One of the reasons Robert Phelps stayed away from coaching for so many years was the helpless feeling that comes with manning the sidelines. As a star at Nazareth and starter at Providence College, he liked to be in control.
But Phelps, the first-year Bedford Academy coach, had no problem watching Brent Jones, his senior point guard, Saturday afternoon.
Jones led the Panthers to a come-from-behind 66-62 victory over Martin Luther King Jr. in the PSAL Class A Showcase at FDR in Brooklyn Saturday afternoon, scoring the game’s final six points and eight of the Panthers’ last 11.
“Brent stepped up big – he came through and got us motivated,” Phelps said.
It was looking like Bedford’s second loss in three games late in the fourth quarter. The Panthers (13-4) led comfortably, 26-14, at halftime, but grew lackadaisical in the third quarter – a recent concern – and trailed 55-47 late in the fourth quarter.
That’s when Jones, normally a pass-first guard, took matters into his own hands. He hit a pair of free throws to start a game-closing 16-7 run. He got Bedford even with a pretty layup with 35 seconds remaining, using a quick crossover to leave his defender and finish strong in the paint. He hit four straight free throws for the winning margin, too.
“I was just being a leader,” said Jones, who scored 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter. “I made my free throws, I was under control, not rushing and playing more aggressive.”
As a leader does, Jones credited everyone but himself afterwards. He noted Bedford’s defense picked up, although it was him leading the full-court press. He talked about others scoring, while he had the biggest baskets.
“He stepped up – as he always does,” forward Anthony Mason Jr. (24 points) said. “That’s his attitude all the time. He doesn’t want to lose.”
Adolphe Jean Baptiste paced MLK (9-2) with 23 points, Thomas Henry had 19 and Royce Paris had 10.
The victory was significant for the Panthers because of their recent struggles against elite competition. The Brooklyn A East leaders fell to rival Brooklyn Collegiate on Tuesday and lost to Banneker just prior to the new year.
“This is a good win to let us know we’re back on track,” Mason said.
Said Phelps: “I got to give [my players] credit; they could’ve folded. It’s a big win for us.”
