L-R: Andre Barrett, Kenny Satterfield, Bobby Santiago

There was a rumble in the BX this 4th of July at the Hoops in the Sun tournament. On Saturday July 5th, PR Pride went up against Hoop Street. Two guards went back and forth, unleashing a historic offensive fusillade in the Baychester Community Center, the HITS rain site. These two guards combined for 134 points. The irony? They are teammates, Kenny Satterfield and Andre Barrett of PR Pride. Satterfield scored 68 points as he shattered the recently recorded HITS single-game scoring title (previously 65). He also dished out 13 dimes, most of which went to Barrett. Barrett scored 66 points and added 12 assists and 8 boards on what he made look like easy lay-ups and stop-and-pop treys from long distance.

If these names sound familiar, that’s because Kenny Satterfield was a Cincinnati Bearcat and Andre Barrett a Seton Hall Pirate as they took their NYC street game to the NCAA hardwood and it led them both to the NBA. Satterfield once played for the Denver Nuggets while Andre Barrett was most recently a Chicago Bull.

This match-up was as action-packed as a game could be with both teams combining for 90 points in the first quarter alone, knotted up at 45 apiece. PR Pride opened up a quick 6-0 run to get the second quarter started, forcing Hoop Street to take a timeout. However, the momentum was already in full swing for PR Pride as they never looked back. By halftime the score was 88-71 in their favor.

Bobby Santiago joined Satterfield and Barrett to make it a three-guard lineup that wreaked havoc on Hoop Street. Satterfield kept the defense on its heels with his quickness, deep range and explosive drives to the basket. Meanwhile, Barrett spotted up for trey after trey and proved to be a one-man fastbreak waiting to happen with his dashing speed and jolting fakes. Santiago complimented Satterfield and Barrett nicely, putting pressure on the defense as he sliced through the lanes and finished around the basket. The tandem of these three guards in the backcourt, at times, looked like they were on a lay-up line. No disrespect to Hoop Street’s defense because they were working hard, but it was to no avail as PR Pride’s backcourt was too hard to guard for most NYC guards to contend with.

With a final score of 178-167, PR Pride emerging victorious in this slugfest, there was not a dull moment. Anytime two teams combine for 345 points, records are bound to be broken and Oohs and Ahhs are sure to follow. Barrett’s ability to stop on the dime and pull up in the face of his defender (or wide open while the defender finally thinks about what just happened) was silky smooth. There were no breaks for the defense when “Serious Satellite” Satterfield had the rock. At times it was like watching Disney on Ice as a multitude of defenders slid out of his path, falling for his fakes and elusive drives. There were a couple of bloopers too. On a two on none break, Rockin’ Ray Rivera bounced an alley oops pass to Barrett that he missed (Barrett did get his own rebound and finish the lay-up in his defense). On another possession late in the second half, Rivera was aware of how close Satterfield was to reclaiming his single-game scoring title and in his eagerness he tossed an outlet pass, intended for Satterfield, directly at his opponent’s basket, bouncing off the back of the backboard. PR Pride’s backcourt pressure immediately forced a turnover to make up for the blooper. With 65 in the books and the ball in his hands on a fast break with no one in front of him, Satterfield decided to pull up for a trey and solidify his reign as the HITS single-game scoring leader. It was only a week that the record did not belong to him.

For more info, check www.hoopsinthesun.net.

By Jonathan Lopez