A pair of top-five high school basketball recruits across the country in Dereck Lively and Mackenzie Mgbako were supposed to be star attractions in a matchup between Gil St. Bernard and Westtown on Sunday night. Instead, it was No. 1 ranked sophomore Naasir Cunningham who stole the show, scoring a team-high 23 points to rally Gill St. Bernard to a 70-60 victory in Springfield at the 2022 Spalding Hoophall Classic.
Cunningham was the best player on the floor from the opening tip, hitting an 3 to open the game and following it up with a sensational putback jam later in the frame. However, a cold shooting night for Gill St. Bernard early led to a 34-29 halftime deficit as Lively wreaked havoc early with his rim protection (2 blocks in first half).
However, Cunningham and top teammate Mgbako took control of the game in the third quarter with Cunningham nailing three consecutive 3s in one stretch on his way to a double-double (23 points, 10 rebounds) victory. Mgbako was a force in the second half as well, doing damage from inside and out on his way to 20 points and 12 rebounds, along with three makes from beyond the arc for the top-5 recruit in the class of 2023.
Lively was a force in the paint defensively but hot shooting from Gill St. Bernard began to limit his impact on the perimeter. Offensively, he had an off night, taking his first shot just midway through the second quarter and finishing with only five points, including none in the second half. That was a sharp drop-off for the Duke commit after scoring 22 points in a Westtown victory on Friday night at Hoophall. Mgbako’s physical defense on the big man was a factor in that regard.
However, Cunningham was named MVP of the matchup after the 6-foot-7 16-year-old had his way on the wing.
“I knew once I started making my shots and the rest of my teammates started making shots, we had the game,” Cunningham told ESPN after the win. “We were hot as a team and it was a big confidence-booster.”
Gill St. Bernard improved to 6-3 on the season with the victory while Westtown (PA) dropped to 1-1 overall.
“I’m just glad we got the win, that was a really big game for us,” Cunningham said. “We played as a team and that’s really what all that matters.”
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Naasir Cunningham bests Dereck Lively, leads Gill St. Bernard past Westtown 70-60 at Hoophall Classic - MassLive.com
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