Thurgood Marshall Academy outscored Beacon 17-5 in the second quarter, taking control on its home court en route to a 60-47 win in a PSAL Manhattan borough semifinal in Harlem on Thursday. The top-seeded Panthers will face Frederick Douglass Academy, the 3 seed, in the borough championship game at York College on Saturday. The Lions knocked off second-seeded WHEELS 61-58 on Thursday.
#PSAL Manhattan Borough Semifinal
— HS Box Scores NYC (@hsboxscoresnyc) February 14, 2019
End of 1st Q: Thurgood Marshall Academy 18 Beacon 10 #HSBB pic.twitter.com/DzwMd3vrwx
Arthur Dukes Jr. (8) and Kevin Dinkins Jr. (7) combined for 15 of TMA's 17 points in the second frame, as the Panthers amassed a 20 point halftime advantage, taking a 35-15 lead at the intermission. Beacon managed just 5 points in the second quarter, with TMA holding sharpshooter Samuel Pohlman to just 2 points in the first half.
#PSAL Manhattan Borough Semifinal. Halftime:
— HS Box Scores NYC (@hsboxscoresnyc) February 14, 2019
Thurgood Marshall Academy 35
Beacon 15
Top-seeded TMA turned it on late in the second quarter to amass a 20 point lead. #HSBB pic.twitter.com/f3cj48vEQj
Pohlman came out firing in the third, connecting on a pair of long threes and scoring the first 8 points of the second half to bring Beacon within 12 at 35-23. TMA scored just eight points in the third quarter, but the Panthers still led 43-30 heading into the fourth.
#PSAL Manhattan Borough Semifinal.
— HS Box Scores NYC (@hsboxscoresnyc) February 14, 2019
End of 3rd Q:
Thurgood Marshall Academy 43
Beacon 30
Samuel Pohlman scored the first 8 of the 2nd half to get Beacon back in it. #HSBB pic.twitter.com/K38y6oTTI1
Beacon pulled within 7 at 44-37 on Pohlman's spinning score in the lane with 6:20 left, but that was as close as the Blue Demons would get. A baseline dunk by George Varmah with just 1:50 to play put the Panthers in front 52-39, bringing the crowd to its feet.
#PSAL Manhattan Borough Semifinal
— HS Box Scores NYC (@hsboxscoresnyc) February 14, 2019
Final score:
Thurgood Marshall Academy 60
Beacon 47
Arthur Dukes Jr. scored 17 points; Panthers advance to the borough final. #HSBB pic.twitter.com/ToOTwdjzkl
Dukes Jr. led TMA with 17 points, while Dinkins Jr. finished with 13 points and Varmah 12 for the Panthers. Pohlman had 17 points for Beacon, which will now turn its attention to the upcoming PSAL A Division playoffs.
Video Highlights (added on February 16, 2019)