The game was tied 59-59, but in the last seconds, St. John Bosco Braves (Bellflower, Calif.) senior small forward Daniel Hamilton scored a buzzer-beater three pointer to defeat the Whitney Young Dolphins 62-59 on Saturday at the Chicago Elite Classic located at the UIC Pavilion.
“I really wanted the ball in those last seconds because rumor has it that Chicago players think California players are pretty boys,” Hamilton said. “So, I wanted to send a message to the whole city of Chicago with that last shot.”
The Dolphins head coach Tyrone Slaughter said he believed that his players defended the last play of the game well but still felt that Hamilton managed to make a very tough shot.
Although, Hamilton’s buzzer-beater put a sour taste in Whitney Young’s mouth, the Dolphins still took a 26-24 lead in the first half as the Braves’ Hamilton and teammate senior small forward Vance Jackson combined for only 13 points. As a result, the Braves shot only 26.7 percent from the field.
However, the second half changed into a scoring match as Hamilton and Jackson both scored 19 points each, while Whitney Young senior point guard Miles Reynolds recorded 25 points with four rebounds.
In addition, Dolphins senior center Jahlil Okafor, who is ranked number one in the country, added 24 points and 12 rebounds. But in the end, the Braves still came out on top as they shot 57.7 percent from the field compared to the Dolphins respectively shooting 53.8 percent from the field.
Coach Slaughter said despite his team going up by two at halftime, the Dolphins lost the game because of the Braves ability to make consistent shots all night.
“When you make shots at the level that they made tonight and don’t rebound or continue to make your own shots, then you’re not going to be successful at the end of the game,” Slaughter said.
Final Score: St. John Bosco Braves (Bellflower, Calif.) 62, Whitney Young 59.
Okafor said that the Dolphins always want to represent Chicago in a positive way and will strive for it when they play the (4-2) Westinghouse Warriors on Dec. 9. The St. John Bosco Braves will head up against the Providence Stallions (Jacksonville, Fla.) on Dec. 18.
