Kenner Semis: Vets Rule the Day

Ron Bailey, Publisher

Age before beauty was operative today.

August 7, 2010 – There’s a saying that goes “Age before beauty”, which in some instances can mean those with experience can trump younger competitors. Today’s 2010 Nike Pro City Jabbo Kenner League proved the adage correct.

Down 43-30 at intermission, Team Takeover hatched a second half plan speed up their older A. Wash/Madness foes – the primary object of their focus was international league pro Brian Chase, who went to Virginia Tech and scored 12 points today, a floor general that can also score from outside. Takeover’s plot specifically centered on picking up all defenders full court, and doubling Chase, a primary ball handler, at half court, thereby speeding up Madness and creating defensive stops.

Brian Chase, here being stripped by Jason Clark, would not let Madness fall into Takeover's second half trap.

Despite the best efforts of Georgetown junior guard Jason Clark (12 points), GW sophomore guard Lasan Kromah (19 points) and Bowie State sophomore swingman Dwayne Jackson (8 points), Takeover just couldn’t effectuate their plot, falling to Madness 73-66. Their older opponents used accumulated experience to execute, thereby holding on to the visit.

The victors were paced by French League pro Tony Skinn’s 14 points, while fellow international pro and local summer league standout Andrew ‘Spongebob’ Washington scored 13 points, seven from the free throw line (most of his work was in the first stanza). The former went to George Mason, the latter Delaware. Boom Osby, an international pro himself and a past University of Maryland player, chipped in seven.

Following that contest, age was served once again when Beyond Belief dispatched Clyde’s 70-57. One may point immediately to Israeli League professional Isaiah Swann’s 38 points – 12 three pointers and a single deuce – as the reason, but it’s only part of the story; Russian League stalwart and ex-Maryland Terp James Gist entered the game with about two minutes before intermission, and immediately went to work, blocking shots and finishing. He tallied seven points overall and was a load down low.

Georgetown’s senior center/forward Julian Vaughn scored 14 points for Clyde’s, and also snared a number of rebounds. His Hoya teammate, junior guard Vee Sanford dropped eight, while junior Hampton University forward Wes Dunning notched seven.

This was Isiah Swann's sole two point bucket.

That trio played solidly in the second half, but along with their teammates couldn’t greatly diminish Beyond Belief’s nine point intermission lead. Every time they scored, Beyond Belief seemingly answered, as if they had been in similar situations many times.

Tomorrow at 3pm the 2010 Nike Pro City Jabbo Kenner League finals are scheduled, again at McDonough Arena on Georgetown’s campus. Preceding that will be the high school division’s final, with a start time of around 2pm.