Griffin Gazette
 Basketball 2010-11

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  Anthony Pastore is the football coach at Horace Furness High, but is also a School District police officer at Palumbo. He works the table at the Griffins' home games and has offered to file reports.
  Thanks for offering to do this, Ant!
  Anthony may be contacted at pastoreanthony@yahoo.com.
 
FINAL THOUGHTS
  I thought I would finish my first season with some final thoughts. I would like to thank Ted for letting me do the reports, and now I have a greater understanding of the work that it takes to cover the city athletes . . . The Palumbo Griffins had a good season and played hard the entire year. They need to improve in the areas of foul shooting and shot percentage. With the #1 scorer, Demetrius Davenport, back next year, along with Sharif Smith along with some good young prospect, the Griffins should stay in the mix. Coach Gittleman, who I got to know very well, is a good and fair coach. He had many games where, if he wanted to, he could have embarrassed his opponent, but never once did he. The players from Palumbo are a great bunch, and I wish the seniors good luck. Overall the team was fun to watch.  I will never forget the game vs. Furness. What a game! In my mind now it's football season --  weight room, speed training and getting ready for 7 on 7 tournament. Back in the comfort zone.

JAN. 25
PUBLIC D
Palumbo 60, Science Leadership Academy 38
  After a tough division loss to Auderied for first place, Palumbo was back in action against SLA. Speaking with Coach Steve Gittleman, Palumbo's head coach, he told me his team shot 18 for 60 from the field in Monday's game. He was looking for his team to get back on track. The SLA Rockets were a scrappy bunch, but the Griffins took a early lead. Halfway through the 1st the SLA team played good defense and stymied the early lead of the home team. Nadif Bracey (9) did a great job under the boards for the visitors. Nearing the end of the quarter it was a good battle by both teams at both ends of the floor. Ryan Barksdale-White (7) was speedy and aggressive creating for the SLA team. But Demetrius Davenport (23) got hot and pulled the Griffins ahead by 10 at the end of the opening period. At the start of the 2nd quarter it was time to see if SLA could respond, but a clutch shooter for Palumbo, Tyler Dickinson (11), hit a 3 pointer from the base line perimeter, and then on the next possession Dickinson made a nice pass to Kevin Hayes (4) for a easy layup. Then a nice series of events: a rebound by Hayes, a pass out to Sharif Smith (4), back to Hayes for an easy two. There were 4 minutes left in the 2nd quarter and Palumbo made their move; it was Palumbo 29 SLA 12. The Rockets' big men, Bracey and Sterling Perry, kept battling down low. Nice 3 pointer by Sam Kabangai (10), but the black and teal's athleticism was starting to take over and the lead went to 18. Palumbo brought their bench in the game for the last few minutes of the 1st half. At half the Griffins held 15. As the 3rd started it was more of the same, good action by both teams, but Palumbo was just too much for the tough visitors. Davenport on a break and SLA wanted a TO. With only 2 minutes gone the lead grew to 19. I give SLA credit, as they  kept battling to try to stay close. The lead stayed at 18 until Dickinson hit another 3 and Palumbo was off to extend the lead to 20. Another 3 pointer by Kabangai to keep his team within striking distance. But the Griffins kept working and pushed the the lead to 25 by the end of the quarter. At the start of the last quarter I was a bit surprised that the home team's starters were in the game. But in just a minute or two here came the subs for Palumbo. The backups did a good job keeping the lead that the starters had created. As the clock wound down it was not terrible watching the back-ups; they played hard and so did the visitors. With low numbers SLA had to leave most of their starters in to the end. By the 2 minute mark I was ready for this one to end, as there was no progress made by the hard working SLA team. Palumbo got themselves another easy win. I believe these type of games are hurting a talented Palumbo team. I have watched them since the beginning of January, and honestly in my opinion they have not progressed enough as a team. With the playoffs around the corner the competition will get better and my hope is that the Griffins can step their game up, and have some success in the playoffs.


JAN. 20
PUBLIC D
Palumbo 56, School of the Future 29
  In a league game SOTF visited  Palumbo. SOTF sporting their red and white uniforms, Palumbo in teal and black. The Firebirds had a bit of a size advantage, but that is where the advantages ended, except for two of Palumbo's front line guys where not there. Maurice Harris was visiting Shippensburg on a football visit, and Vincent Christopher had some catch-up to do with school work. It wasn't going to matter much, as the game opened Demetrius Davenport (16) scored five quick points with a three and a layup. Early it was 9-2 Griffins, Future called a TO. The pace was sluggish, which is uncharacteristic for the Palumbo team. Nice work by Raheem Robinson of SOTF under the boards to try to slow 2nd chances by the home team. The lead extended to 12 by the end of the 1st. Christopher showed at the beginning of the 2nd , but stayed on the bench. Good hard work by Jameal Tucker inside who had a good day with 9. Good athleticism by Jermaine Kirby  on the offensive end , but did not results in any points. With good hustle by Sharif Smith (4) and the Griffins extended the lead to 17. at the 4:00 minute mark. This game never really got going the pace stayed sluggish and was becoming hard to watch. Tyler Dickinson (10) made some nice plays underneath and the lead kept building. At the end of the 1st half it was Palumbo 33 Future 10. At the start of the 2nd half I was already looking at the clock, wondering what was for dinner. A little spark for SOTF by Rasheed Jones (9) was a tiny glimmer of hope ,that this would be some type of game. I was wrong! the lead was now 27. The game continued with the same feel throughout the 3rd. At the end of the 3rd it was Palumbo up by 30. The fourth was mostly the same , really nothing to hang your hat on. Shawn Drayton was a hustler he had 7 points in the 4th.Palumbo was well into their bench by this point and so was Future,. the young guys played hard to the end and at least the back-ups for both teams got some minutes.  My worry for the Griffins is that are they getting better with these non competitive games, they will have to play up in the playoffs. Big match-up on Monday against Audenried for first place in the D division, that should be a good one...
  I would like to send well wishes to the player from Southern that was assaulted. It bothers me tremendously when a athlete is attacked. I hope when the happenings are figured out that, one it was not players from the opposing team and, two, whoever was responsible gets punished to the full extent. Athletes are held to a higher standard than most and sacrifice to be part of a positive activity, to contribute school spirit and positive press for their schools and should not be attacked by anyone!!!!

JAN. 13
PUBLIC D
Palumbo 81, Philadelphia Academy Charter 39
  Palumbo, being at the top of the D division, went against Phila. Academy Charter, which is at the bottom. Looking at the PACHS roster I saw only one senior player and most where sophomores, so I didn't expect much from this contest. My only hope for a decent game was if the Chargers had a bunch of tough young guys and actually they did.  Good quickness by the Chargers gave me reason to think it might be entertaining, and they did open with a 3-0 lead. Coach Gittleman immediately went to his athletes, Sharif Smith (13), Maurice Harris and Kevin Hayes (6) and the score changed in a flash to 7-3, Palumbo. Antonio Rogers battled for the blue and gold to slow the 2nd shot opportunities for the Griffins. At the 2:22 mark it was 7-5. With Rogers battling and creating shots for his teammates, Elijah Crandall (13) kept the visitors close. Harris (7) and Smith dominated the action late in the quarter. At the end of 1 it was Palumbo 16, PACHS 7. Crandall kept pushing the ball and working the ball to his teammates looking for points without much success, Palumbo made wholesale changes, and the score at 6:10 of the 2nd  was Palumbo by 13. Good up and down action continued deep into the 2nd with the Griffins backups holding their own. The Chargers' Jamiel Hines (16) started to take over a bit. The young PACHS team played very hard and hustled as I hoped. By this time Gittleman was deep into his bench with only 1 starter playing, Demetrius Davenport (24) was the general at this time on the floor, doing a good job directing the Palumbo back-ups. The lead increased to 18 at the 1:50 mark of the 3rd. Davenport  scored 4 in a row to build the lead to 22 at the end of the half. At the start of the 2nd half Hines continued to play hard, making plays and scoring. The Chargers continued to press doing whatever they could to stay close. But the speed and intensity of Palumbo began to take over , the lead ballooned to 21. Easy baskets were being created for the home team and the lead was 28 in a flash. Good job by Palumbo backup, under the board, by Reggie Hill (8) I was impressed with the no-quit attitude, hustle and positive nature of the young Phila. Academy Charter team. I waited for the frustration to show from the away team but it never appeared. They continued as if it was a 2-point game. Palumbo went up by 35 and the Charges kept a full court press on. The lead kept growing. Palumbo's athleticism was just too much for the Chargers. It was now a 39-point lead and I was just thinking, "Come on, clock." Mercy rule was in effect in the last couple of minutes and the blowout was over.

JAN. 10
NON-LEAGUE

Palumbo 73, Furness 71 
  In a highly anticipated neighborhood match. Palumbo played Furness. Both teams started quick, early on Palumbo pulled ahead. At 4:00 minutes, Demetrius Davenport hit a 3 pointer and pushed the score to 7 to 5 Griffins. But big man Montriel Stokes, who scored 7 for the contest, battled and pulled the Falcons ahead by 2.. This is usually the time that Coach Steve Gittleman goes to his athletic line-up, but not today. Hard fought battles under the boards ensued and the game stayed tight. At the 2:05 mark in the first it was 10-7 Palumbo. It was time for Furness' best player to heat up. Malakiah Hunter hit a 3 pointer (27 points total) to tie the ball game. Sharif Smith (11) answered with a layup to regain the lead. The score was 14-12 at the end of the 1st. At the start of the 2nd, Falcons point guard Raheem Trusty started pushing the basketball; he scored 6. Palumbo met the pace and made their move as Tyler Dickinson  started to make plays; he finished with 10. The home team pulled ahead 23-18. With Palumbo making a move to increase the lead. Furness bore down and kept working. With an unbelievably frantic pace, Palumbo's Vincent Christopher stepped up his defensive game, again as before getting himself in position for good shots; he finished with 12. Palumbo led at half by 10. At the halfway point of the 2nd quarter Hunter and Kevin Hayes collided and both went out for the remainder of the half. At the start of the 2nd half Hunter returned, but Hayes did not. Palumbo looked a little disorganized and Furness made its move, cutting the lead to 6 with nice play by Daiquan Means (10). With two nice defensive plays by Davenport and Christopher the lead was back to 10. A technical foul on Moms brought Davenport to the line and he went 1-2. It was 49-35 Palumbo at 1:44. The pace of the game reached a torrid level and the Griffins extended the lead. At the end of the 3rd Palumbo held 16. At the start of the 4th Maurice Harris (12) hit a jumper then was fouled on a drive to the hoop and hit both to extend the home team's lead. Then Hunter and Harris battled one on one at both ends, and it was like watching a heavyweight bout. The athleticism of both was beautiful to watch. Once teammates on the football field, now they battled as if their lives depended on it. Honestly I was proud to see my guys compete with such passion. The Palumbo lead increased to 18 with 6:56 left. Harris scored again and Palumbo's lead was extended. But Furness wasn't done yet. Here comes a Hunter 3, a steal and a foul, and the lead was shrinking. The away team started to press and the Falcons made their move, keeping the pressure on. The Griffins had three turnovers in a row, then there was a stupid technical on Christopher for slamming the ball to the floor. Furness's Chris Dixon was key down the stretch, finishing with 15. Palumbo's lead was only 9 at the 3:45 mark. Great actions continued and the small Palumbo gym was rockin'. The game became very physical with players flying all over the hardwood. With a nice steal Hunter was fouled, but missed both, but got the rebound and scored, pulling the Falcons got within 5. And here we go!! . . .  Great work by Davenport breaking the press. Smith was fouled and made both. Hunter got to the line at the other end and hit both also. A timeout was taken by the official. There was a question about the score, but the books cross-checked and it was back to action. It was a tie game with 8 seconds left. Davenport was fouled and hit both. Furness took a TO. Furness set up the final play,and  inbound pass and a swing  to Daquan Bohannan for a three. No good. But wait, he was fouled. The sophomore stepped to the line with 3 shots to win the game. 1st shot a miss! 2nd shot no good! TO Furness. The third shot was a designed missed, looking for a put back. Rebound Palumbo. Game over. This was a great game to watch, the atmosphere was electric. I was excited to see  many of my football players compete with the hard work and passion I have tried to instill in them.

JAN. 7
NON-LEAGUE
Palumbo 62  Roxborough 46
  In this non-league match-up the Palumbo Griffins played the Roxborough Indians. The game started with a lot of back and forth action. All the early scoring was done by Palumbo's Demetrius Davenport, and at the 4:00 minute mark it was only 4-0 Palumbo. Roxborough had plenty of speed to stay with the Griffins. Davenport (23) was hot, and it was 10-2 late in the quarter with Davenport having 8 of the 10. The Indians where having trouble making baskets until Rashawn Anderson hit a 3-pointer. Roxborough started to heat up, Aswad Hinton for another 3, with his only basket of the contest. Again another 3 by Anderson (12). The score was 13-11 Palumbo after 1. Sharif Smith opened the 2nd with a 3; he had 8 for the game. The speed of this contest was incredible, as both teams worked extremely hard at both ends of the floor. Davenport hit a pretty 3 point jumper to pull the Griffins ahead by 5. At the 5:00 min mark, Coach Gittleman put his most athletic combo on the floor. They made their move, thanks to ferocious defense, and the group pulled ahead by 10. The opponent battled back led by Dwayne Holland, with his high score for the team of 16. Still the lead stayed at 10. Maurice Harris was tenacious on defense, making it difficult for Roxborough to make a dent in the home team's lead. The athleticism of Kevin Hayes took over late in the half and he got to the line numerous times, he was 5-5 from the line and scored 9 for a game total . At half Palumbo led 32-18. Palumbo's Vincent Christopher worked hard under the basket, creating shots for himself and finishing with 8 points total.. Again Gittleman went with his athletic lineup and Palumbo was on the move again, stretching the lead to 28 late in the third. But the Indians continued to fight back ,keeping them within striking distance and getting the deficit to 20 at the end of the 3rd. Coach Terrell Burnett asked his team to keep hustling and working hard, and they did just that. Holland came out and hit a 3. Roxborough put tremendous pressure on the ball and the lead was cut to 17. A frenzied pace began at the 6:00 minute mark as both teams picked up their defensive play. It seemed Palumbo began to unravel a bit and the game seemed to get sloppy. A great inbound pass from Christopher to Davenport and the layup was good and a foul, the shot was good and the lead was back to 19. Roxborough kept working, cutting the lead to 15 at the 3:00 minute mark. Coach Burnett tried different combinations to try to cut into Palumbo's lead further, but it just wasn't happening for the hard working Indians. They could not cut into the double-digit lead. Palumbo slowed the pace to take time off the clock. They held the ball for almost a full minute and then scored on a easy layup. At the end of the game Gittleman took out his starters and the game was in hand. Palumbo had its 4th straight victory. Great job by the Roxborough team. They played hard the entire game and never once was there any bad behavior or problems on their bench. Palumbo faces off with Furness this coming Monday. I am looking forward to this matchup, but will be a tough one for me. I am a big supporter of Griffins basketball, but I bleed orange and black. Should be a fun game to watch. Guys who were teammates on the gridiron will now be opponents on the hardwood.

JAN. 6
PUBLIC D
Palumbo 64, Randolph 56
  This was the battle of the Academies. Academy @ Palumbo vs. Randolph Career Academy. Both where undefeated in the division. Watching the teams warm up, it was evident that Randolph is young. They are athletic and have good size though. Good defense by the Griffins held the opponent to 0 points until the 5-minute mark of the first. The Raptors got on track with their speed and tied the game with 3 minutes to go in the quarter. Deontae Richardson of Randolph, who finished with 14 points, played tough under the boards, squashing any second chance points. Good hustle by Maurice Harris of the Griffins pulled his team ahead 12-6. At the start of the 2nd  both teams traded baskets. The pace started to pick up, Palumbo's leading scorer Demetrius Davenport raised up for a 3 pointer to extend the lead further. The defense of Palumbo is tenacious. They put pressure on the young Raptors and started to pull away. With 5:22 left the home team led by 14. Coach Michael Moore of Randolph  called a TO to try to stop the bleeding, but after the timeout the assault continued with a fast break dunk by Davenport (19 for game). Palumbo's Vincent Christopher, who had 13 on the day, owned the offensive boards, creating easy shots for himself. Randolph's best player, Eugene Lett, tried to get his team back in the game, hitting a 3-pointer and working hard on defense. Lett finished with 14 for the contest. Palumbo's Kevin Hayes, with the most athletic play of the game, got a rebound under the basket without putting the ball on the floor went straight back up for a slam. The Griffins' lead was 32-11. At this point the teal and black were dominating every aspect. Randolph was working hard , but couldn't get anything to go in. With 2:00 minutes to go Coach Steve Gittleman took out the starters. At half the game was a blowout, 41-14. As the 3rd began Palumbo's starters stayed on the bench. The scrappy Raptors continued to fight, led by Treyvon Faison, who had 10 for the contest. With a nice 1 on 1 match-up from end to end, Sharif Smith had the ball, guarded by Lett. They battled the length of the floor with Smith making a move to the basket. He was fouled and went 1 for 2. The quarter ended with Palumbo up by 20. As the 4th began Gittleman stayed with his bench and in a curious move Moore took out Lett, as if to concede the game. Lett's replacement was another small, quick guy, Marcus Raymond, who was a tough player. What I appreciated the most about this game: as Lett sat on the bench he coached and encouraged his young replacement. Talking to the Randolph coach at the end of the game, he told me that is just the way Lett is, a team leader. As Palumbo's young guys played into the 4th, backup Devin Walker made his presence known by dominating the boards and scoring 4 points in the quarter. With 4:20 left the game began to get closer and closer. With 1:50 left, Lett returned and Randolph started to make a serious push. With 41 seconds to go the lead was only 8. I sat waiting for two things. One, would Gittleman would go back to his starters? He did not. Two, would Moore start to foul on the Palumbo possessions? He did not. Unusual end to this one.

DEC. 22
PUBLIC D
Palumbo 54, Esperanza 52
  In a much anticipated league match up between The Griffins and The Toros, this one had all the signs of being a good one. Esperanza had good speed; Edwin Lugo was a demon flying around and making plays happen. In the 1st quarter it seemed that Palumbo would try to slow the pace. It worked and with good ball movement Palumbo pulled ahead 16-10. As the quarter wound down the Griffins held on to the lead. As the second started Esperanza worked the ball around the horn trying to get the ball into their big man Shaqulle Bowman. Bowman did a good job scoring. His foul shooting was superb (11-14) and he finished the game with his team's high of 19. Coach Gittleman brought in Devin Walker to try to slow the Toros' center, and it worked for a time. Good hustle under the boards for Palumbo by Vincent Christopher kept them close. Esperanza made a late 2nd quarter push lea by freshman Josh Miles, who had 15 points on the day. The score at half was 30-25 Esperanza. In the third the home team was making mistakes. The starting point guard for the Griffins, Demetrius Davenport, was forcing drives to the basket and jumpers. Off of his mistakes the Toros pulled ahead. Palumbo trailed by 9 with 2:00 min left in the third. Esperanza turned the ball over on three straight possession and Palumbo pulled within 5 at the end of the 3rd. At the start of the 4th Gittleman started with his 5 most athletic players, bringing Davenport back in after having him on the bench for most of the 2nd and 3rd. Both teams came out pressing and the level in the gym intensified. Palumbo handled the press and with a great drive by Maurice Harris, who finished with 12 for the game, the black and teal pulled within 1. Palumbo continued with the press, but -- uh-oh -- big man Bowman got loose on a fast break and finished with a monster dunk. Esperanza figured out how to break the press and made their move. But Davenport found his game along with Tyler Dickinson who has been clutch for the Griffins. And down the stretch they come!! Harris hit a jumper to go ahead, Alexis Ocasio answered, then he was answered by Davenport. With 2:40 left the game was tied. Harris drove and was fouled. He missed both, but Sharif Smith handled the rebound and dished to Davenport, who hit the 3-pointer Palumbo. A put-back after a miss was an easy basket for Christopher and the lead was 5. Time out Toros with 1:31 left. Miles with a steal and a basket. Another takeaway and  a foul and we had a tie game with 50 seconds to go. Esperanza was stopped on the next possession. Time out Palumbo with 30 seconds remaining. Palumbo took the ball out. Smith made a great pass to the baseline to Dickinson, who had 7 points for the game. The shot is good! A turnover by Esperanza, Smith again with a nice pass to Davenport (20) for a layup. Esperanza got the last uncontested basket with no time left. Palumbo wins by 2.

DEC. 21
PUBLIC D
Palumbo 77, CAPA 48

  Palumbo facing off against CAPA in a league opener. Didn't seem like a game that had much appeal. The Griffins, who got beat by Fels one day ago, wanted to get back on the winning track. CAPA, in blue and white warming up, looked like a young team. CAPA's  Matt Powers is a hustler on the court, playing both ends very hard. Palumbo, with their stingy defense, got off to a 7-0 run early in the 1st quarter. Up and down action dominated most of the 1st. Palumbo continued the onslaught with steals and fast break opportunities. Palumbo's big man, Jameal Tucker, dominated the boards throughout the first quarter.  Powers continued to work and accounted for 6 of 7 points for CAPA. At the end of 1 it was 22 to 7 Palumbo. At the start of the 2nd quarter coach Steve Gittleman made wholesale changes replacing the black and teal starters. Despite being down 17 CAPA, led by Isaiah Hardrick and Mike Law, kept playing hard. They where aggressive on the boards and ran the floor . Despite their hard work Palumbo got easy basket off of steals. But with 3:50 left in the half Powers started to get hot from the 3 point line, hitting 3 3 pointers and getting some easy baskets off steals. Powers finished the day with 34 points. CAPA made a run against Palumbo's 2nd-tier guys and only was behind by 7 by the end of the half. At the start of the 3rd the Griffins first five went back in, but CAPA wasn't ready to lay down just yet. Powers hit another 3. Palumbo starters had a little trouble getting their feet under them, but when they did it was off to the races again. Coach John Dunphy called a timeout to try to slow the tide. It didn't work. The athleticism was just too much. Demetrius Davenport, who finished with 21, heated up. As the quarter wound down the lead grew and Palumbo soon was up 29. At the start of the final quarter again the starters sat on the bench. As I was brought back to a month ago, watching two athletes I know very well do their thing -- here it comes: the first football reference -- Maurice Harris and Sharif Smith broke on a fast break and Harris handed the ball off to Smith for a lay up.. Harris finished with 9 points. Again more changes for Palumbo, As the contest wound down to the end the young back-ups for both teams were having fun. The final was Palumbo 77, CAPA 48. A few things to mention that did not make this one a complete sleeper. Referee Keith Saunders, from his expressive calls and his jiggle when he called a walk, was a blast to watch. Another thing was the work ethic of a CAPA team that was overmatched and coach Dunphy, who's determined and professional, is a breath of fresh air. Coach Gittleman did what he could not to embarrass an over matched opponent. It was nice to see two coaches that knew how to handle a game like this.
 

DEC. 16
NON-LEAGUE
Palumbo 44, FitzSimons 42
   In a small gym atmosphere, Palumbo faced off against visiting FitzSimons. Both teams had very little size but their athleticism was evident. The first quarter began with a lot of back and forth action with the score remaining close. As the quarter ran down the pace of the game picked up. Three steals in a row -- by Vincent Christopher, Maurice "Moe" Harris and Jameal "Stretch" Tucker -- all resulted in points to pull Palumbo ahead 15-11 at the end of the first quarter.
  The second quarter began at a frantic pace. FitzSimons came out with a press, but Palumbo handled it and continued to keep the game close. Guard Jack Burris for the blue and orange moved the ball well as his team was looking to make their move. FitzSimons' defense tightened, led by big man Mike Majeh, who controlled the boards most of the game. They made a strong run towards the end of the half and led, 25-23.
   The contest basically had the same tone and feel through the third quarter. Going into the fourth it was obvious that this one would go to the wire.
  Palumbo started the quarter with a three pointer by point guard Demetrius Davenport, who was Palumbo's scoring leader with 15. The game became more physical and it seemed like Palumbo started to unravel a bit, but bad foul shooting by FitzSimons, who missed nine for the game, kept the Griffins within striking distance. FitzSimons took the lead, 42-39, with 2:29 left. With the defense swarming, Palumbo's Tyler Dickinson showed at the top of the key, raised up and hit a big-time jump shot. FitzSimons' Greg Sharp continued to play tough defense. The game was tied. Palumbo coach Steve Gittleman called a time out with 1:08 remaining. Again Dickinson hit a jumper and Palumbo took the lead 44-42 with 0:34 left.
  FitzSimons had one more shot to tie, Sharp's number was called. He got a good shot off, but it was no good, the rebound was grabbed by Tucker, and that was it. Palumbo by 2!