FEB. 13TH, 2009 - PSL PLAYOFFS SEMIFINAL

DETROIT RENAISSANCE vs. PERSHING HIGH SCHOOL

IN FRONT OF A PACKED HOUSE AT DETROIT RENAISSANCE, ABOUT 5,000 FANS CAME TO SEE A GREAT MATCHUP IN THIS PSL SEMIFINAL. THE #2 RANKED TEAM IN THE STATE, DETROIT PERSHING WAS LOOKING TO SHOW PEOPLE WHY THEY WERE 17-1. THE DOUGHBOYS JUMPED OUT ON THE PHOENIX QUICKLY AND HAD A 19-8 LEAD IN THE FIRST QUARTER. THE RENAISSANCE TRIED TO PLAY AN UPTEMPO GAME WITH THE DOUGHBOYS, HOPING THEY MIGHT HAVE A ROUGH SHOOTING NIGHT. HOWEVER, THE DOUGHBOYS WERE CLICKING ON ALL CYLINDERS AND COULDN'T MISS.

THE PHOENIX STILL DIDN'T BACK DOWN ONE BUT. THEY PROCEEDED TO KEEP THE DOUGHBOYS ON THEIR HEELS BY PUSHING THE TEMPO AND MAKING SOME SHOTS OF THERE OWN. THE FIRST HALF LEFT THE PHOENIX DOWN 55-32. THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH HAVING A SHOOTOUT IS THAT YOU BETTER HAVE PLENTY OF AMMO. THE PHOENIX FOUND THEMSELVES RUNNING UP A STEEP HILL WHEN THEIR SHOTS WEREN'T FALLING. THE SCORE DOESN'T DO JUSTICE TO HOW CLOSE THIS GAME COULD HAVE BEEN IF THOSE SHOTS FELL. THE PHOENIX WOULD END UP GOING 3-35 FROM THE ARC AND 24-77 FROM THE FLOOR.

PERSHING PLAYED WELL AND SHOWED THE CITY WHY THEY WERE RANKED #2 IN THE STATE.

SENIOR DANIEL SUTHERLIN LED THE PHOENIX WITH 29 POINTS AND 12 REBOUNDS. DELANO COLLINS ALSO HAD 20 POINTS 4 ASSIST AND 4 STEALS. JUNIOR CHENE PHILLIPS CHIPPED IN 17 PONTS FOR THE PHOENIX.

PERSHING WAS LED BY DERRICK NIX WITH 32 POINTS AND 21 REBOUNDS. DENNIS PERRY ADDED 25 POINTS.

***click here for game highlights***

PHOENIX BOX SCORE