sunday a and b

SoCalHoops Tournament Report

adidas Big Time Tournament Sunday Scores
From "A" and "B" Divisions--(July 19, 1998)

Most of the attention in this tournament gets focused on the "big time" teams that make it through pool play and qualify for the Open Division Championship tournament. But there are two other tournaments taking place simultaneously, the "A" Division Championship Tournament, and the "B" Division Tournament.

And just as their names imply, the teams with records which were not quite good enough to get into the Open Division, qualified for the "A" Division. And the teams which were not quite good enough (or lucky enough) to make it to the "A" or "Open" Division, make it to the "B" Division.

Never mind that all the glory and glamour falls on the Open Division. The players and teams in the other two divisions play just as hard, if not harder, and they're out there having just has much fun as they possibly can, competiting for a Championship title.

If the West Coast and SoCal didn't fare so well in the Open Division, they fairly well dominated the "A" Division.

After play concluded on Sunday night, there were no two west coast teams still in it, competing in the final four of the "A" Division. As we write this, we don't yet have the results of the LA Rockfish v. Fastbreak Red game, so this may be a bit premature.

In Bracket No. 9, the first one of the "A" Division, Toledo took the bracket, by defeating the Northern Stars 81-78 this evening. Prior to that, Toledo had beaten North Omaha Bears 67-60, and Pump & Run II yesterday, and Oregon ICE in the morning Saturday. North Omaha had advanced by beating Gateway BBall Club 16 and the Newark Rams. In the other half of the bracket, the Northern Stars had advanced by beating Central Cal Sports Express in their first game today,88-77. Yesterday, Northern Stars had advanced by beating So. Oregon Stars I and East Anchorage. So Toledo advances to the round of eight.

In Bracket No. 10, Mater Dei beat a strong LSIA team 75-65 to advance to the Championship round tomorrow. LSIA had beaten Team Texas Blue, Nestles and Stamford Express. Mater Dei advanced by beating Team Detroit in their first game today by a score of 58-54. Yesterday Mater Dei beat Minnesota Elite Silver Jr. and VA Select International 61-59.

In Bracket 11, LA Rockfish Orcas were still playing Fastbreak Red, so we don't yet have the results there. We'll get them soon and post it up. But to get to that game, Rockfish beat the Blythe Nelson Fun Police 65-45 today, after receiving a bye yesterday following their victory over Minnesota Select Maroon.

In the other half of Bracket 11, Fastbreak had advanced by beating Inflight Elite, a fine team from the San Bernardino/Riverside area 63-61.

Likewise, in Bracket 12, Choate Slam was still playing Warehousing of Wisconsin as we were writing this, so we don't yet know who finally advanced from this bracket to the Championship round tomorrow. Wisconsin made it to the game tonight in perhaps the easiest way of all, when the Minnesota Bearcats, whom they were slated to meed in game 570 today forfeited. We're not sure why, but they did. Choate advanced to the final game in the bracket by beating local favorites and Vegas locals Mad Moves earlier today 80-65.

In the "B" Division, IEBP, another fine SoCal team from the San Bernardino-Riverside Inland Empire area, won Bracket 13, by defeating Timpanogos early today, and then defeating a strong Team Connecticut squad in a very close game 74-72.

FILA Hawaii won Bracket 14, defeating Athletes First by only a point, 68-67. Prior to that, FILA beat BWBA II 59-52 in the early game today.

In Brackets 15 and 16, as we write this, the games were still going on, and Timpview was playing Wisconsin Shooters for the 15 Bracket right to advance, while BWBA III was playing Bothell for the right to advance from Bracket 16.

We hope to have the completed brackets up sometime later tomorrow, or maybe later in the week after the tournament closes out. For now though, there's some pretty good basketball also being played in the Divisions other than the Open Tournament, and the title games will be equally entertaining. Don't miss them.