By Steve Spiewak
MaxPreps.com
If Tyreke Evans was nervous about being the face of this year's PrimeTime Shootout and playing in its marquee game, it certainly did not show.
The 6-5 Evans displayed his immense talent, delighting the crowd with a highlight reel of moves that were replayed on the arena's jumbo screen. In the end however, American came up short to Oak Hill Academy, 73-72.
American Christian was in the game until the very end, when Brandon Jennings got fouled on a drive with less than a second remaining. After missing the first free throw, he was able to hit the second, to the dismay of most of the fans, who were hoping that the outcome would be settled in overtime.
"The first one, I was a little nervous," Jennings said. "But the second one, I knew I was going to make."
Duke-bound Nolan Smith led Oak Hill in scoring with 23 points to match Evans. He was also assigned the unenviable task of guarding him throughout the game. To his credit, although he was beaten off the dribble several times, he never gave up hounding Evans whenever he had the ball.
While Evans grabbed most of the attention on American Christian, his teammate, 6-6 Michael Glover, dominated down low, grabbing 15 rebounds to complement 23 points of his own. While the Oak Hill big men seemed sluggish and lethargic, much like they did in the team's only loss to Simeon, Glover seemed to be everywhere, taking the ball to the hoop, drawing fouls, and grabbing every loose ball.
After the game, dozens of youngsters who stayed to the end flooded the court, hounding Smith and Jennings for autographs. Jennings even offered his sneakers to a lucky fan. While the atmosphere of the arena was excited and frenetic, it appeared to be business as usual for the Oak Hill.
St. Patrick (N.J.) 91, Lincoln (N.Y.) 74
In a matchup that featured two of the nation's premier sophomores, Dexter Strickland and the St. Patrick Celtics easily handled the Railsplitters, featuring standout guard Lance Stephenson.
Stephenson poured in 42 points in defeat, showing why he is so highly regarded. Often mentioned in the same breath as previous Lincoln phenoms Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, Stephenson brought the crowd to its feet on several different occasions with outstanding ball handling and an NBA shooting range.
Not to be outdone, Strickland threw down several thunderous dunks of his own. Jeff Robinson, who has been on fire for the past few weeks, added 30 points.
St. Anthony (N.J.) 83, St. Mary's (Ariz.) 54
Bob Hurley put on a coaching clinic against St. Mary's and star Jerryd Bayless. Bayless was frustrated all game long and was held to a quiet 18 points as the Friars routed the Arizona squad.
"They're a great defensive team. The best defensive team I have ever played against. By far," Bayless told the Newark Star-Ledger.
Hurley was happy with his team's performance.
"The mission was not to let Bayless go berserk on us and we held him in check," the Jersey City coaching legend said.
Hurley has a history of defeating teams centered around one star player. His Friars knocked off both Kobe Bryant and DaJuan Wagner during their high school years.
"During the season, he's got the ball in his hands so much, that if you can neutralize him, you make some of the other kids do things that perhaps they don't necessarily do on a regular basis," he added.
The Friars were led by Mike Rosario, who finished with 22 points. The Friars seem to be on an inevitable path towards another showdown in the state playoffs with St. Patrick.
Rice (N.Y.) 57, Plainfield (N.J.) 56
In the most exciting on the Sunday schedule, Rice edged Plainfield on a buzzer beater by Lamont Jones.
Jones, getting recruited by several Big East schools, hit a three-pointer with Rice needing two to tie. He finished with 18 points.
Jerrell Thompson led Plainfield's failed upset bid. The Sacred Heart-bound senior had 15 points.
Notre Dame Prep (Mass.) 67, St. Benedict's Prep (N.J.) 64
A game-winning shot at the buzzer by John Higgins was enough to give Notre Dame Prep a victory over the Prep squad of St. Benedict's.
All eyes were on Notre Dame Prep's Michael Beasley, considered one of the top seniors in the country. Beasley totaled 18 points and 10 rebounds, and will attend Kansas State next year.
Other Scores:
Saturday
Our Savior New American (N.Y.) 54, Hun (N.J.) 52
Pennsbury (Pa.) 54, Academy of the New Church (Pa.) 50
Roman Catholic (Pa.) 68, Montrose Christian (Md.) 61
St. Benedict (N.J.) 86 St. Andrew (R.I.) 64
Schenley (Pa.) 85, DeMatha (Md.) 74
Sunday
Patterson School (N.C.) 90, Lawrenceville (N.J.) 68
Harrisburg (Pa.) 73, Christ the King (N.Y.) 64
St. Raymond (N.Y.) 73, Mt. Vernon (N.Y.) 61
Linden (N.J.) 67, Niagara Falls (N.Y.) 57
Bishop Loughlin (N.Y.) 56, Trenton Catholic (N.J.) 49
