Take Your Best Shot Title Results

Ron Bailey, Publisher

May 12, 2008 – Yesterday at Hoop Magic Sports Academy, the championship round of DC Assault’s Take Your Best Shot took place, with the host organization capturing two titles. Here are recaps of the games.

14 and under
DC Blue Devils 62 Team Melo 61

Eighth grader A.B. Kamara (26 pts, MVP) led the Blue Devils to the victory, just ask Coach Hazel, the team’s bench leader: “A.B. brought us back with big rebounds and making free throws at the end. We really relied on him for the win”.

DC Blue Devils 14 and under team.

Additionally, eighth grader Joe Hazel (16 pts) contributed greatly, as did “our bigs and the bench”, according to his coach.

Tough, all around eighth grade player Cyrus Jones, a football and basketball standout, contributed 21 points for Team Melo.

15 and under
Playaz 75 Maryland Bulls 69

The Playaz got 14 points from game MVP, freshman point guard Myles Mack, while eighth grade two sport (hoops and football) standout, guard/forward Kyle Anderson, Jr. provided 23, but the win was team generated; this team is deep, and experienced.

Playaz 15 and under champions.

“I feel great” noted Mack afterward, “it was a team win”. His coach, Kyle Anderson, Sr. agreed, saying having played together for several years gives his squad an advantage, one they relied upon despite missing two tall players. That familiarity is evident offensively, where Anderson leans on continuity sets hone by “coaching two years at St. Peters College”, as well as the “desire and toughness” his team shows in tough situations, as they’ve seen them before.

Jordan Roach, one of the best players in the tournament dropped 19 for the Bulls; Roach, a freshman varsity starter drove, shot, and found open players all weekend from his lead guard position.

16 and under
DC Assault 72 DC Blue Devils 64

After both teams battled tooth and nail, the Blue Devils decided to allow sophomore point guard Ahmod George (24 pts) hold the ball for around two minutes, at around the 7:00 minute mark, ostensibly to shorten the game. Unfortunately, a turnover and ensuing Josh Hairston (7 pts) put back followed, igniting Assault’s 9-4, game closing scoring run.

Their coach, Zach Suber, was not surprised, as he opined of his squad, now 46-1 in their last 47 games, said “We’ve been in tough situations before, we try and keep our head and maintain focus”.

Assault's 16 and under champs.

That they did, with sophomores, guard Ced Lindsay (17 pts), forward Maxie Esho (15 pts), and Tyler Thornton (10 pts) all making key plays to seal the win.

Lindsay in particular was impressive, as the young guy is starting to round into a complete backcourt man. “It was probably my best one yet” humbly noted Ced of his championship game performance. Zuber felt similarly, adding “He played really, really well. It’s time for all the guys to step up, and he’s doing it”.

Of being tabbed game MVP, Lindsay deflected attention towards his teammates, saying “I was just out playing team ball. I have all the confidence in my teammates, and they have it in me”.

17 and under
DC Assault 54 DC Blue Devils 44

After a day of action all in attendance agreed was incredible – teams battled tooth and nail, with organization’s reputations and images not intimidating anyone - the 17 and under final was met with great anticipation. When the players were allowed to compete, the contest lived up to its billing, but was unfortunately truncated by a series of events culminating in the referees strangely and unnecessarily leaving the floor.

First the good. Assault’s junior swingman Rodney McGruder (15 pts) won MVP honors by attacking the tin and displaying his trademark energy, while teammate, junior guard Tamir Jackson (9 pts) was steady. The Blue Devil’s were led by juniors Mouphataou Yarou (14 pts) and Chaun Duffy (11 pts), a frontcourt man and guard respectively.

Assault's 17 and under title holders.

Both teams seemed to embrace the longstanding rivalry between these organizations, a point that produced effort- filled play despite the obvious fatigue each team’s players faced. It also might have contributed to the game’s premature stoppage.

With less than 12 minutes remaining, the referees inexplicably walked off the floor. Preceding that was spirited talk between the players and even some sideline observers, but nothing terribly out of the ordinary. After a series of plays that saw a technical foul issued to a Blue Devil player, and some verbiage between that team’s coaches and the referees (again, standard stuff), the zebras stormed off the court, to everyone’s dismay.

McGruder summed the situation regarding the players best: “It was crazy. People should just keep their mouth shut and play basketball. If they did, then everything would have been straight”.

True indeed. Despite the anti-climatic finish, DC Assault’s Take Your Best Shot was a success, one that will be surely repeated next year.

Check back with i95Ballerz.com for all-tourney teams in the next several days.