Tramique Sutherland Leads Home Team Henry Carr, Capturing Bronze At The Early Bird

NPH TOP PERFORMERS

Henry Carr

Tramique Sutherland– 19 points

Eastern Commerce

James Sylvester– 13 points

TORONTO, ON- The Father Henry Carr Crusaders won the bronze medal Saturday evening in a hard fought effort against a talented Eastern Commerce squad.

Mental mistakes and turnovers seemed to be a common theme as both teams struggled to find any offensive rhythm in the first quarter. As a result, the game was tied 13-13 going into the second.

The Crusaders began to implement a 2-3 zone, suffocating the Saints offense which allowed for many fast break opportunities and wide open looks. Eastern Commerce was able to weather the storm by using efficient ball movement and unselfish play to only be down by four going into the locker room.

Going into the second half, it was all Crusader basketball from there. Tramique Sutherland led the charge using his explosiveness and exceptional ball handling abilities to break his defenders down and attack the rim with ease.

Eastern Commerce struggled to rebound the ball, which allowed for the Crusaders to convert on many second chance points. The Crusaders ended the third quarter on a 7-0 run, capping a 49-35 lead going into the fourth.

Eastern Commerce’s James Sylvester put the team on his back in the fourth and was able to cut the Crusader lead to single digits, but it simply wasn’t enough. Henry Carr was able to pull away for good by playing fundamental basketball and ultimately winning the game by the score of 60-50.

“Obviously it’s not the game we wanted to play, but having said that, it was a good effort for us, the team is deep and it showed today” Coach Paul Melnik told NPH.

“It’ll take time, but if we continue to work and stay positive, I see big things in the future.”

Tramique Sutherland led all scorers with 19 points and left his mark as one of the most underrated guards in the tournament, while James Sylvester thoroughly impressed with great playmaking ability, chipping in with 13 points.

The Father Henry Carr Crusaders showed that they will be a team to be reckoned with this season. With some added development and faith, the sky is the limit for this young team.