Tahron Allen's runner in the lane in the closing seconds gave Brooklyn Collegiate a 62-60 road win, holding off a fierce fourth quarter rally by Khalil Brantley and Boys & Girls in a PSAL Brooklyn AA thriller on Thursday night. The Lions led by as many as 12 in the third quarter, but Boys & Girls stormed back behind Brantley, who scored 10 of his game-high 36 points in the final frame.
End of 3rd Q: Brooklyn Collegiate 50 Boys & Girls 42. Lions led by as many as 12 in the 3rd. #PSAL #HSBB pic.twitter.com/aeaEnuI2ln
— HS Box Scores NYC (@hsboxscoresnyc) December 20, 2019
Brooklyn Collegiate opened the game on a 7-0 run and held the lead the entire way until Boys & Girls finally tied the score at 50 on a Brantley floater with 4:51 to play. The Kangaroos took their first lead at 52-50 on Brantley's free throws at the 4:32 mark, but the Lions took it right back at 53-52 on a corner triple by Amahrie Simpkins. With the flow of the game thwarted by heavy whistles over the first three and a half quarters, the pace finally accelerated, with the lead changing hands several times over the next minute.
Halftime: Brooklyn Collegiate 30 Boys & Girls 25. Lions took a 10 point lead in the 2nd, but the Kangaroos were able to cut that deficit in half. Lots of whistles over the first 16 minutes. #PSAL #HSBB pic.twitter.com/hZbfvBONsk
— HS Box Scores NYC (@hsboxscoresnyc) December 20, 2019
After Brantley put the Kangaroos ahead 54-53 on a double-clutch drive down the right side, Jaylin Anderson answered for the Lions by executing a spin dribble and somehow managing to tiptoe along the baseline to convert a reverse layup. Boys & Girls called a time-out after Aubrey Nicholson's bucket gave the Kangaroos a 56-55 lead with 2:58 left, but Brooklyn Collegiate got to the line six times over the next 1:27, making three to give them a 58-56 lead with 1:31 left.
Brantley made one of two from the stripe to make it a one point game at 58-57, but Jaylen Lyn hit Jahmere Tripp with a gorgeous feed underneath on the next possession, and the Lions had themselves a three point advantage at 60-57 with just under 1:00 to play.
Brantley brought Boys & Girls back yet again, this time on a crowd-erupting fall away 3-pointer, knotting the score at 60 with 29.1 ticks left. Brooklyn Collegiate held for the last shot, and Allen went to work in the lane after taking a hand-off from Tripp with the clock winding down.
After Khalil Brantley tied the game at 60 on a contested 3, Tahron Allen hit this game winner in the lane in the final seconds to give Brooklyn Collegiate a 62-60 road win over Boys & Girls. #PSAL @BCLionsHoops #PSAL #HSBB pic.twitter.com/41XGPZQSvN
— HS Box Scores NYC (@hsboxscoresnyc) December 20, 2019
With one second left, Boys & Girls still had a chance with possession on the baseline, but Brantley's three-quarter court heave fell short.
Brooklyn Collegiate was forced to play most of the game with point guard Majesty Johnson on the bench with foul trouble. Johnson picked up three personals in the first quarter and fouled out with 4:32 left.
Allen finished with 23 points and Anderson scored 14 for the Lions, who are still unbeaten with an 8-0 record, 7-0 in the PSAL Brooklyn AA Division. Brooklyn Collegiate will resume PSAL league play on January 7th, when they will host Thomas Jefferson.
Nicholson complimented Brantley's 36 points with 16 for Boys & Girls. The Kangaroos are now 5-2 in the PSAL Brooklyn AA standings, behind Brooklyn Collegiate (7-0) and ahead of South Shore (4-2).
Both Brooklyn Collegiate and Boys & Girls will compete in the City Legendz Invitational on Sunday. The Lions will face Wings Academy while the Kangaroos will take on Thurgood Marshall Academy.
Video Highlights (added on December 21, 2019)