AAU Hoops
2006 Nike Nationals
Riverview Park Activities Center - Augusta, GA
Maya Moore and her Georgia Metro teammates left last years Nike Nationals with a bitter taste in their mouths after loosing in the semi-finals; well that taste has been replaced with the sweet nectar of a Gold Division Championship. The Orlando Comets escaped a Storm out of California and caught some falling Stars to win the Silver Division crown.
Gold Division Finals
Georgia Metros vs. Tennessee Flight
"Metros" handle some unfinished business!
Reported by Larry Williams – 4SHOT Hoops
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| ”. 6-1 Jr.-Maya Moore (Collins Hill H.S., GA) |
The Georgia "Metros" play an aggressive attacking style of basketball on both ends of the floor and at times it causes them to turn the ball over or foul. In the Gold Division Championship Game against the Tennessee Flight fouls and turnovers hurt them early on, almost all of the fouls called the in the 1st half went against the “Metros”.
5-6 Jr.-Cetera DeGraffenreid (Smokey Mtn H.S., TN) and 6-2 Jr.-Victoria Dunlap (Brentwood Academy, TN) were the big guns for the “Flight”, in particular DeGraffenreid who was making things happen all over the court with her passing and scoring. As I mentioned early on the “Metros” attack on both ends of the floor and it was on the defensive end that kept them from being air-lifted by the “Flight”. 6-1 Jr.-Maya Moore (Collins Hill H.S., GA), 6-6 Jr.-Kelley Cain (St. Pius H.S., GA) and 6-1 So.-Alicia Manning (Etowah H.S., GA) did the job on the boards as the “Metros” took a 29-25 lead into the half.
There wasn’t a lot of scoring but the game was still full of high intensity action. The “Flight” continued to get to the free-throw line going 18-27 in the game. 6-0 So.-Natalle Novosel (Lexington Catholic, KY) picked up her game and hit some tough shots as the “Flight” pulled even.
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| 5-6 Jr.-Cetera DeGraffenreid (Smokey Mtn H.S., TN) |
The “Metros” are a resilient collection of all-stars, 5-6 Jr.-Ashlie Billingslea (Stephenson H.S., GA) made some nice assist and 6-1 So.-Charenee Stephens (Southwest DeKalb H.S., GA) made some tough put-backs as the two teams waged war.
In the end it was Moore (4SHOT Hoops 2-Time Player of the Year”), who is arguably the No.1 ranked junior in the country who was the difference in the game. Moore knocked down a runner to send the game into OT and then with time running out in the game she once again had the ball in her hands as the horned sounded giving the “Metros” a thrilling championship win. Moore finished with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists as the “Metros” completed some unfinished business from last year.
Final Score: Georgia Metros 62 - Tennessee Flight 59
Scoring Recap
Georgia Metros |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Player |
|
PTS |
REB |
AST |
BLK |
TO |
STL |
PF |
|
Maya |
Moore |
19 |
9 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Kelley |
Cain |
12 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
|
Charenee |
Stephens |
12 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Alicia |
Manning |
9 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Chimire |
Jordan |
8 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
|
Ashlie |
Billingslea |
2 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Courtney |
Newton |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Taylor |
Turnbow |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Christian |
Rateree |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
|
Morgan |
Toles |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
Total |
62 |
29 |
18 |
3 |
9 |
4 |
14 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tennessee Flight |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Player |
|
PTS |
REB |
AST |
BLK |
TO |
STL |
PF |
|
Cetera |
DeGraffenreid |
19 |
4 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
|
Natalie |
Novosel |
15 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Victoria |
Dunlap |
9 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
Angela |
Puleo |
7 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Michelle |
Davis |
4 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
Kerri |
Simpson |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
Tierney |
Jenkins |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
Cenlthya |
Hart |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
|
Total |
59 |
21 |
11 |
0 |
2 |
9 |
12 |
Gold Division Semi-Finals
Reported by the Larry Williams - 4SHOT Hoops
Georgia Metros 84 vs. The Family 70
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| Maya Moore torched The Family with a 42 point outburst. |
Last year in the Semi-Finals, “The Family” with Univ. of Purdue bound McDonald’s All-American 6-4 Amber Harris knocked off the “Metros” and 6-1 Jr.-Maya Moore (Collins Hill H.S., GA) and went on to capture the championship. Well it’s a year later and Harris is gone but Moore and the “Metros” are back and they didn’t forget how heated that game was and how they lost it.
5-9 Fr.-Skylar Diggins (S.B Washington, IN) is on her way to becoming “The Family’s” next top baller, if she isn’t already; the freshman dropped 25 points to record her forth 20 point game of the tournament.
But for now the rookie like everyone else will have to take a backseat to Moore who solidified her position as the 2-time 4SHOT Hoops “Player of the Year” and the nations No.1 ranked junior as she torched the defending champions with a tournament best 42 points, yea 42 points. Oh, I almost forgot she also grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out 3 assists, recorded 5 blocked shots and made 4 steals…enough said let’s move on…. the “Metros” handled their business.
Gold Division Semi-Finals
Reported by the Larry Williams - 4SHOT Hoops
Tennessee Flight 56 - All Ohio 53
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| Angela Puleo (TN Flight) and Ayana Dunning (All-Ohio) |
With their version of the “Twin Towers” 6-4 Jr.-Jantel Lavender (Cleveland Central Catholic, OH) and 6-3 So.-Ayana Dunning (Cols. Eastmoor, OH) All-Ohio probably has the top rebounding team in the tournament. They pounded the “Flight” on the glass but still found themselves trailing 30-29 at the half.
They say that teams that like to press don’t like to be pressed so the “Flight” applied some pressure defense on All Ohio and recorded 11 steals that turned into some big points. Tenneessee’s “Big Three”, 5-6 Jr.-Cetera DeGraffenreid (Smokey Mtn H.S., TN), Angela Puleo (5-9, Jr.- William Blount H.S., TN) and 6-0 So.-Natalie Novosel (Lexington Catholic H.S., KY) once again paced the “Flight” combining for 37 of the teams 56 points as they squeaked out a tough win.
Gold Division Quarterfinals
Reported by the 4SHOT Hoops Staff
Georgia Metros 53 - NYC Gauchos 43
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| GA Metros Kelley Cain and the Gauchos Tatiyana Mcmorris |
4SHOT Hoops 2006 “Co-Players of the Year”, 6-1 Jr.-Maya Moore (Collins Hill H.S., GA ) scored a game high 21 points and 6-6 Jr.-Kelley Cain (St. Pius H.S., GA) grabbed 9 rebounds as the “Metros” out-rebounded the “Gauchos” 31-12 to come away with the win. 5-6 Jr.-Tatiyana Mcmorris (Kennedy H.S., Bronx, NY) scored 15 points to lead the “Gauchos”.
Gold Division Quarterfinals
Reported by the 4SHOT Hoops Staff
The Family 80 - Fencor 57
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| The Family's LaTear Eason and Fencor's Elena Delle Donne |
The defending Nike National Champions, “The Family” from Indianapolis, IN didn’t have a whole lot of trouble out of arguably the nations top sophomore 6-5 So.-Elena Delle Donne (Ursuline Academy, DE), and her teammate 6-3 So.-Chelsea Shine (Conestoga H.S., PA) despite each scoring 18 points and grabbing 8 rebounds apiece; because they had three players 5-8 Jr.-LaTear Eason (John Hope Acad, Il), 5-10 So.-Rebecca Gray (Scott City, KY) and 5-9 Fr.-Skylar Diggins (S.B Washington, IN) who each score 20 points or more as “The Family” cruised past Fencor.
Gold Division Quarterfinals
Reported by the 4SHOT Hoops Staff
Tennessee Flight 72 - Spokane Stars 59
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| Spokane's Angie Bjorklund and Tennessee's Cetera DeGraffenreid |
Last year at the Nike Nationals the Spokane “Stars” and highly touted 6-1 Jr.-Angie Bjorklund (University H.S., WA) lost in the finals to “The Family” so they had some unfinished business to take care of. Bjorklund who has had a Not-So-Bjorklund like tournament had one against the “Flight” with a game high 25 points, unfortunately no one else really stepped up with her.
The “Flights” 5-6 Jr.-Cetera DeGraffenreid (Smokey Mtn H.S., TN) has been real solid throughout and her rankings just continues to climb as she put on another sterling performance scoring 23 points to lead Tennessee past Spokane. Teammates Angela Puleo (5-9, Jr.- William Blount H.S., TN) and 6-0 So.-Natalie Novosel (Lexington Catholic H.S., KY) also came up big in the win with 15 and 14 points respectively.
Gold Division Quarterfinals
Reported by the 4SHOT Hoops Staff
All Ohio 54 - Boo Williams 39
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| All Ohio's Jantel Lavender and Boo Williams's Lynetta Kizer |
Boo Williams got 13 rebounds from 6-3 So.-Lynetta Kizer (Potomac H.S., VA) and All Ohio got 10 boards from 6-4 Jr.-Jantel Lavender (Cleveland Central Catholic, OH) as two of the top post players in their respective classes battled in the paint.
5-9 Jr.-Kimberly Rogers (Princess Anne H.S., VA) who had been averaging 14.6 ppg. had her hands full dealing with the pressure AOB’s defense was bring; Rogers finished with 8 points. Meanwhile All-Ohio’s other top baller 6-3 So.-Ayana Dunning (Cols. Eastmoor, OH) stepped up with another big performance as she lead AOB to the win finishing with 16 points and 6 rebounds.
Silver Division Finals
Fairfax Stars vs. Orlando Comets
"Comets" escape storm to win championship!
Reported by Larry Williams - 4SHOT Hoops
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| The Orlando Comets were led by "T3" - Brooke Thomas, Krystal Thomas and Sthefany Thomas. |
I know teams don’t want to get a free pass to the championship game and generally they don’t but in AAU competition sometimes things happen like when a team has to leave early to meet a scheduled flight and that’s what happened to the California “Storm” who knocked off the Fairfax “Stars” in the semi-finals. So Fairfax who played tough throughout caught a break and represented in the Sliver Division Championship Game against the Orlando “Comets”.
Have you ever heard the old saying “Doubting Thomas”, well that was not the case when it came to the Orlando Comets. The "Comets" are in the championship game because of the Thomas's or as I call them ”T3” (5-3 So.-Brooke Thomas (Edgewater H.S., FL), 6-4 Jr.-Krystal Thomas (1st Academy, FL) who has gotten thicker since last years Nike Nationals and it looks good on her and 5-9 Jr.-Sthefany Thomas (Wesley Chapel H.S., FL)).
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| 6-4 So.-Chalysa Shegog did a nice job of matching up with the “Comets” 6-4 Jr.-Krystal Thomas. |
Fairfax didn’t have one of their better shooting nights and the way they shot the ball in the 1st half it’s a wonder they made it to the championship game. It was an especially tough night for 5-10 Jr.-Jasmine Thomas (Oakton H.S., VA) who had been averaging double-figures in the tournament, Thomas would score only 2 points in the game. Despite their shooting woes the “Stars” still managed to take a 28-26 lead into the half.
The “Stars” 6-4 So.-Chalysa Shegog (Brooke Point H.S., VA) did a nice job of matching up with the “Comets” Thomas, finishing the game with 11 points and 8 rebounds to Thomas’s 12 points 4 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Poor shooting plagued both teams in the 2nd half and in the end the difference was defense. The Orlando “Comets” recorded 12 steals (5 by Brooke Thomas), a few of which they converted to points as they went on to fend off the “Stars” to capture the Silver Division Championship.
Final Score: Orlando Comets 54 - Fairfax Stars 50
Scoring Recap
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