Gary Ervin, on the heels of a 24 point performance

in the semifinals, sparked Riverside Church with a 22

point performance to help lead Ernie Lorch's crew to a

95-76 win in the finals of the CYP Tournament in Port

Chester, New York.

Ervin is likely to head to prep school if he doesn't qualify academically. He would then be one of the top guards in the 2003 class and would likely be recruited on a high division one level. Ervin will have a lot of Big East interest if this situation develops.

Ervin scored in bunches, using his explosiveness

and quick first step to knife through traffic for

points. Junior Willie Irick added 20 points,

attacking the glass and establishing his presence in

the paint.

Riverside was able to mount a 36-31 halftime lead

keyed by Benjamin Banneker Academy's Gary Forbes, who

chipped in nine points by the intermission.

Riverside's swarming defensive effort made life

miserable for the Roadrunners in the almost

claustrophic confines of Our Lady of Mercy gym, as

spectators spilled onto the court and whooped from

stands encroaching the court from above.

Riverside led 22-9 early, as Ervin wreaked havoc in

transition and Forbes, who scored 31 points in a

semifinal win over the Hoop St. Gang, got hot, but

Sandy Pyonin's club was able to climb back into it,

keyed by Anthony Drejaj's quick hands on the defensive

end and a couple of buckets by the elusive Randy Foye. Foye has signed with Villanova and should be an immediate impact player for Jay Wright's program.

Riverside was able to stretch their lead to double

figures midway through the third quarter, as Ervin

darted through traffic for twisting interior buckets,

and Forbes converted on a beautiful reverse lay-in off

a feed from Ervin off the break.

Riverside's lead would balloon to 17 with 5:42 to

play in the fourth quarter, as Ervin snatched an

errand pass and took it in for the dunk and Quincy

Douby canned a three. Foye would try valiantly to keep

his Jersey squad in the game the rest of the way,

slipping into the interior for a few buckets, but

ultimately, Riverside's depth and athleticism were too

much to overcome. Quincy Douby capped off the win by

hammering down a one-handed dunk off the break, as

Riverside rolled by a comfortable margin. Douby has signed with Hofstra but there is talk out there he may decide to go to a prep school and open up his recruiting process.

Randy Foye was masterful in defeat, collecting 23

points, while St. Patrick's swingman Mawel Soler added

12 points. Newark Eastside marksman Pierre Mitchell

contribued 10 points, including two threes, and

defensive stalwart Anthony Drejaj from Seton Hall Prep

added 9 points.

Forbes added 11 points for the Hawks, while Douby,

as an encore to his 28 point performance in the

semifinals, chipped in 11 as well. Kelvin "Peedy"

Nelson, formerly of Christ the King High School and

now at Milford Academy, added 12 points, most in

transition, while 6'4'' jumping jack Shamar Green from

Xaverian High School added nine points.