Senior Jose Perez had a game-high 24 points and Senior Boubakar Kamissiko had 23 points to lead Wings Academy to a 95-71 win over Manhattan Center in a PSAL AA boys basketball match-up in Midtown Manhattan on Friday night. Playing at Terminal 23, a unique venue just steps from Madison Square Garden, Wings outscored Manhattan Center 23-14 and 24-18 in the first two frames, taking a 47-32 lead at the half.
Halftime: Wings Academy 47 Manhattan Center 32 #psal pic.twitter.com/OyVXvjfTlx
— HS Box Scores NYC (@hsboxscoresnyc) December 9, 2016
Perez's steal and basket with 3:20 left in the third stetched the Wings lead to 60-43, but Manhattan Center went on a 5-0 run after Perez was whistled for a technical foul for taunting, leading to two free-throws and a 3-pointer by Prince Daveiga, cutting the deficit to 60-48 with 2:00 left in the third. Behind Perez and Kamissoko, who accounted for 14 of Wings Academy's 23 third-quarter points, Wings extended its lead to 70-54 heading into the fourth.
End of 3rd Q: Wings Academy 70 Manhattan Center 54 #psal pic.twitter.com/PVcN1wyCmn
— HS Box Scores NYC (@hsboxscoresnyc) December 9, 2016
Wings put the game out of reach in the final quarter, with the proverbial exclamation point coming on a coast-to-coast one-handed dunk by Jordan Bryan, the Middletown transfer playing in his first game for Wings. Controversy ensued with 1:50 left in the game, as Wings Coach Billy William Turnage engaged in a heated discussion with the officials after Perez was hit by an apparent elbow right before Mouhamadou Dieng of Manhattan Center drained a 3-pointer. But Wings held an 87-69 lead at that point, and they cruised the rest of the way for the 95-71 win.
Final score: Wings Academy 95 Manhattan Center 71 #psal @CoachBTurnage pic.twitter.com/NUpbaJarrQ
— HS Box Scores NYC (@hsboxscoresnyc) December 9, 2016
Wings is now 3-0 in PSAL play, while Manhattan Center is 2-2. Alassane Camara led Manhattan Center with 19 points.