Northeast Live Invtl 17u Sunday

ARDSLEY, NY - Championship Sunday at Basketbull's Northeast Live Invitational started out with 6 New York teams remaining between the 3 brackets. It was a chance for some local teams who don't always get a lot of attention to show that they too can compete at a high level.

When Sunday was over, a pair of NY teams were crowned champions to prove that the depth in our area may not be as bad as some make it out to be. Here is a recap from each 17u bracket championships on Sunday.

Blue Bracket

There was only 1 local team in the semis in this Blue Bracket, but that 1, Team Basic, looked poised and ready to do big things as they comfortably won their semifinal over CT Select (Evans) 61-49. Basic was once again able to push the pace and beat Select up the floor in transition time and time again. Daquaise Andrews (Bayside '14) was solid running the point and creating getting to the rim, while Rudy Collins (Quest Prep, NV '13) was a big strong target in and around the paint who was able to finish strong with contact. Shaleek Saunders (Far Rockaway '13), while not as dominant inside as he was Saturday, was still a huge force as well. Basic could've, and should've won by a lot more, but struggled mightily from the FT line, something they most likely would need to correct in the title game. It was a balanced scoring effort in the semi with Andrews scoring 13 to lead the way, with Saunders adding 12 as well.

In the Blue championship game, Basic would meet the CT Northstars, who came back from a 7 point deficit with 1:25 to go in their semifinal to defeat Blackstone Valley Chaos, 55-51.

The title game started out about as bad as bad could be for Basic. They struggled shooting from the perimeter, and seemed content early on to settle for contested jumpers, while the Northstars were aggressive getting inside and were able to hit open jumpers as Basic seemed to chase too much defensively. Basic also struggled again from the FT line which was a constant problem for them all tournament long, and they were in a hole at the half, down to the Northstars 33-26.

It actually got worse before it got better for Basic. A pair of Wade McNamara (East Lyme, CT '13) threes helped expand the lead to its biggest for the Northstars at 13 three minutes into the half. Basic though started to step up the defensive intensity with Andrews, and especially Marzuq Jimoh (Cardozo '14) harassing the ball in the backcourt which really started setting the tempo of defense leading to offense for Basic. Jonathan Grimsley (Valley Stream Central '13) was also instrumental in the comeback with his strong attacking of the basket, along with those of Collins, helped tie the game at 56 all with 3:10 to go. An Andrews slash down the left side gave Basic their first lead with 2:42 left, and they never looked back as they continued to apply pressure on the ball which really rattled the Northstars guards. Basic didn't hit a three for the first time in the tournament, but defense led the way for Team Basic to win the Blue title, 62-58 over the Northstars.

Another team effort saw Andrews lead Basic in the title game with 13, with Collins and Grimsley adding 12 a piece. Team Basic showed in the end they are a true team, and a team to watch out for the rest of the spring and summer.

Grey Bracket

Three local teams made the semifinals of the Grey Bracket, and each of the two games were close, competitive, and came down to the wire.

Team Scan (White) took on Westside United in and NY vs. NY semi, and while Scan looked good early, it was the tight defense of Westside late that really hampered the Scan shooters, and limited them just two made threes in the game as Westside pulled off the minor upset, taking down Scan, 48-45.

In the other semi, Minutemen (Smith) faced off against the Rhode Island Hawks (Furtado). It was a tight game throughout, with the Hawks lead for much of the game, but Domenic Arena (Cardinal Spellman '14) hit a couple of clutch shots down the stretch to give the Minutemen the win and secure the All-NY championship game.

In the title game, the Minutemen got out if the block quick and took a commanding 19-4 lead midway through the 1st half. Arena and James Morales (Fox Lane '14) were able to hit perimeter shots, while Shawn Wedderburn (Cardinal Spellman '14) was cleaning up the glass early, and things looked bleak for Westside.

Westside didn't quit though. They got within 9 at the half, and kept plugging at it. Elijah Holifield (St. Luke's, CT '15) was aggressive getting to the rim and did a nice job leaning in at contact and finishing at the rim, while Ray Pelka (Packer '14) was a big weapon from three, using his 6'4" frame to get shots above defenders, hitting 3 threes in the 2nd half, and with 5 minutes to go, Westside had fought all the way back to grab their first lead of the game. It was back and forth the rest of the way, and the final seconds were some of the most compelling, drama filled action of the weekend.

Arena was fouled with 10 seconds left with the Minutemen up 62-61. It was a 1 and 1, and he missed the front end. Westside got the rebound, but with fouls to give, the Minutemen fouled. With 5 seconds left, the Minutemen reached their foul limit, but an errant inbounds pass by Westside turned the ball over, and they had to foul again. With 4.2 to go, the Minutemen again missed the front end of a 1 and 1. Westside actually got a pretty good FT line extended shot just before the buzzer, but Kelvin Sparks (FDA '14) shot hit off the side rim, and the Mnutemen were crowned Grey Bracket champions, 62-61 over Westside United.

Arena led all scorers with 20 in the win, and the juniors ability to score and create all over the court, certainly make him one to watch going forward. Pelka led Westside in the tough loss with 17.

Red Bracket

A pair of locals were in the semis in the Red Bracket to start Sunday off. The Brooklyn Ballers truly showed on Saturday that they are a team to reckon with against some of the best and biggest teams out there. Taking on the Rhode Island Hawks in the semis though was going to prove to be a much bigger challenge though, as on Saturday night the Hawks knocked off the Juice All-Stars. Could the Ballers handle a team the caliber of the Rhode Island based squad?

The Ballers more than held their own in the end. They fought through the screens and played extremely tough and tenacious defense, staying in the game from start to finish. Derek Dorn (New Rochelle '14) played the point about as well as you can ask, being a ball hawk defender and hitting a couple of key shots late to get within 2 in the final seconds. The Ballers had the ball with a chance to tie or win it, but Dorn missed a pull up jumper at the buzzer, and the Rhode Island Hawks survived, beating the Brooklyn Ballers, 54-52.

James Smith (Hillsborough, NJ '14) led the Ballers with 15 points in the loss, while Dorn, who starred all weekend long, added 13.

The other semi featured Born Ready Elite as they took on The Nation from Maine. It was a tough grind it out game, with both teams struggling to find a rhythm from the field, and the game would head to OT tied at 52. In the overtime, Born Ready scored all 5 points, including a dagger 3 late by Dwayne Daniel (Lawrence '14). Behind the 15 points of Mairega Clarke (Putnam Science, CT '13), Born Ready was on its way to the Red title game.

It was a tight game early on between Born Ready and the Hawks, as Daniel kept his team in it with 5 first half threes to score 17 in the first half, but a late 13-2 run saw Rhode Island take 45-31 lead at the half.

Jackson Donahue (Stonington, CT '14) was the real crusher for the Hawks as he connected on 7 threes, including 4 in that late 1st half run which for all intensive purposes put the game away. Offensively, the Hawks were able to get through screens and find open looks on the perimeter often leading to 19 made threes in the game, and while Daniel and Tommy Rivera (Paterson Eastside, NJ '13) did a nice job offensively to stick jumpers and try and keep Born Ready in it, Rhode Island just had too many weapon as they won the Red Bracket over Born Ready Elite, 90-73.

Daniel, the Iona commit, led Born Ready in defeat with 28 points, with Rivera and Gjaimier Stanford (Howard Tech, DE '13) each adding 20.

Donahue led all scorers with 29 points in the win for the Rhode Island Hawks, while Kealen Ives (Classical, RI '14) chipped in with 17.

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