Varsity Insider

High school teammates Felix Balamou and Chris Obekpa continued to wow the crowd at the 66th annual CYP Tournament Tuesday night. The Our Savior New American duo combined for 26 points and were both named all-tournament as Rodney Abrams held off a feisty New York Blaze team 70-52 to win the program its first CYP title.

Balamou, an explosive 6-foot-3 guard committed to St. John’s, scored 16 points a night after he dropped 28 against the Panthers in the semifinals. Obekpa, a uncommitted 6-foot-9 forward, added 10 along with an assortment of blocked and altered shots.

Afterward, Obekpa said his recruitment remains open. He visited St. John’s last week and has already visited DePaul and Cincinnati. But he has plans to visit Oregon soon and might also take trips to UConn and Providence.

The duo came to Our Savior from Africa. They knew one another there, too, according to Balamou, who is from Guinea. (Obekpa’s from Nigeria.)

They fueled Rodney Abrams, the program fueled by New Heights’ nationally-ranked AAU program. Balamou was named MVP and was joined on the all-tournament team by Obekpa and Cardinal Hayes’ Jalen Jenkins, who chipped in eight points.

The Blaze, in just its first year in the CYP, finished with Antwan Boyd (Westhill), Toney Dobbinson (Westhill) and Tremaine Frasier (Trinity Catholic) as all-tournament picks.
Dobbinson led the Blaze with 15 points. Frasier, who is just a sophomore, added 12 points. (He is the younger brother of Todd Frasier, a former star at Port Chester.)

Woodlands senior Reece Williams earned the sportsmanship award for the Blaze. Teammate Brian Daniels, a Briarcliff junior, netted eight points.

Mount Vernon’s Jarrel Marshall and Woodlands’ Fred Bowers each chipped in six points off the bench for Rodney Abrams.