One and done times 5
July 30th, 2007 Posted in AAU Basketball
It was supposed to be a big day for North Carolina prep basketball. Five North Carolina teams were among the final 77 playing in the AAU 17U National Championship at The Milkhouse in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The first day of the bracketed championship, though, sent all five teams away with losses, and North Carolina’s contingent now can do no better than eighth place.
The harsh Sunday began with the Charlotte Royals falling 71-62 to Spiece Select 2008 in the second round. Adam Raye scored 15 points for the Royals and 6-8 forward Ken Gabriel added 17 points. That, however, wasn’t enough.
The Carolina Crusaders also lost early. The Crusaders fell to Martin Bros. Select, a team of 16U players in morning action.
The highly-regarded North Carolina Gaters, though, suffered an unlikely turn of events in a 55-53 upending by the Rising Stars 17U Gold. The Gaters sprinted to an 18-6 and smothered the Rising Stars so completely in the game’s first 12 minutes that the Stars weren’t able to release many shots. A few turnovers and a trio of three-point plays, though, rescued the Stars, and talented guard Chris Wroblewski drained a three-point shot at the buzzer to send the teams into halftime knotted at 18.
The Gaters trailed 38-34 heading into halftime, but North Carolina fought back to make it a 52-50 game inside the final 30 seconds. Then Wroblewski sank another trey to ice the victory for the Rising Stars.
While the Gaters were walking off the floor, the Kappa Magic were finishing their own disappointing loss on an adjacent court. The Charlotte-based Magic lost to the Rising Stars JG Blue team.
Another Tarheel State heartbreaker came in the afternoon when the Garner Road Bulldogs allowed an 8-2 lead slip away against the New Mexico Lobos, who forged a halftime tie and went on to win 61-56. Garner Road took a brief 56-55 lead late in the fourth period, but the Bulldogs fell victim to a big three-point basket from before falling victim to a three-point shot by 6-2 guard Ryan Gonzales.
[Where: 28201]
[Where: Orlando, FL]
