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Boys & Girls cries foul over OT loss to Jefferson
By Zachary Braziller January 16, 2009
Boys & Girls guard Richard Brown III scored 16 points in defeat.
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BLOG: OBSERVATIONS FROM ANOTHER BROOKLYN AA CLASSIC
AMAZING GRACE: SOPHOMORE LEADS JEFFERSON PAST BOYS IN OT
BLOG: OBSERVATIONS FROM ANOTHER BROOKLYN AA CLASSIC
AMAZING GRACE: SOPHOMORE LEADS JEFFERSON PAST BOYS IN OT
Before Boys & Girls’ showdown with Thomas Jefferson had begun, Ruth Lovelace was in a sour mood. It had nothing to do with the crowd or the opponent. When she saw Ron Phillips was one of the referees, the Kangaroos coach was disgusted.
Her team had problems with the veteran official before. They asked PSAL assignors Leroy Hendricks and Nick Gaetani not to use Phillips for their games last year and complained about him in survey sheets rating officials.
Then, the Bed Stuy team dropped an 87-79 decision to the Orange Wave in overtime, blowing a six-point lead in the final 2:44. Leading scorers Lamount Samuell Jr. and Mike Taylor, starting forward Leroy Isler and key reserve Devante Cutler, who combined to score 32 points, fouled out in the span of two minutes in the fourth quarter.
“The ref cheated, that’s what happened,” Samuell said.
When asked if she believed Phillips had it in for kids, Lovelace said: “You hate to think that, but then four kids foul out in regulation. What can I say?”
As the final seconds ticked away, Lovelace approached PSAL boys’ basketball commissioner Mel Goldstein, asking in an animated manner why Phillips was handed their game.
“Four kids – that’s unheard of,” she barked.
Goldstein declined comment to reporters afterward and Phillips could not be reached for comment.
The two officials – Phillips and Vincent Murray – blew their whistles throughout, calling 56 fouls on the two clubs altogether, 31 on Jefferson. Orange Wave star Keith Spellman fouled out early in overtime and was called for two fouls early in the first quarter, one reason for the shooting guard’s ineffectiveness.
“I think (the officiating) was bad on both sides,” Jefferson coach Lawrence Pollard said.
While Lovelace was still fuming a half hour after the final whistle, she did fault her team’s inability to close out Jefferson. Three turnovers and four missed free throws in the final two minutes did them in, ruining an impressive first 30 minutes of basketball.
“We gave it away,” she said. “We make our free throws, we don’t go to overtime.”
The loss throws a monkey wrench into the Kangaroos’ plans. A win would have set them up nicely for a chance to win the Brooklyn AA crown. But now they’re in third place, a game in the loss column behind Lincoln and Jefferson.
“It’s very disappointing,” Samuell griped. “That’s a game we should win. We’re supposed to win that game.”
zbraziller@fiveborosports.com
As the final seconds ticked away, Lovelace approached PSAL boys’ basketball commissioner Mel Goldstein, asking in an animated manner why Phillips was handed their game.
“Four kids – that’s unheard of,” she barked.
Goldstein declined comment to reporters afterward and Phillips could not be reached for comment.
The two officials – Phillips and Vincent Murray – blew their whistles throughout, calling 56 fouls on the two clubs altogether, 31 on Jefferson. Orange Wave star Keith Spellman fouled out early in overtime and was called for two fouls early in the first quarter, one reason for the shooting guard’s ineffectiveness.
“I think (the officiating) was bad on both sides,” Jefferson coach Lawrence Pollard said.
While Lovelace was still fuming a half hour after the final whistle, she did fault her team’s inability to close out Jefferson. Three turnovers and four missed free throws in the final two minutes did them in, ruining an impressive first 30 minutes of basketball.
“We gave it away,” she said. “We make our free throws, we don’t go to overtime.”
The loss throws a monkey wrench into the Kangaroos’ plans. A win would have set them up nicely for a chance to win the Brooklyn AA crown. But now they’re in third place, a game in the loss column behind Lincoln and Jefferson.
“It’s very disappointing,” Samuell griped. “That’s a game we should win. We’re supposed to win that game.”
zbraziller@fiveborosports.com