By Kristopher Ferrufino

Valhalla - - – In the regular season, the Mount Vernon Power and Montrose Veterans played a close game that could’ve gone either way. That game ended in a slim victory for the Power. Now in the second matchup in the playoffs, with Nationals only being a victory away, both teams had everything to play for. This matchup lived up to the hype and showcased two Northeast heavyweights battling it out for a one way ticket to Memphis.

In a strong defensive start, both teams were unable to find a bucket in the opening few minutes. Once the Power were able to find their first bucket via Center, Omar Kellman, the Power didn’t hold back. Guard, Charles Thomas, was key in this charge as he provided back to back three’s late in the first quarter. Forward, Justin Blaze, capped off the first quarter with a three of his own after Thomas’ back to back. The Power held a 14 point lead after the first quarter with the score being 30-16.

In what was starting to look like a runaway victory for the Power, the Veterans showcased their muscles and made a strong comeback. Being led by Elijah and Andre, the Veterans started to make buckets nonstop and the team were able to make strong defensive stops as well. The Veterans were able to cut that 14 point deficit to zero and even led at the half 55-54.

The back and forth nature of this game continued in the second half as both teams were able to score at will. Omar Kellman led the Power in the third quarter with 13 points while Marquis led the Veterans with 11 points of his own. The Power entered the third quarter ahead 87-81.

In the fourth quarter is where Mount Vernon Power Guard Malik Moore shined. Moore provided 10 points in the fourth quarter alone and scored two key three pointers late in the fourth to keep the Power ahead. Andre and Marquis from the Veterans tried to provide another comeback but to no avail. The Power kept their composure and the Veterans struggled to score late in the final minutes. This elite matchup ended in a 107-103 victory for the Power as they booked their ticket to Memphis for Nationals in April.

Player Of The Game

Malik Moore, “King of the fourth quarter”, led the Power in scoring with 26 points, 10 of those points being in the fourth quarter.

Key Moment

In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, Omar Kellman was able to secure key rebounds for the Power as the Veterans were trying to make a comeback. This made it much easier for the Power to close out the game.