semi2008p6

LYNN -- In her four years at Classical, Christina McKenzie has always had the scorer's touch. So when the forward came up empty in the first half, it was only a matter of time before McKenzie found her shot and showed all in attendance why the Rams will miss her next season.

McKenzie scored 15 points in the second half and carried the West back from a 12-point first-half deficit to an eventual 52-39 victory. The senior's performance garnered her MVP honors at the second annual Shoe City basketball game on Friday.

"McKenzie really came alive there for us," said West coach Duke Wilson. "At halftime, I told the girls to focus on a team concept. I wanted them to look for each other. I told them that if they did, things would start coming together."

Like McKenzie, the entire West team struggled to find any offensive rhythm early on. The East, however, did not suffer the same hardship, although it came later.

English center Jeanette Anderson, along with Pierina Mora (five points, game-high 17 rebounds) and Frances Matheau (four points) of Classical, were the fuel for an early 9-1 East run and an 18-6 advantage minutes into the second quarter.

Anderson (11 points, eight rebounds, two steals and two blocks), normally feared as an intimidating inside presence, showed off her outside game and nailed successive shots from behind the arc as her coach, Fred Hogan, positioned on the bench, announced the game over the loudspeaker.

The West offense began to shift into gear midway through the second. St. Mary's freshman center Tori Faieta (nine points, nine boards) scored seven consecutive points and sparked a surge that pulled the West within five. The West crept as close as 20-17 before a 5-0 run stretched the East's lead to 25-19 at intermission.

The shooting of McKenzie and the defensive play of the West, combined with the offensive inadequacies of the East, altered the complexion of the game in the second half. McKenzie hit her first two shots and the West trailed by one with just 1:15 into the third.

The East led 28-27 two minutes later, but two successful free-throw attempts by the Bulldogs' Jenicia Duggins (6 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) provided the game's first lead change; the West never trailed again. McKenzie, aided by Duggins and Tech's Jessica Underwood (7 points, 10 rebounds), caught fire and the West went on a key 19-1 run.

"I'm proud of the girls. They played really hard," Wilson said.

Wilson, a friend of Shoe City director Simmie Anderson since childhood, has plenty of coaching experience throughout the city. He is the coach of the AAU Mass. Thundercats, a St. Mary's CYO team, and also a squad in East Lynn Pop Warner. He welcomed the opportunity to coach in the game.

"This is a great event and good for the kids of Lynn," he said. "I'm proud of the city."

Other members of the West team were Classical's Bryanna Connolly (six rebounds, three steals), Shante Berry (three points) and Shardaye Berry (four points); and English's Kayla Murkison (two rebounds, two steals), Olivia Dupree (eight points, six rebounds) and Trinity Neubert (two steals).

The East was also composed of the Rams' Keila Brown (five points); the Bulldogs' LaShaunda Hogan (4) and Miranda Hogan (three rebounds, two steals); the Tigers' Katrina Freeman (two points) and Shena Mitchell (5); and the Spartans' Amy Bozarjian (three steals) and Jenna Blydell (three points).

The Boys Game

Rafael Perez, center, weaves through the defense of Felix Rios, right, and Jeremy Subervi, left. (ITEM PHOTO / OWEN O'ROURKE)

By Gordon Vincent / For The Item, April 5, 2008

LYNN -- The spotlight was on the best high school boys basketball players in the city in the second annual Shoe City Basketball Classic, which was won by the West, 103-100, Friday night at English's Cavanagh Gym.

Tech's Victor Smith was named the game's Most Valuable Player with 15 points, four of which came on a pair of thundering dunks that brought the crowd to its feet.

"It feels great," said Smith of being the brightest star in Lynn's galaxy for one night. "I just stayed focused and tried to play my game."

English's Rafael Perez led all scorers with 24 points for the West, while Classical's Jasper Grassa had 15. Other players in double figures for the West were Classical's Cam Smith (13), English's James Mitchell (12) and Mike Pugielli (11) from St. Mary's.

For the East, English's Ryan Woumn was the top scorer with 22 points, followed by Classical's Quivari Jackson (20) and Jarell Byrd (16), and English's Eugene Turner (13) and Jeremy Subervi (12).

The game featured some unusual moments not seen in the high school season, like Woumn and Jackson in a backcourt against Grassa and Perez, Tech teammates James Bazile and Lorenzo Rivera guarding each other, and English's Mitchell guarding Turner. And there was plenty of good-natured trash-talking, particularly from Woumn, who engaged Perez, his English backcourt mate, Cam Smith, the officials, fans in the stands, and just about anyone else with eardrums.

"There was a lot of (talking) out there," Victor Smith said. "Both ways."

As for the game itself, the West led most of the way, and by as many as 20 points when Victor Smith emphatically dunked a rebound of a missed shot to make the score 76-56 with 1:37 left to play in the third quarter.

The East went on an 18-2 run after that to cut the lead to four, and eventually got its deficit down to three on a couple of occasions late in the fourth quarter.

Grassa led the West on a 12-2 spurt after that to increase the lead back to double digits, but Jackson and Woumn picked it back up for the East, and when Jackson made a layup with 10 seconds left, his team trailed by just three.

Cam Smith was fouled and missed the front end of a 1-and-1, but the East never got a good look at the basket before the final horn went off.

Proceeds from the boys and girls games raised scholarship money for Lynn students. At a banquet on Thursday at St. Michael's Hall, Classical's Alex Watler and English's Ngozi Nwaogu were named Student-Athletes of the Year, while Byrd and English's Jeanette Anderson were named Players of the Year.

Event organizer Simmie Anderson said he expects to return at least $500 to each of the city's four high schools.

"It was a great game; a great event all around," Anderson said. "The whole city of Lynn supported us."