Brandon Austin wasn't really sure how the ball ended up in his hands. He didn't have much time to think about it, anyway.
As time expired in Sunday's All City Classic, Austin gathered a loose ball in the far corner, but his three-pointer fell short as Team Philly lost to New York, 112-109, in the senior game of the three-game showcase at Ben Franklin High.
"I thought it was good when it left my hand," said Austin, a senior at Imhotep Charter. "This was a lot of fun, playing with my friends."
The 6-foot-6 Austin finished with 25 points. Vaux's Rysheed Jordan scored a game-high 36 points and was named team MVP. Jordan and Austin, two of the city's top players, are being courted by a list of schools including Syracuse and Temple.
Jordan left the game briefly in the fourth quarter with a leg cramp and required attention after the loss. In the second quarter, he sent the capacity crowd into a frenzy with a wicked crossover and drive to the hoop.
"They went crazy; this is my hometown," Jordan said. "I always hear it, like my high school games."
Philadelphia won the sophomore game, 78-67, behind 19 points from Haverford School's Sammy Foreman and the presence down low of Archbishop Carroll's Derrick Jones.
In the junior game, New York needed overtime to earn a 102-98 win. Neumann-Goretti guard JaQuan Newton poured in 27 points. He lists Arizona, Syracuse, Temple, and Villanova among his top schools.
"I made a big jump this summer working on my [jump shot], and my IQ got better," Newton said.
Contact Matt Breen at mbreen@phillynews.com, or follow on Twitter @matt_breen.
