Allen, Plainfield, Long Island Lutheran, Brennan advance to The Throne semifinal tournament

Only four teams remain in The Throne boys basketball tournament as Allen, Plainfield, Long Island Lutheran, and Brenna stood tall. In the competition’s first game, the Eagles dominated the John Marshall Justices 71-56.

Allen, Texas’s second-best team, had significant contributions from Antonio and Antoine Shannon, who had 15 points each. Nnamdi Ubawike (11), Nehemiah Lawrence (10), and Trent Pane (10) also finished in double digits.

The Eagles pulled away in the third quarter via a 23-11 scoring run. They also dominated by scoring from the paint (36-24), off turnovers (26-12), and second chances (13-2). Meanwhile, Desmon Rose led the way for John Marshall with 16 points, while Latrell Almond added 12.

In the succeeding The Throne boys basketball game, the Plainfield Cardinals completed a 69-67 upset over the Roosevelt Mustangs. While Roosevelt is the nation’s second-best team, New Jersey’s top team took the fight to them. Micah Gordon finished with 22 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while Najai Hines had 15 points and 13 rebounds. Devin Thomas also helped Plainfield’s cause with 17 points.

Plainfield’s victory negated Brayden Burries’s monster game of 32 points, 19 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. While Roosevelt had a 14-6 advantage in fastbreak points, the Cardinals’ bench outscored their counterparts 11-2.

Meanwhile, the Long Island Lutheran Crusaders survived a gritty comeback attempt by the Highland Hawks, 56-55. New York’s number one team escaped with a win thanks to their bench scoring (19) and fastbreak points (14). Dylan Mingo led the Crusaders with 18 points, while Kiyan Anthony and Nigel James contributed 11 points each.

Nate Ament was the catalyst for Highland’s nearly successful comeback, and he finished with 23 points and ten rebounds. Josh Hamilton added 12 points, while Chance Perkins contributed nine points in this The Throne game.

Finally, the William J. Brennan Bears earned an 84-75 victory over the Grayson Rams. Kingston Flemings was one assist away from the triple-double (33 points, 13 rebounds, nine assists). Likewise, Camden Cowgill (20) and Donovan Criss (17) combined for 37 points.

While Grayson dominated the points in the paint (48-22), Brennan countered it with a 26-19 lead in points off turnovers (26-19) and second-chance points (21-12). Caleb Holt had 27 points for the Rams, while Jacob Wilkins supported with an all-around game in the loss.

These results mean Brennan will face Long Island Lutheran in The Throne boys basketball semifinals. Completing the schedule is the battle between Plainfield and Allen.