Rumble Recap: Jersey Showdown
by Ray Anczelowicz
June 11, 2012 11:20am ET
Sunday marked the final day of the Rumble in the Bronx. Teams were given the opportunity to prove their worth against talent from across the nation on Friday and Saturday during pool play, but Sunday was the playoffs — where programs separated themselves from the competition.
In the 17U division, the championship game featured an in-state rivalry between the New Jersey Playaz and Sports U.. The contest began as a back-and-forth affair, but Sports U. would jump out to an early second-half lead behind a strong shooting effort from wings Hallice Cooke and Jared Nickens. Backed by an energetic fan-base, the Playaz crept their way back into the ball-game, led by the impressive play of guard Shane Rector.
The rivalry contest wouldn’t be decided in regulation, one overtime or even two; instead, a “Sudden-Death” third overtime would decide the winner. Following several missed-attempts at the rim for both squads, Josh Brown's lay-up in traffic would secure the championship win for Sports U. Brown, a future Temple Owl, was named MVP.
The 16U championship bout was won by Team SCAN, the number four ranked team in the nation. Team SCAN ousted The City, a 15U program, in the final, 57-39. While The City gave their opponent a run for their money early in the contest, Team SCAN’s size and athleticism proved to be the difference. Highly-touted forward Chris McCullough threw down an array of dunks on the break while standout freshman Cheick Diallo was a factor on the defensive end for Team SCAN, swatting shots away the entire game. Guard Shavar Newkirk was awarded MVP.
While their 17U program lost a heartbreaker on Sunday, the New Jersey Playaz were able to bring home hardware, as their 15U program defeated Team SCAN in the championship game.
The rivalry contest wouldn’t be decided in regulation, one overtime or even two; instead, a “Sudden-Death” third overtime would decide the winner. Following several missed-attempts at the rim for both squads, Josh Brown's lay-up in traffic would secure the championship win for Sports U. Brown, a future Temple Owl, was named MVP.
The 16U championship bout was won by Team SCAN, the number four ranked team in the nation. Team SCAN ousted The City, a 15U program, in the final, 57-39. While The City gave their opponent a run for their money early in the contest, Team SCAN’s size and athleticism proved to be the difference. Highly-touted forward Chris McCullough threw down an array of dunks on the break while standout freshman Cheick Diallo was a factor on the defensive end for Team SCAN, swatting shots away the entire game. Guard Shavar Newkirk was awarded MVP.
While their 17U program lost a heartbreaker on Sunday, the New Jersey Playaz were able to bring home hardware, as their 15U program defeated Team SCAN in the championship game.
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