Mount Pleasant rallies past Cape at Slam Dunk

Delaware’s top-ranked team appeared to be cruising to victory at the Slam Dunk to the Beach boys high school basketball showcase on Tuesday night.

Mount Pleasant built an 11-point halftime lead, only to see the hosts from Cape Henlopen totally erase it in the third quarter. But the Green Knights pulled it back together and grinded out a 48-42 victory to cap the opening night of the three-day, 18-game hoops festival in Lewes.

Guard Fah’Mir Ali finished with 13 points and high-flying forward KVonn Cramer hit all five of his shots from the field on the way to 11 points and seven rebounds for Mount Pleasant (6-0).

A layup by Randy Rickards gave Cape Henlopen (3-2) its first lead, 30-28, with 1:09 left in the third quarter. Two free throws by Izaiah Dadzie pushed the Vikings ahead 32-28 going into the final frame.

Ali rallied for a layup and a jumper to give the Green Knights a 35-32 advantage with 4:59 to play. The Vikings tied it at 37 on a 3-pointer by Ian Robertson at the 4:02 mark. But Ali’s layup pushed Mount ahead for good, and a dunk by Cramer made it 41-37 with 3:10 remaining.

Another Robertson 3-pointer pulled Cape within one, but the Vikings couldn’t regain the lead. Cory Barnes led Cape with 12 points, while Rickards had nine points and 12 rebounds and Robertson had eight points and eight rebounds.

Bishop McNamara 52, Smyrna 49: A fast start wasn’t enough to sustain Delaware’s No. 2-ranked team, as Smyrna lost to Bishop McNamara of Forestville, Md., in the opening game of the day.

The Eagles (5-1) jumped out to a 17-9 lead after one quarter, as they shot 7 of 13 from the floor (53.8 percent) and hit three 3-pointers.

Bishop McNamara (2-8) quickly closed the gap, outscoring Smyrna 22-9 in the second quarter to lead 31-26 at halftime. The Mustangs stretched the margin to 47-38 after three quarters.

Caleb Matthews and Jaymeir Garnett led Smyrna with 13 points each. Garnett added a team-high six rebounds, and Dymere Richardson scored 12 points. Azubuike Nwanko, the Eagles’ promising 7-foot junior center, hit all four of his shots from the field and finished with eight points and five rebounds.

Bishop McNamara got 21 points from Garrett Kirkland, 14 from Makhi Mitchell and 11 from Johnathan McGriff.

Archbishop Wood 83, Roselle Catholic 72: Collin Gillespie’s 21 point led four scorers in double figures as the Vikings (5-2) from Warminster, Pa., survived a fourth-quarter rally to knock off the Lions (3-1) from Roselle, N.J., who are ranked 15th nationally by USA Today.

Tyree Pickron scored 19, and Matt Cerutti and Andrew Funk each added 15 as Archbishop Wood built a 65-47 lead through three quarters. Nazeron Reid, ranked the No. 6 junior power forward by ESPN, led Roselle with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Kahlil Whitney scored 19 and Temple signee Nate Pierre-Louis added 17 points and four assists for Roselle.

Paul VI Catholic 56, Neumann-Goretti 50: Pittsburgh signee Aaron Thompson finished with 11 points, six assists and five steals as the Panthers (7-1) from Fairfax, Va., downed the Saints (2-4) from Philadelphia, who are ranked 17th nationally by USA Today.

Brandon Slater, rated the No. 10 junior small forward by ESPN, added 14 points and eight rebounds and Jeremy Roach also scored 14 for Paul VI.

Point guard Quade Green, a Kentucky signee, was not in the lineup for Neumann-Goretti. The Saints got 21 points and 12 rebounds from Villanova signee Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree and 11 points and seven boards from Mike Milsip.

Patrick School 70, St. Raymond 65: Minnesota signee Jamir Harris pumped in 16 points and Kentucky signee Nick Richards, a 6-11 center, added seven points and 15 rebounds as the Celtics (4-4) from Elizabeth, N.J., got past the Ravens (2-3) from Bronx, N.Y.

St. Raymond’s Isaiah Washington, signed to be Harris’ teammate at Minnesota next season, finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

Bishop Loughlin 73, Baltimore Poly 67: Cincinnati signee Keith Williams finished with 26 points and six rebounds as the Lions (6-2) from Brooklyn, N.Y., outlasted the Engineers (4-4).

Bishop Loughlin’s Markquise Nowell, rated the No. 14 junior point guard by ESPN, added 16 points. Tyrese Gaffney contributed 15.

Temple signee De’Vondre Perry led Baltimore Poly with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Demetrius Mims added 21 points and Torrin Stephens had 12 points and six rebounds.

Contact Brad Myers at bmyers@delawareonline.com. Follow on Twitter: @BradMyersTNJ

The Annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Basketball Tournament started at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes on Tuesday December 27th with Smyrna HS (white) hosting Bishop McNamara HS from Forestville, Md.

Smyrna’s #10 Caleb Matthews pass’s the ball around Bishop McNamara’s Makhel Mitchell as The Annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Basketball Tournament started at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes on Tuesday December 27th with Smyrna HS (white) hosting Bishop McNamara HS from Forestville, Md.

Smyrna’s Anthony Watson grabs a rebound as The Annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Basketball Tournament started at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes on Tuesday December 27th with Smyrna HS (white) hosting Bishop McNamara HS from Forestville, Md.

Smyrna’s #5 Jaymeir Garnett gets 2 points as Bishop McNamara’a Makhel Mitchell attempts block as The Annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Basketball Tournament started at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes on Tuesday December 27th with Smyrna HS (white) hosting Bishop McNamara HS from Forestville, Md.

Smyrna’s #14 Anthony Watson goes up for points as The Annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Basketball Tournament started at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes on Tuesday December 27th with Smyrna HS (white) hosting Bishop McNamara HS from Forestville, Md.

Smyrna’s #10 Caleb Matthews goes for 2 points against Bishop McNamara’s #34 Makhel Mitchell as The Annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Basketball Tournament started at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes on Tuesday December 27th with Smyrna HS (white) hosting Bishop McNamara HS from Forestville, Md.

Smyrna’s #14 Anthony Watson pass’s the ball to #3 Zion Cole as The Annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Basketball Tournament started at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes on Tuesday December 27th with Smyrna HS (white) hosting Bishop McNamara HS from Forestville, Md.

Smyrna’s #23 Akeem Ferrell drives for the basket as Bishop McNamara’s #32 Makhi Mitchell moves in as The Annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Basketball Tournament started at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes on Tuesday December 27th with Smyrna HS (white) hosting Bishop McNamara HS from Forestville, Md.

Smyrna’s #33 Azubuike Nwankwo grabs a rebound as The Annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Basketball Tournament started at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes on Tuesday December 27th with Smyrna HS (white) hosting Bishop McNamara HS from Forestville, Md.

Smyrna’s #5 Jaymeir Garnett makes a basket past Bishop McNamara’s Brandon Joyner as The Annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Basketball Tournament started at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes on Tuesday December 27th with Smyrna HS (white) hosting Bishop McNamara HS from Forestville, Md.

Smyrna’s #5 Jaymeir Garnett goes for points as Bishop McNamara’s Brandon Joyner defends as The Annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Basketball Tournament started at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes on Tuesday December 27th with Smyrna HS (white) hosting Bishop McNamara HS from Forestville, Md.

Smyrna’s #24 Iyair Hinson-Purnell moves the ball past Bishop McNamara defenders as The Annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Basketball Tournament started at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes on Tuesday December 27th with Smyrna HS (white) hosting Bishop McNamara HS from Forestville, Md.

Smyrna’s #10 Caleb Matthews drives for the basket as The Annual Slam Dunk to the Beach Basketball Tournament started at Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes on Tuesday December 27th with Smyrna HS (white) hosting Bishop McNamara HS from Forestville, Md.