They came for a cause and put on a show: Highlighting 10 standout players from the A Shot For Life All-Star Game
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Altman, who will play at Pennsylvania alongside former Rivers teammate and fellow ASFL all-star Jay Jones, dazzled with a 24-point, 15-rebound, 12-assist triple-double in an action-packed, 175-170, triumph for Team White.
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'Jay Jones and Ryan Altman, they've been so committed to it,' said Mike Slonina, CEO and founder of A Shot For Life, which support groundbreaking brain cancer research at Mass General Hospital. 'Their college stuff is already figured out. They're not going to get a recruiting bump from this. They don't have to be here. They're really good people that have been really loyal to this. I really appreciate them for that.'
Brown-bound Belmont Hill star Isaiah Langham poured in a game-high 32 points, highlighted by an acrobatic windmill in the final minute to seal it.
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Drew Kahn with the block, Zach Baum the slick behind-the-back pass and Michael D'Ambra the 3.
Blue leads White, 48-43. Defense optional, talent plentiful
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
Kyle Benjamin, a former St. Andrew's (R.I.) catalyst, led Team Blue with 31 points. Noble & Greenough rising senior Zach Baum added 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Quinn Costello, a rising senior at The Newman School who hails from Medford, notched 22 points and displayed impressive fluidity around the rim. Costello, a 6-foot-9-inch forward, is one of the fastest risers in the nation. He had 13 Division 1 offers entering the spring and now has 38 after breaking out at the Pangos All-American Camp and NBPA Top 100 camp.
Rapid riser Quinn Costello of Medford delivers once again. Fluid, versatile and long and has a great feel for the game
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
Costello learned from former Celtics star Isaiah Thomas at the NBPA camp and continues to admire his competitive spirit up close. Costello, who started his career at BC High before transferring to Newman, takes pride in his Medford roots.
'Some people think it's overwhelming for me, but I wouldn't really say that,' Costello said. 'It's really awesome to see all my hard work finally pay off. It all kind of came at once, pretty quickly. I'm super grateful for all that's happening.'
After 3Q: Blue 53, White 42
Elyse Ngenda is feeling it. She has 18 for Blue, including this 3 late in the third quarter
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
In the girls' game, which featured just a tad more defense, Team Blue rallied to outlast Team White, 62-54, in a competitive and well-played battle.
Rising senior Elyse Ngenda of New Hampton School, the 2024-25 New Hampshire Gatorade Player of the Year, erupted for 23 points, and Medfield rising junior Naya Annigeri notched 11 for Blue. Olivia Fleming, a Lehigh-bound rising senior at Northfield Mount Hermon, dropped 20 and Merrimack-bound Archbishop Williams senior Jenna Mishou added 14 for White.
Olivia Fleming rattles home a 3 for White, slicing Blue's lead to 55-52 with 3:18 remaining
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
'We obviously emphasize having fun, but at the end of the day, we wanted to play defense and showcase our skills,' Ngenda said. 'That's what we came here to do.'
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A comical moment came early, when former Medfield star Izzy Kittredge, who will play at Nobles next year, instinctively passed the ball to Annigeri. It was a perfect pass . . . to the wrong team. They shared a laugh.
Medfield's Tess Baacke (right) played in memory of her mother, Tara, who died from cancer when Tess was 7 years old.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
Their Medfield teammate, Tess Baacke, played with her late mother, Tara Baacke, in mind. Tara died of brain cancer in 2016, when Baacke was 7, making the ASFL mission hit home.
Baacke thought of her mother before the game and continued to channel her competitive spirit.
'It felt like I was playing for something,' Baacke said. 'She would have wanted that. She played soccer in college, so she's super competitive. That's where I got it from.'
Nice passing from Blue, extending its lead to 33-24 early in the half.
Tic-tac-toe from Naya Annigeri to Molly Sisson to Brooke Nunnally-Gardner for two
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
5 boys' standouts
Xavier Abreu, Phillips Andover
— Abreu has impressive speed and can get to the rim with ease. He's a blur in transition and can shoot it.
Xavier Abreu splashes a 3 for Blue, then Nick Sangermano comes back with a dunk for White. 27-24 Blue early
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
Ryan Altman, Rivers
— Altman has a movie-star personality and loves the limelight. He put on a show in his home gym.
Quinn Costello, Newman
— It's easy to see why Costello is one of the fastest risers in the nation. He glides around the court, has long strides, and a highly unique skill-set.
Isaiah Langham, Belmont Hill
— Langham has some serious hops and has a high-flying style that keeps fans entertained.
Jackson Perri, Roxbury Latin
— Perri was one of the smallest players on the floor, but he more than held his own and displayed a stellar 3-point stroke.
Medfield's Naya Annigeri scored 11 points for Team Blue.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
5 girls' standouts
Naya Annigeri, Medfield
— Annigeri will hoop against anyone, at any time, and quickly established herself as a go-to option.
Olivia Fleming, Northfield Mount Hermon
— Her 3-point shot is lethal, her passing ability is special, and her pizzazz as a point guard is felt throughout the gym.
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I like Olivia Fleming's game. Always has her head up, plays with great pace and isn't afraid to let it fly. 18-17 White, mid-2Q
— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass)
Jenna Mishou, Archbishop Williams
— Mishou continues to make a name for herself as an active rim runner with great footwork. She's poised to be one of the MIAA's best players this winter.
Elyse Ngenda, New Hampton
— Ngenda has all the tools to become a Division 1 catalyst — speed, footwork, intelligence, a high IQ, and more.
Molly Sisson, Northfield Mount Hermon
— Sisson passes extremely well for her size (6-3) and has a unique feel for the game.
The Rivers School's Ryan Altman (left) put up a triple double to help Timmy Bollin (right) and Team White to a win.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
Phillips Andover's Xavier Abreu showed off his end-to-end speed.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
The Newman School's Quinn Costello has seen his recruiting profile skyrocket this summer.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
Izzy Kittredge was one of three players from the March's state champion Medfield squad to play.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
Cushing Academy's Jay Jones goes for the reverse.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
Quinn Costello showed off his length with this hook shot.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
DJ Cassamajor of Brooks gets off his shot during the A Shot For Life All-Star Game.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
Elyse Ngenda of New Hampton (left) led all scorers in the girls' game with 23 points.
Ken McGagh for The Boston Globe
Trevor Hass can be reached at
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