By Wayne G. Brumm
SYF Nike Coach
ORLANDO — With dozens of college coaches in attendance July 26, the Sports Youth Foundation (SYF) Nike Players beat the Murphysboro Stars, 48-44, to reach the championship game of the Super Showcase in Orlando.
The Players were led by the 17 points of East Chicago’s E’Twaun Moore, while Ty Appleton scored eight and Valparaiso’s Scott Martin added nine off the bench. Gary West’s Jamil Tucker played an all-around great floor game, including some suffocating defense against consensus Top 10-player Brandan Wright.
The Players are set to square off against their Nike rival, the Illinois Warriors, in a border war for the title. (HoosierAuthority.com will have all of coach Brumm���?�s insights on that one following that game.)
Earlier, the Players trounced the Queen City Prophets, 78-61, in quarterfinal action. Moore and Greg Hill led an all out-team effort by scoring 21 and 19 points, respectively. Also in double figures were Appleton (12) and Martin (10). The SYF bench scored 35 of the 78 total points!
The Players finished pool play July 25 by defeating the Tennessee Travelers, 75-64, to finish undefeated going into tournament play late that night. The Players were led by Moore’s 18 points, while four other players scored in double figures: Hill (13), Tucker (12), Appleton (11), and Martin (10). Martin had eight decisive points in the fourth quarter to help put away Tennessee.
The Players were 2-0 in pool play July 24, beating Georgia Elite, 67-54, behind the efforts of Moore (17 points), Tucker (13 points), Rob Hummel (10 points), and Appleton and Hill (nine each). The Players then beat Howard Pulley, 84-57, in one of their best efforts of the year. Nine players scored between five and 13 points, led by Moore (13), Hill (12), and Tucker (10).
Other team members are Chris Kaba, Will Hubertz, Evan Schmidt, AJ Johnson, Gary McGhee, and Cordell Passley.
Catch you on the rebound.
Wayne
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