Kennedy’s Jeffrey Short scored 26 points in the loss. (Damion Reid)
Jeffland Neverson is often asked to do the dirty work for Boys & Girls. The versatile 6-foot-5 forward guards the opposition’s best perimeter player and bangs down low in the paint.
Saturday night, Neverson stood out for another reason – his scoring output.
The lone sophomore on the Kangaroos roster netted a team-high 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in an 83-80 victory over John F. Kennedy in the fifth annual Rucker High School Invitational at Wadleigh HS in Harlem.
“He’s a kid that now is starting to shine at the right time for us,” Boys & Girls coach Ruth Lovelace said. “He doesn’t have the big name the other guys do, but when you look at our success this season and the big games we needed to win, you have to look at Neverson’s play.”
Mike Taylor added 24 points and Leroy Isler tallied 10 for The High, which is the second seed in next week’s PSAL Class AA playoffs. But Anthony Hemingway provided another unlikely scoring option, finishing with 17. The junior forward found his way into the starting lineup for the first time with junior point guard Antione Slaughter out with a back injury.
He came up big in the second half, scoring 11 of his points, including a pair of jump shots. While former Grady standout Leroy (Truck) Fludd received the most notoriety when he joined the Kangaroos Feb. 1, Hemingway’s return from academic ineligibility has been almost as important.
Despite the narrow defeat, Kennedy played far better than the last time it took the court – a 78-58 loss to Wings Academy last Sunday in The Bronx borough championship. Point guard Naquan Pierce scored 29 points and was far sharper than in his previous performance, when he was held to 10 points through three quarters. Jeffrey Short notched 26 and the Knights also received nine points from George Edandison and eight from Epifanio Montero.
“We came out hard from the beginning until the end,” Pierce said. “We knew this game doesn’t mean anything, but we’re getting ready for next week.”
Neverson made the biggest shot of the night, a layup following a baseline drive, to snap a 76-all tie with 2:46 remaining. Hemingway followed with an offensive rebound and bank shot and Neverson added three free throws to seal the victory.
Kennedy led 57-49 late in the third quarter after a George Edandison basket. Boys & Girls (24-5) countered with a full-court press and scored 12 straight points, capped by Neverson’s steal and layup, to close the third quarter.
“I’m getting better and better each day,” Neverson said. “Its always about hard work in practice, playing defense and rebounding. I have to step up, and I did it today.”
Neverson made the varsity last year and actually started on the senior-heavy club early on. But he eventually was relegated to mop-up duty, spending the year soaking up as much experience as possible. After a summer with the Metrohawks, he returned bigger, stronger and more confident. Lovelace says she often gets the same reaction from college coaches about him: “He’s only a sophomore.”
“That’s the scary part,” she said.
Neverson is starting to emerge at both ends of the floor now. His two biggest offensive performance have come in recent non-league wins over Wadleigh and Kennedy, two of the best teams outside of Brooklyn in the city. Its no coincidence that in one of the Kangaroos’ two league losses — to Lincoln Dec. 17 — he didn’t suit up.
“He’s answered the challenge,” Lovelace said. “You can’t say enough about him.”