CHELSEA -- Khalid Abdalla has never been without opportunities in his high school basketball career. As a sophomore, he starred on a junior varsity team that also featured future varsity players such as Joel Jerez, Dennis Phillips, and Ean Greenberg. Last season, Abdalla was taken under the wing of starting point guard D’Andre Gibbs, and averaged four points per game as Gibbs’ primary backup.
Now, there is no one in his way, and Abdalla is looking to make the most of it.
The senior guard broke out in a big way in Lab-Museum’s league opener on Tuesday, posting 21 points on nine of 11 shooting, 11 assists, six rebounds, and nearly reaching the triple-double with nine steals. Abdalla’s performance helped the Gators cruise to a 85-46 victory at Fashion Industries.
Abdalla appears to be more comfortable and confident on the court, a change that could be explained by his age and experience. He has more trust in his teammates, and can regularly be found discussing pertinent information with his teammates, or vociferously directing them on the court. Abdalla has showed increased faith in his own play as well, having made more three-point shots (six) through five games this season than he did all of his junior year (five).
Ben Newman will be counting on Abdalla to make plays happen when needed. After an exhausting 17-point performance at Chelsea Tech on Thursday, Newman vowed to give his point guard some much needed rest, but some promises are meant to be broken, as Abdalla was crucial in Friday’s victory over Grand Street Campus.
As was the case in years prior, Abdalla has an opportunity, and once again, he is seizing it.
PHILLIPS COULD MISS TWO WEEKS WITH ANKLE INJURY
Gators fans were given a scare on Friday, as Dennis Phillips attempted a block and came up hobbling, less than two minutes into the game, and did not return. After visiting a doctor on Saturday, Phillips will likely miss 10-14 days with a sprained left ankle.
The injury is without a doubt a huge blow to an LMU team that already struggles with size. Phillips had averaged 5.3 points and 10 rebounds through the first four games of the season, and showcased his shot blocking skill by swatting seven balls against Chelsea Tech, despite the fact he did not see first half minutes.
The Gators will move forward without their man in the middle, which will inevitably lead to an increased workload for sophomore Eli Park, who has impressed in his first season on the varsity squad. Park received the start and scored 20 points against Fashion Industries.
LMU could benefit from the upcoming return of senior Farouq Yusuf, who was placed on the inactive roster prior to Thursday’s contest for academic reasons. If Yusuf is unable to go by next week, junior Ryan Nadler may be in line for increased minutes.
FEHER ENDS EVENTFUL WEEK WITH PSAL DEBUT
Max Feher may stand at 78 inches, but even the tallest of humans are liable to be lost from time to time.
Although Fashion Industries High School is located a mere seven blocks from the O’Henry Learning Center on 17th street, Feher was nowhere to be found when the team reached their destination. Jesse Davis took the initiative to retrace his steps and attempt to find Feher, but even the technology of 2016 could not locate him, as he does not own a cell phone.
Luckily, Feher was safe, sound, and present at school on Wednesday. He was not with the team for Thursday’s game against Chelsea Tech (his whereabouts were known), but was in uniform on Friday, when he made his high school debut in the final minutes of the Gators’ 65-51 win. Feher, who was born and raised in the United Kingdom, recorded two rebounds, to the delight of his teammates.
ROSE FIXES THE CLOCK, SAVES THE DAY
Head official Heather Browne would have postponed Thursday’s game against Chelsea Tech, if it wasn’t for the heroic actions of student manager Jasper Rose.
Since the Raging Lions do not have access to a gymnasium in their school, their home games are played at the J.P. Kennedy Center, located on 134th street in Manhattan’s Harlem district. The Kennedy Center has struggled with their clock equipment over the years, and that trend continued on Thursday, as the Gators’ contest was delayed due to a non-functional game clock.
As it turned out, the problem was not as complex as it had initially appeared to be. Rose, who broadcasts all 12 home games on the Cube, wandered over and noticed the battery compartment of the game clock console was not inserted properly. He removed the batteries, reversed their direction, and just like that, the clock was fired up and ready to go.
Had the game been forfeited, the Gators would have picked up a win, as they were the visitors. The result of the contest ended up the same, as LMU won 59-45, helped by Oliver Dingman’s 21 points.
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