Triple Threat Protects Turf At Weber
Ron Bailey, Publisher
April 8, 2007 – The Charlie Weber Easter Hoop Fest, held at sites throughout Washington, D.C., afforded Triple Threat (AAU) an opportunity to protect their home turf. While one 16 and under team reached the semi-finals, the 17 and under edition did hold fort, defeating the Baltimore Stars 59-54 in a battle of neighboring powerhouses. The crown was Weber’s American Division title, and was earned at Gallaudet University.
While many in attendance anticipated a battle of behemoths, with Triple Threat’s Chris Braswell (6 points) going against the Stars’ Henry Sims (10 points), the game turned on guard play – as many tourney match ups do.
Triple Threat's 17 and under crew, enjoy their championship afterward, with Coach Ron Winbush (far left) joining the festivities.
Troy Franklin, Jr., (17 points) a junior Stars point guard standout led all scorers, while Triple Threat enjoyed strong performances from juniors Jason Clark (16 points) and Garvey Young (10 points), along with sophomore Maurice ‘Mo’ Creek (9 points) – all backcourt performers.
From the outset, it was obvious Triple Threat’s perimeter guys came to play, leading the team to a 22-14 second quarter lead. Along with fellow guard, junior C.J. Gardner (6 points), they not only scored in the half court, but also defended well, many times against larger, stronger players.
Young was a prime example of that, locking up not only perimeter players, but also the Stars’ standout sophomore forward Terrell Vinson (12 points), who is both taller and heavier than Garvey.
The Stars gained a 41-39 lead at the end of the third stanza, via a Franklin three pointer. This quick, aggressive floor general went on to dominate the game for a stretch, finding open teammates, shooting jumpers, and getting to the rim.
During this period, it seemed as fatigue caught up with Triple Threat, a position Clark supported afterward.
Troy Franklin, a 5'10" PG, is a dynamo on the court.
Tired or not, Triple Threat executed to close the game, finishing the game on an 11-2 run, which started with a Braswell block leading to a bucket by Creek tying the score. A subsequent charge call created by Clark set the stage for the game’s most dramatic possessions: After missing two free throws one possession, Young stepped back to the charity stripe the next, canning two, giving Triple Threat a 54-52 lead.
“It felt good” to redeem his first two foul shot misses with the makes, said Young afterward. “I spent time in the gym for these situations”.
That preparation – from the team’s standpoint – and its execution is something that pleased Triple Threat’s coach, Keith Stevens.
“Anytime you win a championship, that’s obviously good” he said. “We had to make the right moves, down the stretch. It showed growth. That’s the difference between last week’s Spring Fling (where they would take second) and today”.