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Kevin Devaney Jr. • The Journal News •
January 30, 2008
MOUNT VERNON - An air-balled 3-pointer
was falling near the Mount Vernon basket, seemingly destined to land out
of bounds as White Plains, for a possession, found a way to keep the
Knights' big men off the boards.
Yet, in a blink, Mount Vernon guard
Jabarie Hinds darted baseline, caught the errant shot and threw up a
reverse layup without even looking at the hoop.
The play opened up a 20-point,
second-quarter lead as the Knights stormed past their rivals 80-66 in a
boys basketball game at Mount Vernon High School yesterday.
But it also might be the signal that a
freshman is ready to swoop in and give the two-time state champions the
flare they have desperately lacked.
"Jabarie is a freshman, but we
definitely expect a lot out of him," Mount Vernon forward Kevin Jones
said. "And he's delivering right now. He's making good decisions,
rebounding, defending, scoring - whatever we need."
All the other pieces to win an eighth
Section 1 title in nine years are there for the Knights (12-3). Jones
continued his remarkable senior season, recording 30 points, 11 rebounds
and nine blocks. It was the 11th double-double in 12 games for the
6-foot-8, West Virginia-bound senior.
Sherrod Wright, a 6-5 junior, had
another solid 14-point effort in limited time. Jordan Lessane proved
again to be a capable third scorer, putting up 13 points on 6-of-8
shooting. Ketema Brooks ran the point well, and Kadeem Dinham and Vaughn
Allen played well defensively inside.
Those have all become standard with
this Mount Vernon team. What it's lacked off the bench is somebody like
Hinds - the fearless type, oozing with energy and mind-blowing
instincts.
Hinds, who was brought up to the
varsity last season, has shown glimpses throughout the season. On
occasion, whether it was a turnover and a defensive miscue, he'd remind
everyone he's still only a freshman.
"At this point of the season and of
his career, it's unusual when he makes a 'ninth-grader play,' " Knights
coach Bob Cimmino said. "He's really been doing well for the last month
and a half."
Hinds scored eight of his 11 points in
the second quarter as the Knights seized control. He played only 18
minutes but scored in double digits for the third time this season.
Since he sparked a stunning 14-point,
fourth-quarter comeback against Paterson (N.J.) Catholic at Madison
Square Garden on Jan. 13, he's averaged nine points in five games.
"I was really nervous when I first
started this season," said Hinds, who had four rebounds and three
assists. "But I think the game at MSG changed everything for me. I
realized that if I just go hard, I'll be OK."
The emergence of Hinds only spells
more trouble for White Plains, which lost to Mount Vernon in last year's
sectional final.
The Tigers (11-6) were sluggish from
the start and felt into an early 10-point hole. Sean Kilpatrick (27
points) and Rashad James (20) made runs throughout the game but never
got closer than 16 in the second half.
"We didn't come out with a sense of
urgency, were sluggish defensively and got pushed around on the glass,"
White Plains coach Spencer Mayfield said. "I asked them, collectively,
what was going to change. Usually the teams come back with a good
response. We challenged all of them. It will be a test of their
character."
Mount Vernon vs. White Plains boys
basketball [video] |
