Hot shooting lifts private school team
Fulwood delivers decisive blow with four second-half 3-pointers
During a four-minute span of the second half of Saturday evening's All-Star Showdown boys' basketball game between Prince George's County public and private school squads, Princeton Day senior guard Isaac Fulwood connected on four consecutive
3-pointers.
In a typical all-star game that virtually prohibited defense, the private school team expanded on its 44-36 halftime advantage and coasted to a 113-100 victory at Prince George's Community College. Fulwood's shooting spree enabled the private school team to forge a commanding 96-72 lead, and the game MVP, Riverdale Baptist's Jordan Baber, put an exclamation mark on the contest with a dunk.
"I was just feeling it," Fulwood said of his four consecutive 3-pointers. "I just got into a good rhythm and I hit those shots. I just knew they were going in. It was an honor just to be able to play in this game. I was glad Jordan got MVP. Me and him go way back. We started playing together in sixth grade. It's always a lot of fun to be able to play in games like this. Everyone around you can play."
Neither Fulwood nor Baber has accepted college offers, but both are eager to continue their playing careers and hope their basketball skills will pay for their education. Fulwood, an Upper Marlboro resident, is considering Delaware State University and several Division II schools, while Baber said he's eager for any college scholarship opportunity.
"I just want to be able to play and go to school for free," said Baber, who led all scorers with 21 points. "I really want to continue playing basketball somewhere. It's an honor just to be able to play in any all-star game. It was great seeing Isaac hit all of those 3-pointers. He's always been a good shooter. We started playing together a long time ago and we probably hadn't played much against each other since [we got to] high school. It was great having him on my team."
After the two squads combined for 80 points in the first half, they accumulated 133 combined points in the second half as players from both teams occasionally got a hot hand. Fulwood was able to shine the brightest in the second half, but teammate Justin Black (DeMatha) and Reggie Faison (Riverdale Baptist) also hit
3-pointers, and Moses Abraham (Progressive Christian) excited the crowd on several occasions with two huge dunks, one following a missed shot by Marcus Romain (McNamara).
Potomac seniors David Brockenberry, Da'Ron Wiseman and Antonio Jenifer did their best to keep the public school squad within striking range early in the second half, as did Cedric Baker (Oxon Hill) and Travis Baker (High Point). But Fulwood's shooting ended all doubts. Following a bucket by Lovell Brooks (Friendly) that brought the public school team to within 13 points at 70-57, Fulwood sparked the private school squad to a 26-15 run over the next five minutes to stretch the lead to 24 points with about seven minutes left.
Brockenberry played the game under difficult circumstances. His father, William Brockenberry, 45, died March 18 following heart surgery and his funeral was on Saturday morning. David Brockenberry opted to play in the game that evening after attending the service.
"I think that showed a lot about his character," said Potomac coach Torrence Oxendine, the public squad's coach. "That was a very difficult day for him, but he wanted to play. It was a great opportunity for all of the kids who played in that game. The Washington Metropolitan area is one of the deepest basketball areas in the country. Anytime you get to play in that type of game, it's really a privilege for all of those kids."
E-mail Ted Black at tblack@gazette.net.