After writing extensively on coaches' reactions to the death of Wake Forest's Skip Prosser, there were some trims on my Las Vegas notebook that left some of the results of the three tournament finals unclear.
Hopefully, the following will add some clarity.
Here we go.
The finals in the three national traveling team basketball tournaments held in Las Vegas, in the sequenc in which they were played:
MAIN EVENT (at Durango High): New York City Gauchos 101, Team Texas 86.
Notes: Manhattan Rice guards Chris Fouch and Kemba Walker combined for 42 points for the team that was probably the overall best club on the summer circuit.
ADIDAS SUPER 64 (at Rancho High): Atlanta Celtics 75, Pump-N-Run Elite 64.
Notes: After losing to the Southern California-based team four times in four games played in the spring and summer (including Monday night at Cox Pavilion), the Derrick Favors-led Atlanta club used a big zone defense to cut off any inside attack by PNR and perimeter players Jrue Holiday (two of 10), Jerime Anderson and Larry Drew couldn't nail jump shots like the way the were doing Monday in an 85-70 win.
The 6-foot-10 Favors, one of the best juniors in the country, had 17 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots while forwards Delshawn Graham and Chris Singleton combined for 31 points for Atlanta. Anderson and Drew had 16 points apiece for PNR while Holiday, the favorite to be the tournaments MVP before the final, was held to eight points.
REEBOK CHAMPIONSHIPS (at Foothill High in Henderson): Belmont Shore 78, Team Breakdown (Florida) 73, OT.
Notes: Brandon Jennings hit a 3 at the buzzer to send the final into overtime, the second OT victory of the team for Dinos Trigonis' club. J.P. Olumeki's shot from the deep left corner with nine seconds to go sent the team's quarterfinal game with Southeast Elite into an extra period earlier Thursday in a quarterfinal.
Jennings, who had 23 in the final despite hitting just five of 18 from the floor, was the point guard on two Reekbok title teams. He was on the team a year included that rolled to the title and also included future UCLA Bruin Kevin Love.
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