BN Roundup: Multiple teams compete for titles in Plano and Weatherford

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Jr Ballers Game 1 (1-0)

The 12U Boys team opened the Court 23 Summer Sizzle Shootout with an impressive 50-22 victory over the VA All Stars in their tournament opener, beginning their record for the weekend at 1-0. The team showcased excellent offensive efficiency and strong defensive effort throughout the contest.

Led by Drexler Ceasar's outstanding performance, 12U took control early and never looked back. Ceasar put on a shooting clinic, finishing with 21 points on efficient 6-of-9 shooting from the field, including a remarkable 4-of-5 from three-point range. He started hot with back-to-back threes in the first half, helping Crawford establish an early 6-2 lead. Breland Murray provided strong support with 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting, contributing to the team's commanding 35-11 halftime advantage.

The second half saw Crawford maintain their momentum with balanced scoring across the roster. Madden Harbold contributed 6 points on an efficient 3-of-4 shooting, while KJ McCracken Jr. added 5 points, including a three-pointer in the first half. The team demonstrated excellent ball movement and team play, with multiple players getting involved in the scoring action. Braelon Cochran and others came off the bench to help secure the decisive victory.

Jr Ballers Game 2 (2-0)

The 12U Boys team continued their strong start to the Summer Sizzle Shootout with a dominant 60-20 win over Elite 6, improving their record to 2-0. The squad showcased their offensive firepower and defensive prowess throughout the contest, led by Breland Murray's game-high 16 points.

The team set the tone early, jumping out to an 8-0 lead behind Murray's quick five points. Elite 6 responded with a 7-0 run to make it a one-point game, and even took a brief 12-11 lead in the first half. However, Ballers Nation quickly regained control with consecutive baskets from Madden Harbold and KJ McCracken Jr. The first half was closed on an impressive 25-6 run, featuring sharp shooting from Drexler Ceasar, who connected on three 3-pointers en route to 13 points.

The second half saw BN continue to extend their lead with more balanced scoring. Murray finished with impressive efficiency, shooting 6-11 from the field, including 2-5 from three-point range. Ceasar demonstrated his range by hitting 4-8 from beyond the arc, while McCracken Jr. contributed 10 points on 4-10 shooting. Braelon Cochran provided a spark off the bench, scoring six points on 3-4 shooting. The team's defensive effort was particularly noteworthy, as they held Elite 6 to just two points in the second half.

Jr Ballers Game 3 (3-0)

The 12U Boys team surged into bracket play with a semifinal win to mark their record at 3-0 with a dominant 50-16 home victory over NXT Kings Elite. 

Ballers Nation set the tone early, jumping out to a commanding 8-2 lead behind strong play from KJ McCracken Jr. and Breland Murray. The duo combined for the team's first 11 points, with McCracken finishing with an efficient 9 points on 4-of-9 shooting and Murray matching that total while converting 5-of-6 from the free throw line. The home team's defense was equally impressive, holding NXT Kings Elite to just 11 points in the first half while building a 32-11 advantage.

The second half saw Crawford maintain their momentum with Drexler Ceasar hitting a three-pointer to push the lead to 35-11. Jacky Ouin provided a spark in the frontcourt, scoring all 5 of his points in the second half on 2-of-3 shooting from the field. The team's balanced attack continued throughout the game, with Tate Simmons adding 5 points, including a three-pointer. 

Jr Ballers Championship (4-1)

In a competitive championship matchup, the 12U Boys team suffered their first loss of the weekend, falling to J Fever (AR) 56-47. Despite the setback, Crawford’s club showed resilience throughout the game and finished the Summer Sizzle Shootout at 4-1.

The team started strong, jumping out to an early 7-1 lead behind Drexler Ceasar's three-pointer. However, J Fever responded with an impressive 13-0 first-half run that helped them build a 29-17 halftime advantage. The Crawford offense was led again by the duo of Drexler Ceasar and Breland Murray, who each contributed 10 points on efficient shooting. Ceasar showed his range by connecting on 2 of 3 attempts from beyond the arc, while Murray displayed remarkable efficiency as well, shooting 80% from the field.

The second half saw the team mount several comeback attempts, with Jacky Ouin (8 points on perfect 3-for-3 shooting) and KJ McCracken Jr. (7 points) providing key baskets to keep the game within reach. The team showed particular determination in the final minutes, with Breland Murray scoring back-to-back baskets and Cameron Brown hitting a clutch three-pointer late in the game. While the final score wasn't what head coach Brian Crawford hoped for, “[...] the team's persistent effort and balanced scoring attack demonstrated their continued growth as a unit.” The loss, however, resulted in another runner-up finish this season, their 2nd in as many months. 

9th Boys Game 1 (1-0)

The 15U Boys, led by coach Jeremy Tatum, opened the tournament with an impressive 42-29 victory over Team USA in front of their home crowd. Led by Kee'Mario Harper's efficient 9-point performance on 4-of-6 shooting, the team showcased both offensive firepower and defensive tenacity throughout the contest.

After falling behind 4-0 early, Tatum’s team responded with a commanding 23-3 run that defined the first half. The surge began with Hudson Pine's basket to get on the board, followed by Will McCord's five quick points, including a three-pointer that gave them their first lead at 5-4. The team's momentum continued to build as Kee'Mario Harper contributed five consecutive points, and Cohen Foluke knocked down two three-pointers en route to his 6-point performance. Ballers Nation held a comfortable 30-11 lead heading into halftime.

The second half saw Gerald Norman III heat up, scoring 6 of his 8 points on an efficient 4-of-7 shooting performance. While Team USA mounted a late 9-0 run to narrow the gap, the outcome was never in doubt thanks to a strong second half. The team demonstrated excellent ball movement and shooting, with five players scoring at least 5 points. The victory marked a promising start to the tournament.

9th Boys Game 2 (1-1)

In a hard-fought 2nd game of the tourney, the 15U Boys - Tatum team fell just short against Next Level Academy, losing 53-49 to move them 1-1. Despite the loss, the team showed tremendous fight and resilience throughout the contest, with Dekoda Davis leading all scorers with an impressive 19-point performance, shooting an efficient 6-11 from the field and 7-8 from the free throw line.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team able to build a substantial lead. After falling behind 9-4 early, Tatum’s team responded with a strong run, including back-to-back buckets from Will McCord and a clutch three-pointer from Colton Bell, to take a 19-16 lead into halftime. McCord finished with 6 points, while Bell contributed 8 points, including two three-pointers.

The second half saw both teams trading baskets early, with Kee'Mario Harper (7 points) hitting a crucial three-pointer to put Tatum up 28-24. However, Next Level Academy mounted a 9-0 run midway through the half to take a 35-30 lead. Davis converted several free throws to keep the team within striking distance. Despite late three-pointers from Bell, Next Level Academy managed to hold on for the win.

9th Boys Game 3 (1-2)

The 15U Boys faced a tough challenge to open bracket play against McKinney-based AEYL, ultimately falling 71-53 in a competitive matchup that moved their tourney record to 1-2. 

Will McCord led the way for Tatum with an impressive 18-point performance, shooting 6-14 from the field, including two three-pointers. Kee'Mario Harper added 12 points, paired with going 5-5 from the charity stripe, while Dekoda Davis contributed 8 points, including two shots from beyond the arc. The team demonstrated good ball movement and shooting touch, with Hudson Pine adding 6 points on two three-pointers and Colton Bell chipping in 5 points.

The game started close, with Tatum taking a brief 10-9 lead early in the first half on Davis's field goal. AEYL responded with a crucial 10-point run in the middle of the first half to build their advantage. Tatum showed fight in the second half, with Hudson Pine hitting back-to-back three-pointers to spark the offense, and the team continued to battle with McCord and Harper leading a late surge that wouldn’t be enough.

HS Girls (2-1)

The High School girls took a trip along I-20 just west of Fort Worth to Weatherford for the Ballerz Only one-day tournament hosted by Opportunity for Youth. One major hurdle coach Elijah Coppock wanted his team to jump was the classic early-morning slog. But a dominant 41-26 win over hometown Fort Worth Prep silenced the slog early on. “Across all our teams, we hammer in how important starting strong is, especially in these one-day tournaments,” Coach Coppock said. “And the girls were living proof of why that is.”

After a short gap, they kept their momentum in the penultimate pool play game at noon with another win, this time with an even stronger defensive performance against the NTX Stars. The final was 48-10, and the win clinched a spot in the mid-afternoon championship game. 

The Lady Ballers had another shot at championship gold, but fell short against a tough Denison Bees team. Despite the scoreboard, Coppock continued to show how proud he was of the girls. “The fact that the girls are getting more experience in high-pressure [championship] situations will only help them. There are only so many ways we can emulate that experience in practice.”

8th Boys (3-2)

Finally, the 8th-grade boys were one of five Ballers Nation teams competing in Plano. Even with dwindled numbers, the team left pool play Saturday with a .500 record of 1-1 and an opportunity early Sunday to compete for a division championship. The team played their first game in Sunday bracket play against their second Cavs All-In opponent with a similar result. After defeating their Prime team on Saturday in a close 35-33 affair, they would top that in the first round with a dominant 48-9 win over Cavs All-In Barrett. 

The semi-finals were arguably their most intense game of the weekend, with an NTX Kings Elite team that averaged almost 60 points per game on the weekend. Ballers Nation held them to under 50, capped off by a dominant 2nd half shooting 40% from three to seal the 56-47 victory and a spot in the title game.

Standing in the way of a championship was their very first opponent of the weekend, an AR Devil Nation team that won in their first matchup. Things started off well, with neither team gaining larger than an eight-point lead in the first half. However, the team ran out of gas in the 2nd and fell in the championship game. The team finished a great weekend as the tourney runner-up and with a 3-2 record, averaging over 45 points per game.

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