Konadu's 25 Paces Majors

By Brad Clark

In the first game of the National District Basketball Tournament, the Mount Vernon Majors were spectacular on both sides of the court in their 51-39 win over the Hayfield Monday. National District Player of the Year Jesse Konadu scored 12 of the team’s 16 first-quarter points, helping the Majors take control from the start and avenge a regular-season loss to the Hawks suffered just last week.

“We had a lot of pressure going in, since we were beaten by Hayfield earlier,” Konadu said. “We knew we had to focus on defense and do a better job coming into this game."

On Monday night, the Majors did just that. Holding the Hawks to just 24 points in the first half and only 15 in the second half, the Majors had the best defensive game since their 50-38 win against Stuart in the regular season.

Along with Konadu’s stellar performance, senior Juwan Bullard also played a big role in the Majors’ win. Bullard had fans cheering with several rebounds and impressive blocks throughout the game. However, it was his breakaway dunk near the end of the first half that brought an explosion from the stands.

“We were winning, but it was a real struggle. When I broke away, my eyes lit up. After dunking, I could just feel the energy rise,” Bullard said.

Hayfield coach Ronald Palmer called a timeout immediately after Bullard’s dunk, but the damage was done. The Hawks were able to tie the game up at 24 at the end of the first half, yet they could never regain any momentum, but Mount Vernon dominated the second half.

The Majors kept their defense strong, and Konadu put up another 13 points, finishing with 25 on the night.

Mount Vernon coach Alfonso Smith saved his celebration after the game, already focusing on their next challenge at the District semi-finals on Wednesday.

“The playoffs are a new season,” Smith said. “I want to just take it one game at a time. We did many things well, but we have a lot to improve on.”

The Majors now qualify for the regional playoffs after Monday’s win.