2014 11TH GRADE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL – RECAP

The Ville topped the Albany City Rocks 46-40 to win the 2014 AAU 11th Grade National Championship Monday at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Ville's Raymond Spalding and City Rocks Elijah Burns were the top scorers in the game, tallying 15 points apiece.

The Ville took an 11-7 lead on a Raymond Spalding alleyoop at the three-minute mark in the first quarter, and took a 13-9 lead into the second quarter.

Brandon Johnson knocked down a three-pointer from the left corner to stretch the Ville's lead to 11 points at 24-13 with 1:31 left in the quarter, and went to the half holding a 24-15 lead. Brandon Johnson led all scorers in the half with eight points.

The Ville got one the board first in the second half, stretching their lead back to double-digits on a Ray Spalding dunk. City Rocks responded, scoring five unanswered points get within six, but The Ville held them of the rest of the quarter to take a 30-24 lead into the final quarter.

AAU BASEBALL NATIONALS

Nationals moved this summer from Ft. Myers to Sarasota, Florida. They kicked off with a great beach party on the country's #1 beach: Siesta Key. The athletes played volleyball, football, Frisbee, and took a swim in the Gulf of Mexico before they were treated to pizza, soft drinks, and hand-dipped ice cream! Then it was on to the Baltimore Orioles' Spring Training Complex (Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex) for a week of absolutely awesome baseball. And, very unusual for Florida in the summer, we had no significant rain delays! Teams made their way south from Canada, Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas, Alabama, Florida (cities north of Sarasota), Colorado, Georgia, Virginia, Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, and north from Puerto Rico.

Here are your champions:

14U: Puerto Rico Hawks – PR


UNDERCLASSMEN DIAMOND: TSA Titans – GA


UNDERCLASSMEN GOLD: Connecticut Clubhouse – CT


UPPERCLASSMEN: Brazos Valley Renegades – TX

Congratulations to all the teams who participated in Nationals!

EXPRESSIONS ELITE VS KING JAMES SHOOTING STARS – 11TH GRADE SUPER SHOWCASE QUARTERFINAL

Expressions Elite beat King James Shooting Stars 65-53 in the second round of the 11th Grade Gold Division Super Showcase Tournament, advancing to the semi-finals against Alabama Challenge.

King James' Amos Harris led all scorers with 17 points, while Aaron Falzon and Jesse Bunting paced Expressions with 13 points each.

Expressions Elite led King James 17-14 at the end of the first quarter. Falzon paced Expressions with five points in the opening quarter.

Expressions extended their lead in the second quarter taking a 32-27 lead into the half. Falzon and Harris led all scorers at the half, tallying nine points apiece in the first 16 minutes.

In the third quarter, Expressions extended their lead to 14 points on a Falzon layup at the 2:10 mark. King James cut into the deficit, but still trailed by 12 heading into the fourth.

King James cut Expressions lead to 10 points, but six consecutive points capped off by a pair of Donovan Theme-Love free throws to make the score 53-37 with just under four minutes to play. Harris capped off a seven point King James run with a three pointer to cut their deficit to nine, but Expressions went on to win 65-53.

RECAP – 2014 AAU JUNIOR OLYMPIC GAMES TRAMPOLINE & TUMBLING

Trampolline and Tumbling is done with this year's competition in the 2014 AAU Junior Olympic Games! Hundreds of athletes around the country traveled to Des Moines to try to claim the gold in their age divisions. While several did take home shiny, new medals to their home towns, other walked away with Joel Ferrell Award honors and even some extra awards given by the Trampoline and Tumbling Committee.

The Joel Ferrell Award recognizes outstanding athletic accomplishments and sportsmanship of an athlete representing each official sport at the AAU Junior Olympic Games.

Rachel Barnette was the female recipient of the Joel Ferrell Award in Trampoline and Tumbling. She is from the Central District and competes with Fox Volley. Barnette has five AAU National Titles, four AAU Junior Olympic Games and earned herself a spot on the 2011-2012 National Team. She has competed in AAU Trampoline and Tumbling for the past eight years, and has participated in the AAU Junior Olympic Games for the past seven of those eight.

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ALABAMA CHALLENGE VS HOWARD PULLEY – AAU 11TH GRADE SHOWCASE SEMIFINAL RECAP

Alabama Challenge topped Howard Pulley – in the quarterfinal game of the 11th Grade Gold Division Super Showcase. The Challenge will play Expression Elite in tomorrow's semifinal at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky. Tipoff is set for 1:20 p.m., EST.
Howard Pulley's Samuel Neuman knocked down four three-point shots to lead all scorers with 21 points, while Dazon Ingram led the Challenge with 17 points.

Both teams went shot for shot in the first quarter. Howard Pulley pulled ahead 17-15 on a Jarvis Johnson layup just before the horn.

Alabama Challenge started strong in the second, scoring six unanswered points to take a 21-17 lead. Challenge went on to stretch their lead to 35-24 at the half behind Jacob Winston's 10 points.

Howard Pulley started out hot in the second half, outscoring the Challenge 10-5 cutting their lead to six points on a Brock Bertram jumper to make the score 42-36. Challenge big man Darius Hicks knocked down a pair of free throws to push their lead back to double-digits, but Samuel Newman knocked down a three-pointer getting Howard Pulley within eight heading into the final quarter.

Howard Pulley cut the Alabama Challenge lead to five points, but a basket by Trent Forrest and a put back Kevin Morris put back pushed Bama's lead back to nine points at 53-44. The Challenge went on to hold of Howard Pulley winning 64-53.