Team SCAN, Team Loaded win Fab 48 titles
Summer ends on high note for east coast teams
The Las Vegas Fab 48 concluded on Saturday as champions in the 16U and 17U divisions were declared. Team SCAN and Team Thad, the top two ranked teams in the nation, went down to the wire in the 16U title bout. The 17U championship featured a pair of Chinderella teams in Team Loaded and the Arkansas Hawks.
With Chris McCullough and Leron Black headlining the 16U championship, the highly anticipated game did not disappointment. Despite an early first half deficit, Team Thad thundered back to take a 62-54 second half lead, led by Black. With less than two minutes remaining in the ball game, a run of consecutive baskets and defensive stops by Team SCAN tied the game at 68. The run continued in the final minute Shavar Newkirk and Conrad Chambers aided SCAN’s 6-2 run, giving them the hard fought 74-71 championship win.
Team SCAN was led by Newkirk who poured in 16 points. McCullough added 14 of his own in the win. In the loss, Team Thad’s Chris Chiozza finished with 16 points while Marlon Hunter finished with 12 points. The dynamic duo of Black and Anton Beard scored 11 points apiece.
Team Loaded and Arkansas Hawks advanced to the 17U championship by defeating Net Gain Sports and Grassroots Canada, respectively. Team Loaded came out the gate strong, taking an early 16-4 lead. The Arkansas Hawks did not lay down, fighting their way back into the ball game and eventually cutting the deficit to just a single point at half time. It was a back-and-forth affair to start the second half, but similar to the start of the game, Team Loaded proved to be too much for the Arkansas Hawks to handle, holding on for the eventual 60-52 championship victory.
Andrew Rowswer and Troy Caupin led Team Loaded with 13 points each. Imara Ready finished with a game-high 18 points in the loss for the Arkansas Hawks.
