LYNN — After a week of delays, the third annual Protect Our Streets Community Awareness Basketball Showcase tipped off Thursday afternoon at Thurgood Marshall Middle School in front of a packed gym full of spectators.
The turnout is something that showcase directors Simmie Anderson and Ward 6 Councilor Fred Hogan are most happy with.
“The turnout and the support from the community really is amazing,” said Hogan, who was emceeing the event from the court all night long. “This really is an unbelievable event, and it’s a great way to bring the community together around a great cause like Stop The Violence.”
It was a bit of a hassle to get the event organized, and delays began to pile up in the weeks ahead of the showcase. But, after one final delay due to an issue getting uniforms on time, the showcase was green-lighted for Thursday.
“We had a bit of a delay with the uniforms, but it all turned out alright,” said Hogan. “The important thing is we have a ton of talent on the court in every game, and it’s been great to see the whole community work together with us to make sure this event was a big and as good as it could possibly be.”
Hogan and Anderson also wanted to thank the sponsors of the event for their continued support over the years. Those sponsors are School Committee members Ford and Michael Satterwhite, Ram Electrical, Advance Physical Therapy & Sports Rehab, Meat & Beef Enterprises, Congress Insurance Agency, Harrington Trophies, Coach O. Athletics, Lynn House of Roast Beef, Wally’s Auto, Hook Ink Tattoo Zoo, Steps 2 Solutions, Easychute.com, Junksterbag.com, Tony Gallo Athletics, Eastside World, Chatham God, Center Board and Thurgood Marshall Middle School.
The showcase featured five games of varying age groups over the course of the evening, with each game pitting East Lynn against West Lynn. The elementary school game, which led off the evening, was not officially scored.
In the middle school division, the East squad came away with a thrilling win, outlasting the West 41-39 in double overtime. Marc Garraud was the MVP of the game, scoring 11 points. Also playing well for the East team was Jason Asemota (seven points), Josh Saint-Jean (six points) and Marquese Avery (five points). For the West team, Warren Keel led the way with 16 points while Juery Barbosa and Tyrese Garcia each had seven points. Omri Merryman added five points in the loss.
In the women’s division, the West team earned a 45-22 victory behind an MVP performance from Sharrell Saunders (12 points). Catherine Stinson added 10 points in the win, while Taneka Brown had eight points and Christina McKenzie had five points. For the East, Chenysse Hill had six points to lead the way while Cassie Amenta and Shannon Magner each had three points.
In the high school division, it was the West team that earned a close 69-64 win over the East. Jack Rodriguez earned MVP honors with 17 points for the West, while Jeff Hill and Kyle Rocker each had 13 points. Aaron Vizcaino had 12 points, while Dyrrell Rucker had 10 points. For the East, Wallace Reed led the way with 15 points. Ademide Badmus was right behind with 14 points, while Jaylen Johnson had 11 points and Malik Anderson had nine points. Jayden Thornton added eight points.
There was a special treat in the men’s division game, as former St. John’s Prep standout and current Milwaukee Bucks forward Pat Connaughton suited up to play for the West Lynn team.
