City of Basketball Love

By Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue)
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NORTH PHILADELPHIA — Kevin Carter was on the bench the last time the Math, Civics & Sciences boys basketball team played at the Liacouras Center

That was five years ago when Carter was an eighth grader getting ready to attend the school in the fall. He watched a Mighty Elephants team led by Nisine Poplar win its first Public League championship.

Carter will finally be back at the Liacouras Center on Tuesday, on the court this time when the Mighty Elephants take on rival Constitution. They took down Sankofa Freedom, 63-48, in Thursday’s quarterfinal at Bright Hope Baptist Church, securing a spot in next week’s semifinal round just a few blocks down Cecil B. Moore Ave.

“We definitely had to get back to Temple for the tradition that we have in the last decade or so,” Carter said.

“It’s just so real. I wanted to be there for years now.”

The Mighty Elephants reached the Public League semifinals in 2021 and 2022 but they weren’t held at Temple. Last season, Dobbins upset MCS in the quarterfinals to spoil a potential trip to the Liacouras Center. They weren’t going to let Sankofa, who advanced after it was found Samuel Fels used an ineligible player in the last round, ruin their plans this time.

Sankofa trimmed a 10-point first quarter deficit down to 24-22 with 2:53 left in the first half as junior Kaden Stewart scored all 11 of his points in the period. Carter answered with a three plus the foul, starting a 10-1 run for MCS to close the half back up double digits, 34-23. The Warriors never got closer than eight the rest of the way. 

Sophomore Milak Myatt scored 13 points to lead MCS, which had 11 different players score, including nine with four-or-more points. Sophomore Nafise Dubose scored 17 for Sankofa.

“That’s why we’re so hard to match up with,” MCS senior Azeem Murphy said. “First man, every man to the bench. We’ve got some guys.”

Carter’s cousin Tvon Jones was on the 2020 championship team. As a middle schooler he dreamed of adding onto the history of one of the Public League’s burgeoning programs. Instead, he mostly watched from the bench, seeing others ahead of him in the rotation.

He’s finally getting his turn as senior starting at the point guard for MCS, in what could possibly be the program’s final season. In the fall, the school’s founder announced it will close at the end of the school year.

“I’m just showing the younger guys what it takes to stay there, stay true to yourself and don’t ever give up what you want to do and prove everyone wrong,” Carter said.

Carter had a bad turnover in the third quarter as Sankofa tried to make a push. But after giving a “my bad” to his coach, he settled himself and his teammates as he’s been doing all season as one of the few who went through last season’s disappointing quarterfinal loss.

“Early on coming in from the summer, he just took a leadership role being one of the guys who's been here,” MCS coach Lonnie Diggs said. “This is a position he’s wanted to be in for the last couple years and his game has matured and he’s been a real good leader for us all year.”

Murphy, who has played with and against Carter growing up since elementary school, spent his sophomore season at West Catholic, but he also waited for his time to shine for the Mighty Elephants. He had a pair of blocks, steals, assists and rebounds in the first quarter Thursday before being slowed down by foul trouble. 

Murphy was also at the Liacouras Center for the Public League championship five years ago, in the stands dreaming of leading his team on the court. 

“It’s kind of like a dream come true I would say, but I’m just trying to win it all,” Murphy said.

The Mighty Elephants haven’t been back to the league title game since their 2020 championship. 

“It’s exciting to see these guys get a chance to go play on the big stage during their senior year,” Diggs said.

Math, Civics & Sciences 63, Sankofa 48

Sankofa  8 | 15 | 9 | 15 || 48

MCS  18 | 16 | 12  | 17 || 63

By Scoring

Sankofa: Nafise Dubose 17, Kaden Stewart 11, Nasir Williams 5, Asim Hardy 4, Jameel Brown 4, Rahzir Seals 3, Jasir Henderson 2, Terrence Fortson 2.

MCS: Milak Myatt 13, Alantay Dawson 8, Kevin Carter 7, Azeem Murphy 6, Rhakiy Mason 6, Rahleem Brown 4, Aiden Brown 4, Maki Hill 4, Zion Robinson 4, Sair Alsbrook 3, Nieem Gregory 2

~~~

Constitution 

Northeast’s Darrius Gaeta made sure Constitution had to earn another Public League semifinal appearance Thursday at Ben Franklin High School. The Vikings’ deepest Public League run in 21 years wasn’t going to end without a fight.

Constitution led by 15 late in the fourth and carried a double-digit lead into the final minute before Gaeta cut that lead to five with 35 seconds to play. 

While Constitution had to sweat things out more than it would have liked, the Generals got some clutch free throws from Khair White-Blaylock, Amir Speights and Khaleek Johnson to pull out a 58-48 win over Northeast and book their spot in next Tuesday’s semifinal against MCS at the Liacouras Center.

“We gotta play harder,” Constitution senior Kyree Latimer said. “MCS. They’re a tough team. It’s always going to be a dog fight because they’re a tough team, they play hard and they’re going to get stops. We just have to match their intensity, if not have more, better energy than them.”

Latimer (13), Speights (12) and Perry Fields (10) were all in double figures for the Generals. Gaeta scored 22 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, for Northeast, making its deepest Public League playoff run since 2003. They’ll face a representative from the Catholic League for District 12’s final spot in the state tournament.

Constitution reached the Public League semifinals last season, but Fields was denied a trip to the Liacouras Center by West Philadelphia and his older brother John Fields. He’ll get to finish his career with a trip to Temple.

“It’s very exciting,” Fields said. “Playing with Constitution got me better.”

West Philly also knocked out Constitution in the semifinal round last season, keeping the Generals to just one game at the Liacouras Center. Latimer said he thinks the returners “got the first-time jitters out” in that loss, which they hope will give them the upperhand against MCS.

“We got the experience,” Speights said. “So I feel like we have the upperhand. … The college court has the brighter lights and all that. Mixing our talent with the experience at Temple, I think we got it.”

“We know what it’s like to lose down there, now let’s see what it’s like to win it,” Latimer said.

Constitution 58, Northeast 48

Northeast  12 | 10 | 11 | 15 || 48

Constitution  15 | 8 | 15 | 20 || 58

By Scoring

Northeast: Darrius Gaeta 22, Bobby Perry 9, Mikey Freeman 7, Kyree Williams 4, Makai Autry 4, Sharif Wallace 2.

Constitution: Kyree Latimer 13, Amir Speights 12, Perry Fields 10, Kory Jones 9, Khaleek Johnson 8, Khair White-Blaylock 6

~~~

Lincoln 64,  Engineering & Science 57

Senior  Aldonis Martin scored 25 and classmate Malachi Montgomery scored 24 as Lincoln rallied from an eight-point deficit for a 64-57 on road victory and book its semifinal trip to the Liacouras Center on Tuesday, where the Railsplitters will face Imhotep.

Engineering & Science, the ‘B’ Division champions, led 36-28 at halftime behind a well-balanced scoring effort, including eight from senior Tali Simpkins, who finished with 10. Sophomore Fareed Brown led the Engineers with 15.

Montgomery went off for 13 in the third quarter to tie the game, 48-48, entering the fourth. Martin had eight of his points in the final period to help lead Lincoln to a win.

The Railsplitters also earned a spot in the District 12 Class 6A title game and a state playoff berth with the win. E&S will still represent the Public League in the District 12 4A championship game and the state playoffs.

By Quarter

E&S  17 | 19 | 12 | 9 || 57

Lincoln  17 | 11 | 20 | 16 || 64

Scoring

Lincoln: Aldonis Martin 25, Malachi Montgomery 24 Samair Peterson 7, Mason Smith 7, Dajon Smith 5.

E&S: Fareed Brown 15, Tali Simpkins 10, Sahin Rodriguez 9, Anthony Brown 9, Matthew McField 8, Lut Young 6, 

~~~

Imhotep Charter 73, West Philadelphia 59

The three-time defending Public League champions will continue to defend their crown. Imhotep stretched its home win streak to 90 games with a 73-59 victory over the Speedboys in a rematch of last season’s PPL title game. Senior UConn commit Ahmad Nowell powered the Panthers with 22 points. Sophomore forward Latief Lorenzaon-White added 14 and sophomore guard R.J. Smith scored nine. While both Class 5A schools will advance to the state playoffs, Imhotep locked up a spot in the District 12 5A championship game with the win.