Rhamel Brown is trying to become a more complete player, attempting to assert himself offensively. But if he can dominate defensively like he did late in the game Thursday, Transit Tech coach Mike Perazzo will take it.
“Our defense was erratic,” Perazzo said. “Rhamel saved us a few times.”
A 6-foot-6 senior, Brown had four blocks in the last three minutes, helping to keep Jefferson off the scoreboard as Transit Tech expanded its lead. The Express went on to win, 70-60, against their East New York rivals in PSAL Brooklyn AA boys basketball.
“He’s a terrific player,” Perazzo said. “He’s really active. He plays with a lot of heart. He defends.”
The athletic big man held the game down for Transit Tech (6-4, 3-3 Brooklyn ‘AA’), but senior Deylon Bovell was the one who carried the Express offensively. Bovell, a transfer from Teachers Prep who was just declared eligible Tuesday, had 24 points, scoring on dunks, fallaway jumpers and driving layups in his second game of the season.
“He was probably our best player from start to finish today,” Perazzo said.
Bovell, a lengthy, 6-foot-1 shooting guard, said it was tough watching his teammates play from the sidelines and in his first game – Tuesday against Lincoln – he wasn’t his usual self. He clearly hasn’t taken long to adjust.
“Deylon is a big contributor to our team,” Brown said. “He brings instant offense. … He’s hard to game plan against.”
After knotting the game at 33 at halftime, Jefferson (7-3, 5-1) went on a 6-0 run to start the second half, capped by an Edson Avila basket, and led by as much as 43-38 on a Shamel Williams jumper with 3:10 left in the third quarter.
But then Transit Tech senior forward Barry Posey got hot, scoring nine of his 15 points from the 1:36 mark of the third quarter on.
“He became very active for us late in the game,” Perazzo said. “That really helped us.”
Anthony Prescott’s basket with 6:38 left put Transit Tech ahead, 54-53, and the Express wouldn’t relinquish the lead after that. Prescott finished with 16 points and Perazzo called his play – especially late in games – crucial after the graduation last year of senior point guard Josh Lambert.
Transit Tech lost its first two league games – to Robeson and Boys & Girls – by a combined six points and fell to Lincoln, 75-67, on Tuesday. The Express were due to pull out one of these tight contests.
“It means a lot for us, for our confidence,” Perazzo said.
As for Jefferson, the Orange Wave were playing without starting guard Davontay Grace (ankle) and sixth man Thaddeus Hall (academic ineligibility) and, to make matters worse, junior Shamel Williams was sick. Dave Coley and Corwin Austin both had 17 points for Jefferson, Eric Turpin had 10 and Xavier Thomas added eight, all of which came in a big second half.
“He gave it his best, but he wasn’t himself,” Jefferson coach Lawrence Pollard said of Williams. “Without Davontay and him not 100 percent and other guys not playing well, it is what it is. Right now we’re not gonna have the record I wanted us to have. But one thing we can do is we can just keep going and get ready for the playoffs.”
