By Lyndon Taylor
On Saturday, December 7th, Boys and Girls High School secured a hard-earned 49-41 victory over Paul Robeson Campus High School in a thrilling Division 1 Jr. Varsity Boys Basketball match. The game, part of the Public Schools Athletic League, was a back-and-forth affair that showcased both teams’ resilience and determination.
The Kangaroos made an impressive start, dominating the opening quarter with a 17-4 lead. However, Paul Robeson showed their mettle in the second quarter, spearheaded by freshman Antoine Durden (#23) and sophomore Lamont Renville (#35). Their combined effort propelled the team on a run that brought them within three points at halftime, with Boys and Girls holding a narrow 23-20 advantage.
After the halftime break, Boys and Girls extended their lead to 10 points in the third quarter, but the game was far from over. Paul Robeson battled back, closing the gap to just one point, 31-32, with less than two minutes remaining in the period. Despite some shaky passing and continued free-throw struggles, the Kangaroos managed to hold on to a 35-31 lead heading into the final frame.
The final quarter was an intense back-and-forth. Early full-court pressure by Boys and Girls allowed them to push the lead to nine points. With just under five minutes remaining, Paul Robeson narrowed the gap to 37-42, but timely three-pointers from the Kangaroos kept them at arm’s length. With one minute remaining, Boys and Girls sealed the victory, extending their lead to 49-39 before the final buzzer sounded.
Despite the close score, Boys and Girls’ head coach, Felix Melendez, emphasized the work still to be done. “It appears their nerves got the better of them today, but we’ve got to work on getting them mentally tough. They need to get back to fundamentals and focus on free throws — we missed 21 today,” Melendez said after the game.
The team’s leading scorer, point guard Demetrius Allen (#3), echoed his coach’s sentiments, acknowledging that they could have performed better. “We missed too many free throws, and that hurt us,” said Allen, who finished with a game-high 17 points.
In addition to Allen’s stellar performance, Wayne Boyce (#30) contributed 16 points for the winning team. For Paul Robeson, Kameron Greene led the way with 14 points, while sophomore Noah Wallace added 11.
Despite the victory, Coach Melendez remains focused on the team’s areas for improvement, particularly their mental toughness and free-throw shooting. With a long season ahead, Boys and Girls will look to build on this win and address the shortcomings that almost allowed Paul Robeson to steal the game.
Paul Robeson’s coach, Steven Ciego, expressed pride in his team’s effort but recognized the challenge of facing a tough rival. “Both teams played hard, but Boys and Girls got the better of us,” Ciego said. “It’s always a rivalry between us, but today they came out on top.”