Knicks Drop Celtics In Westchester
By Maine Celtics Staff /November 30, 2023
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White Plains, NY – The Maine Celtics got in a big hole early and could not climb out, falling to the Westchester Knicks Wednesday night, 110-85.
Maine (4-3) never led in the game. The Celtics were led by DJ Steward with 12 points. James Banks III provided solid minutes off the bench, scoring 11 and grabbing 7 rebounds in just 16 minutes. JD Davison added 10 points in the loss.
Westchester (6-2) had three players on assignment from the New York Knicks and led by as many as 38 points. They were led by a 37 point performance by DaQuan Jeffries, including 7 made three-pointers. Miles McBride added 17 for the Knicks, while Jacob Toppin added 12 points. Jericho Sims grabbed 18 rebounds in the win.
Jeffries started the game red hot for the Knicks, scoring their first 10 points. Westchester jumped out to a 10-5 lead. Davison converted a tough turnaround, followed by a Snell three to stop the bleeding. Jeffries continued to score at will, as the Knicks continued to score at will. In the blink of an eye, Maine was down 31-11 after a Jaylen Martin three-pointer. Maine went just 1-8 from three-point range in the 1st quarter while Westchester shot 62.5% (15-24) and took a commanding 35-16 lead after one period. Jeffries led the way with 15 points in the 1st.
In the 2nd, Walsh got Maine going on offense, knocking in a three and following it up with a fast break dunk. James Banks followed that up with an and-one opportunity, cutting the deficit to 17. Sims dropped in an alley-oop dunk to make it 55-37 Knicks. Jeffries dropped in his 4th three of the half as Westchester resumed control. The Knicks took a 67-43 halftime lead, shooting 53.1% (26-49) in the first half. Jeffries scored 24 in the half on 9-14 shooting. Maine shot just 38.5% (15-39) from the floor in the first half, and just 3-15 from downtown.
Jacob Toppin kept the Knicks rolling to start the 3rd quarter, scoring a pair of early buckets. Westchester started the 3rd on a 14-4 run, extending the lead to as many as 38. Banks continued to provide solid minutes off the bench, but Westchester’s lead proved to be insurmountable. Maine shot just 35.9% (28-78) from the floor, 18.2% (6-33) from three-point range, and 12-17 from the free throw line. Westchester shot 44.6% (41-92) from the field, 37.5% (18-48) from downtown, and 6-11 from the charity stripe. Westchester out-rebounded Maine 56-37.
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