an impressive Jamestown team for the championship 8 p.m. Thursday at the County Center.
“Jamestown looked good against Kennedy earlier today,” said Kelder. “It’s going to be a great game. We didn’t play anything close to our best game tonight and we’ll be much better tomorrow. We’re going to come out with a lot of energy and play hard.”
