In what might be their last hurrah in terms of their New York City organized basketball careers, Rashad Andrews and Travis Charles want to go out on top. After their Brooklyn/Staten Island squad defeated The Bronx on Tuesday to advance to the Wheelchair Charities HS Basketball Classic title game, they have a chance to do just that.
“This is the last time you are going to see all of these guys graduating in 2012 play against each other,” said Charles of Lincoln. “This might be the last time we all get to play with each other, too.”
“We’ve all played each other growing up, in AAU leagues, and in high school,” added Andrews, a member of the Boys & Girls team that captured its first New York State Federation Class AA championship last month. “So it kind of was like the final showcase for all of us.”
Representing a loaded Brooklyn/Staten Island team, Andrews and Charles made their possibly final game as Big Apple high school hoopsters count. Andrews poured in a game-high 21 points despite not scoring in the first quarter while Charles scored 14 points of his own, as Brooklyn/Staten Island defeated The Bronx, 94-86, on Tuesday night at York College. They advance to take on Queens on Thursday night, but the Brooklyn/Staten Island team is savoring this win as much as they would a championship.
“We’re out here having a lot of fun and playing for a little bit of bragging rights – OK, a lot of bragging rights,” joked Charles. “Playing in this game and representing our borough means a lot to us and it feels good to get the win.”
“It has an all-star game feel to it,” added Andrews. “It’s an honor to be chosen to play in this game, especially considering the fact that this raises a lot of money for charity.”
Former St. Ray’s star and Temple recruit Daniel Dingle spearheaded the high-powered Bronx offense, ultimately scoring a team-leading 17 points in the defeat. Despite being relegated to the consolation game against Manhattan on Wednesday night, Dingle walked out of the losing locker room with his head held high, knowing first-hand how these simple basketball games can improve the lives of those with disabilities.
“I went to the hospital last Thursday and visited with some of the sick people who are stuck in wheelchairs and it was a great experience,” Dingle said. “One man told me how much this tournament means to him and the charities, and that gave me extra motivation to play hard today. It’s a great cause led by some good people and it was a huge honor to be a part of it.”
Despite being the reason why the York College gym was teaming with talent, it wasn’t just charity that was benefiting from the classic. The players were able to find a silver lining in the all-offense, little-defense showcase as both Andrews and Dingle believe that playing against future college players can only help hone their skills moving forward in their respective career.
“There’s great competition here. It helps you learn as a ballplayer,” Andrews said. “Playing against a team full of guys that can score 20 points a night, you get to see where you are in your game and where you can improve going forward.”
“I always want to win, but I wanted to use this game as a tune up against some future college guys too,” Dingle added. “You never know, some guys might have been trying to get a scholarship out of this game after all.”