AAU Basketball
Courtney S. Crooms Memorial Tournament
By Larry "L.A." Williams
Jun 3, 2008, 05:30 EST

Courtney S. Crooms Memorial Basketball Tournament

GA Pistols and the GA/LINA 76er’s capture championships

Lovejoy, GA - Some of the top up and coming underclassmen girls where on hand at Lovejoy Middle School to honor former Atlanta Lady Celtics 14U  player Courtney S. Crooms in the 1st   Annual  “Courtney S. Crooms Memorial Basketball Tournament.”

Courtney is the young lady who lost her life in a car accident back in June of 2006 on her way back home from a basketball tournament in North Augusta, South Carolina which she and her Atlanta Celtics 14U teammates had just won.

There were 14 teams on hand and they were split into 2 divisions, 16U and 15U.

As I mentioned earlier the talent on-hand was outstanding, several of the players who made the 2008 4SHOT Hoops All-State Teams were among them. Players like So.-Araka Judge (GA/LINA 76er’s), So.-Candice Warthen (GA/LINA 76er’s), So.-Jessica Morton (GA/LINA 76er’s), So.-Alisha Andrews (WP Atlanta Celtics), So.-Nia Evans (WP Atlanta Celtics), So.-Diamond Henderson (Primetime Elite), So.-Khaalidah Miller (GA Pistols), Fr.-Grace Leah Baughn, So.-Kendra Long (WP Atlanta Celtics), Jr.-Brittany Yeager (Prime Time Elite) and Fr.-Erica Norwood (GA Pistols) just to name a few.

Pistols shoot-down Celtics

14U Georgia Pistols vs. 16U Wallace Prather Celtics – Black

The Pistols Erica Norwood tries to get by the Celtics Nia Evans

Lovejoy, GA - Anytime you have two teams loaded with talent and coaches who have battled each other year in and year out for the top spot in the state AAU rankings you are going to have a heated contest.

The Georgia Pistols came out and played with a lot more intensity than did the WP Celtics – Black. Erica Norwood who had an outstanding tournament, did a nice job of penetrating and dishing the ball out to teammate Grace Leah Baughn, who killed the Celtics by drilling three’s from everywhere. Baugh knocked down 4 three-pointers in the first half. Norwood knocked down 2 herself as the Pistols took control of the game.

The Celtics Kendra Long scored a game high 21 points

I thought that the Celtics Head Coach Renardo Hudson was frustrated by the lack of intensity displayed by his team in the first half but when he saw the Pistols Khaalidah Miller (who just so happens to be ranked in the Top 5 of the 4SHOT Hoops Sophomore Class) show up right before the half and enter the game, he went off (lol).

You see it was rumored that Miller had played with the Pistols 16U team that had loss on Saturday and had pulled out of the tournament. Now weather or not that really happened who knows; but that’s AAU ball for you. Hey Washington, AAU ball ain’t for everybody, that’s right ain’t.

The Celtics Nia Evans and the Pistols Khaalidah Miller wil be seeing a lt of each other before they graduate.

Well the frustration turned into intensity as the Celtics fought back. Kendra Long showed off her three-point shooting while Nia Evans and Elem Ibiam started scoring inside. The Pistols led 35-28 at the half.

The teams continued to get after each other in the second half. Head Coach Percy Gordon stuck with his rotations and his Pistols responded. Norwood withstood the Celtics defensive pressure and continued to find open teammates while creating her own shots, knocking down 2 more three-pointers in the second half.

Just heading into the 9th grade next year Dominique Wilson played like an upperclassmen. Brittany Hodges, Jasmine Williams and Miller started really pounding the glass as the Pistols continued to hold onto a slim lead.

Alisha Andrews, who led Redan to the state finals last season picked up her game scoring 10 second half points to help Long in the scoring department. Meanwhile Evans and Shakevia Richard provided some much needed board play.

As the game wore down it was the composure of Norwood, Wilson and Miller in the face of the Celtics pressure that sealed the deal for the Pistols as they went on to a solid 65-61 win to capture the 16U Championship.

Norwood scored 19 and Baughn 15 to pace the Pistols. Long scored a game high 21 and Andrews added 13 for the Celtics.

16U Semifinal Games

Pistols wear down PTE

14U Georgia Pistols  vs. 16U Prime Time Elite

Primetime's Diamond Henderson looks to drive pass Dominique Wilson of the Pistols.

Lovejoy, GA - Prime Time Elite entered the game against the Georgia Pistols with just 6 players but that didn’t last too long as Brittany White who was mouthy all tournament long was tossed from the game with just over 2 minutes gone. Why did she get tossed; you guessed it, mouthing off to an official after a call. That left PTE with just 5 players and it proved costly late in the game. 

The game was nip and tuck most of the first half. Behind the play of Brittany Yeager and Diamond Henderson, PTE made a late run in the first half and took a 16-10 lead into the locker room.

Brittany Hodges goes up against Brittany Yeager

The Pistols have a deep team and Head Coach Percy Gordon wasn’t shy about using that depth to help pressure PTE all over the floor in the second half. Celina Rodrigo provided the offensive spark for the Pistols in the second half drilling 3 three-pointers.

Erica Norwood and Dominique Wilson both did a nice job of getting to the basket as the Pistols took the lead. To the credit of PTE they hung tough despite being pressured. At the end of the day with just 5 players they just ran out of gas as the Pistols held on for a hard fought 39-32 win. 

Rodrigo scored 9 points to lead the Georgia Pistols while Henderson score a game high 10 points to lead Prime Time Elite

15U Championship Game

76er’s at peak performance in championship win

15U GA/Lina 76er’s vs. 14U Peak Performance Elite

76er's Head Coach Nikki Wimberly implores her team to "Finish the Drill"

Lovejoy, GA – Head Coach Nikki Wimberly and her 15U GA/LINA 76er’s entered the 15U Championship game as overwhelming favorites to win it all and they didn’t disappoint as they rolled past a gamed 14U Peak Performance Elite squad.

The 76er’s big three of Araka Judge, Candice Warthen and Jessica Morton put their skills on display early and often as the 76er’s seized the early control of game. The trio knocked down 5 three-pointers and got to the basket at will.

Araka Judge could end up as the top player in the Georgia Class of 2010

PPE knew that the mountain they were trying to climb was like Mt. Everest but they were game. Kaitlyn Grunder did a nice job of holding it down making some nice moves in the paint. Grunder hit 4 of 4 free-throws and scored 10 of PPE’s 23 first half points.

Morton finished the half with 12 points and Warthen added 10 for the 76er’s as they took a 36-23 halftime lead.

In the second half Coach Wimberly implored her 76er’s to keep the pressure on at both ends of the floor and finish the drill. The defensive pressure they put on PPE was so smothering that it was difficult for the Elite to even get off a shot. Reka Hall who had been scoring in double figures for PPE was held to just 7 points in the game.

Kaitlyn Grunder played tough inside for PPE.

The board play of Morton, Nneka Aalaruony and the Foreman twins (Kaylin and Jamie) also contributed to the dominating second half  of the 76er’s. Reserve Abria Trice came in and much to the delight of Coach Wmberly showed flashes of what is going to make her an all-star type player in the very near future.

With timing winding down Dalia Robinson drilled a three-pointer to turn out the lights for PPE as the 76er’s went on to an easy 73-31 championship game victory. 

Morton finished with a game high 18 points, Warthen 14 and Judge added 10 for the 76’ers. Grunder topped Peak Performance Elite with11 points and Hall chipped in with 7.

15U Semifinal Game

Hall’s pressure free-throws propel PPE to OT win

14U Peak Performance Elite vs. 15U Georgia Peaches 

riley fakes a shot and get Stormey Smith from the GA Peaches to leave her feet.

Lovejoy, GA - The Georgia Peaches had to be feeling like peach cobbler after letting the semifinals game against Peak Performance Elite slip thru their fingers 41-39 in OT.

The game probably should have never gone into OT but you have to give credit to PPE for hanging tough when they could have easily given up. Down the entire game they kept fighting until they tied the game at 35-35 on a pair of pressure packed free-throws by Reka Hall with less than :40 seconds to play.

Morgan Smith tries to shoot over 2 PPE defeners.

The Peaches went up 37-35 but then with less than :10 seconds on the clock Hall stepped to the line again and canned both shots to send the game into overtime.

In the overtime PPE got 2 more big free-throws from Kaitlyn Grunder to put them up 41-39. With time running out Morgan Smith of the Peaches missed a last second shot that would have sent the game into a 2nd overtime. 

Hall paced PPE with 11 points while Grunder and Dozier finished with 8 and 6 points respectively. Smith, Porsha Martin and Storney Smith each scored 5 for the Georgia Peaches.

15U Semifinal Game
2nd half pressure help send 76er’s to title game

15U GA/Lina 76er’s vs. 14U Georgia Jammers

Candice Warthen soars to the basket for 2 of her game high 19 points.

Lovejoy, GA - The Georgia Jammers gave the talent laden 76er’s all they could handle in the first half of play in their semifinals game. Led by Jackson’s 7 first half points they battled the 76er’s to pretty much a stalemate. 

Araka Judge, Candice Warthen and Dalia Robinson all had solid first half performances for the 76er’s, combining for 20 points to lead them a 28-20 halftime lead.

Warthen caught fire early in the second half and the 76er’s bench, lead by Abria Trice and Jamie Foreman stepped up their play as they started to pull away.

Jessica Morton drive the baseline past a Jammers defender.

You look at the 76er’s and think with the offensive firepower they present in the form of Judge, Warthen, Morton and Robinson that they can just outscore teams but give credit to the defense played by Head Coach Nikki Wimberly’s 76er’s. In the second half their pressure defense and rebounding turned the Jammers into jelly limiting them to just 8 points.

The lopsided 58-28 win propels the 76er’s into the 15U Championship game again the 14U Peak Performance Elite.

Warthen scored a game high 19 to lead the 76er’s. Judge added 9 and Morton chipped in with 7. The Jammers were led by Jackson and Belser as each scored 7 points.

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