Celestial Prep Takes Title Over Mount Zion

MIDDLE ISLAND, NEW YORK -- Aaron Cook damaged the Mount Zion zone defense with long jumpers and Zakee Boyd thumped the North Carolina based prep school with some thundering slams to give Celestial Prep a 73-58 championship game victory over Mount Zion Christian Academy.

Celestial Prep of Philadelphia came out to the eastern part of Long Island to drop Mount Zion to win the first ever Rim Rocker tournament. Cook scored 17 points, including three three-pointers. He was named the tournament's most valuable player and rightly so. Cook was the most consistent player for Celestial Prep.

Cook scored seven of the Celestial's 15 first-quarter points. It was tied after the first eight minutes of play. Mount Zion gained a 34-32 lead after two quarters of play after center Mohammed Tangara nailed a three-pointer.

Boyd got going in the third and Kevin Greene scored eight points in the quarter to help Celestial retake the lead, 51-47. When Greene hit a three-pointer with 2:09 left in the fourth, Celestial had pushed its advantage to 62-51. They were never threatened the rest of the way as Mount Zion was forced to foul. Cook hit several key free throws in the final two minutes to seal up the victory.

Boyd finished the game with 12 points while Greene added 11. Charles Bronson added some inside firepower for Celestial too, he scored nine points.

Celestial also got its best performance out of Omar Williams, who was the most we have seen him here. Williams worked hard on both ends and scored 13 points. He also had five assists. (More on Williams later on this site)

Mount Zion was led by Almamy Thiero who had 16 points. Norman Simmons also had 16 while David Bell had eight and Glen Dandrige, who had an off shooting night, had eight too.