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Summer Nights
League and April 3, 17-18,
2010 April 18, 2009 March 23, 2009 Nov. 15,2008 June 21, 2008
- March 23. 2008 - 11th Annual Asian Basketball Classic @ Ramapo College, Mahwah, NJ
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Easter weekend 2010 had a decidedly Asian hoop flavor as the Annual NACBA Pre Nationals were held on Saturday, April 3rd at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey and Citysportson4 in Englewood, New Jersey. It was a day full of exciting hoop action as the Women's, Boys 18u and Boys 15u divisions battled it out for the coveted CHAMPIONSHIP. At Citysports, the Boys 18u and Boys 15u gave everyone an opportunity to see some of the up and coming Asian ballers from the east coast. Players such as Devin Figueroa and Kevin Chang of the USAB Warriors; Kevin Bui and Jim Tran of MASAE; Eddie Zheng and Kenny Yu of the Young Life Rockits; Justin Kung and Michael Z of the Maryland Pistons; just to name a few. BOYS 18U
Consolation Round: Philadelphia Fastball Only 33, Philadelphia Suns 26 Championship Round: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: USAB WARRIORS 43, Young Life Rockits 34 OUTSTANDING PLAYER: DEVIN
FIGUEROA, USAB WARRIORS BOYS 15U
Consolation Round: Chinatown Life Rockits 37, Philadelphia Suns 18 Championship Round: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: NYCE 51, Maryland Pistons 44 OUTSTANDING PLAYER: Carlos Dechavez, NYCE WOMEN'S
OPEN The 2010 Pre Nationals at Drew University brought together teams from the East Coast. Early on Toronto CCYAA, NYCE, and the Dragons flexed their muscles early. CCYAA brought an experienced team with depth and cruised easily into the finals. NYCE came within 3 points of the lead with 1 minute remaining against the Dragons but could not get any closer. Both Toronto teams met in the finals with both teams more than familiar with each other. The Dragons, led by Angie Leung shot out of the gate with a 11-2 run as they came out with a higher level of intensity to start the match. But CCYAA did not panic and slowly settled in to a rhythm cutting the lead to 3 points at halftime. At the start of the second half, CCYAA hit 2 consecutive 3's to take their first lead of the game. The Dragons tried to keep up but after 3 consecutive jumpshots by Fiona Cheng (10 pts), CCYAA extended their lead and never looked back on their way to a hard fought 42-31 victory. Janice Lui (outstanding player) chipped in with 13pts. For the Dragons, Lydia Kwan led the way with 9 pts. and Angie Leung finished with 8 pts. Semifinals CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: TORONTO CCYAA 42, Toronto Dragons 31 OUTSTANDING PLAYER: JANICE LUI, CCYAA MEN'S
ELITE Thirteen talented teams came to play all wanting to claim top honors in the Men's Elite division on Saturday, April 17. Teams from Canada, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York were all represented. Players with past and present D2, D3, and high school varsity experience was in abundance. But in the end, it was hard work, determination and heart that prevailed as the NY RL Cruisers defeated some of the best Asian teams to capture the MEN'S ELITE CHAMPIONSHIP. 
 Boston Hurricanes trying to clamp down on D. Right from the start, the importance of every preliminary round game was evident as play was fast and furious. Every won or loss mattered as only the top 9 teams based on records would advance into the championship round. Five teams finished with perfect 2-0 records prior to the playoffs: Toronto Titans, Toronto Dragons, MASAE, USAB Warriors and the NY Cruisers (the #1 seed). Rounding out the final 4 spots were FABA of Metro DC, the Boston Hurricanes, Washington CYC B, and the NY Rockits who managed to sneak in even with and 0-2 record. After the Washington CYC B defeated the NY Rockits in the play-in game, the elite eight began with USAB defeating the Boston Hurricanes; MASAE winning over FABA, the Toronto Titans squeaking by the Toronto Dragons and the NY Cruisers cruising past Washington CYC B. The semifinal matchups were NY RL Cruisers vs. Toronto Titans and the MASAE vs. USAB Warriors. On paper, the Toronto Titans could've been considered the favorites as their front line stood 6,8", 6'7" and 6'6". Plus the fact that they had just beaten their cross-town rival in the quarterfinals. Let's not forget to mention that the NY Cruisers were playing with only 5 players. They begun the day with 8 but two got injured and another had to leave for a prior commitment. But that didn't slow the Cruisers down one bit. They jumped out to a surprising 25-19 half time lead thanks to outstanding big man Tony Hu. The Titans fought hard in the second half and at one point came to within 2 points before succumbing to a 45-37 loss. For the Cruisers, Tony Hu led the way with 22 pts and Ian Yu chipped in admirably with 12 pts. For the Titans, it was Carlos Andrade who netted 14 pts and Tony Ho finishing with 8 pts. The other semifinal was expected to be a shootout and both teams didn't disappoint. At the end, USAB Warriors defeated MASAE 63-45. The guard trio of USAB was just too quick for MASAE. Joe Chin (Baruch College-D#) led USAB wit 18 pts, Nick Mui had 11 pts and Zachary Liu finishing with 11 pts. But big man Andrew Lichenstein dropped in another 16 pts. Pacing the MASAE team, was former D2 standout, Jamaal "Fruity" Brooks who dropped in 19 pts and Pek Mith chipping in 18 pts. The stage was now set for the Championship game between the USAB Warriors and the NY Cruisers. From the tip, the Cruisers controlled the tempo of the game and continued to feed the ball to their star player, Tony Hu who dropped 10 pts in the first half. When USAB double teamed him, the ball swung to Howie (Big Papi) Chu who put in 6 pts and the Cruisers were on their way to a 27-22 halftime lead. But you knew USAB was going to make their run(s) in the second half and that they did. Early on, some serious clutch shooting by Kevin Quach kept them within striking distance. Kevin hit 3 treys and a deuce each time the Cruisers wanted to pull away. With less than 4 minutes remaining, the Cruisers were looking mighty vulnerable. Quincy (big shot) Tso, had begun to cramp five minutes earlier and now was practically playing on one leg. He had no choice but to remain in the game as the team had no substitutes. That's also the time when point guard dynamo, Joe Chin began to heat up. Joe (a D3 guard at Baruch), connected on three consecutive treys to give the USAB Warriors a 54-51 lead with only a minute remaining and possession. It was obvious that USAB was going to take their time and kill some clock. They brought the ball up on the court and began doing that until the ball was passed to Joe, who was standing beyond the 3 point line decided to go for the kill and launched an ill-advised trey. The Cruisers rebounded the ball and marched it up the court and fed it to their main man, Tony Hu who connected on a little 10 footer. The score was now 54-53, USAB and 15 seconds remaining. They inbounded the ball under some stifling defensive pressure offered by Cruiser guards Stan Yeung and Ian Yu, which resulted in a steal by the Cruisers. Once again, they fed Tony Hu cutting to the basket and he finished it up with a bucket and gave the Cruisers a 55-54 lead with 4 seconds remaining. A timeout and unsuccessful desperation heave later, the NY RL Cruisers were crowned CHAMPIONS OF THE MEN'S ELITE division of the 2010 Pre Nationals.
Championship Round: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: RL CRUISERS 55, USAB 54 OUTSTANDING PLAYER: Tony Hu, NY RL Cruisers MEN'S
OPEN Sunday's top division - the Men's Open was reduced earlier in the week to six teams. Organizers felt that combining the five teams of the Men's Friendship division wouldn't be conducive to competitive games. The teams competing in the Men's Open were definitely more experienced than the teams in the Men's Friendship.   Semifinal Action: FABA in white defeating the FCCM With two pools of three, the top two teams after the prelims were to advance into the semifinals. In Group A, Markham FCCM from Canada went 2-0 and defeated MASAE and USAB handily. Later on, MASAE squeaked past USAB to grab the other playoff spot. In Group B, the NY Rockits AIA also went 2-0 but they did so playing undersized and in much closer nail biting games. First, they surprised the FABA team, a #6 seeded team in the Men's Elite just the day before. Then they had to go into overtime to dispatch of a stubborn Philly Suns team. With FABA defeating the Suns in an earlier game, they also advanced into the semifinal game. The MASAE - Rockits matchup is always a good one. While MASAE looks to run and gun, the Rockits prefer a more subtle pace. MASAE jumped out early with some serious lights out shooting from beyond the three point circle as they connected on six treys on their way to a 29-16 halftime lead. But you knew the Rockits were going to make some kind of run. They tightened up on their defense and those treys that were falling for MASAE in the first half were now off the mark. With a notable size advantage, the Rockits also began putting it into the hands of their power forwards, Kevin Chin and Ricky Vien. Ricky contributed 8 clutch pts in the second half while Kevin Chin added 11pts as the Rockits made their run. With less than 2 minutes remaining and MASAE still on top by four, the next few possessions would be foul and stop the clock situation. It was perfect text book play and it worked as the Rockits were able to connect on a bucket after a MASAE miss at the line. With less than 10 seconds remaining, MASAE was at the line for two and the score tied. Making just one of two, MASAE led 41-40 with the Rockits rebounding the ball and calling time out in the backcourt. After a pass to the front court, another time out was called to set up a final play. It was inbounded to Kevin Chin on the left wing. He faked left and drove right down the middle of the 3 second area and flipped up a five footer that just bounced off the rim. MASAE had escaped a furious comeback from the Rockits to advance into the championship game. In the other semifinal matchup, FABA against Markham, it was expected to be a hotly contested battle but FABA came out ready to play and held a 10-15 point lead throughout the game. At the half, it was 28-12 in favor of FABA. At the end, 45-33 and FABA was on their way to the championship game too. The championship game now pitted two predominantly Filipino teams against each other. On paper, MASAE was smaller and quicker while FABA was bigger and stronger. MASAE relied on the trey to keep them in the game while FABA put the ball into the hands of BIG STEVE, a 6'5" leaper/slasher. FABA pounded the ball inside against their much smaller opponents and led at the half 31-24. The second half saw much of the same type of run and gun basketball from these two teams. Each time MASAE connected on a trey, FABA answered with a two pointer. The pace took its toll on MASAE as the treys were now falling off the mark. FABA finished it off wit a 56-50 win. For FABA, Big Steve had 18 pts and JR contributed 9 pts. MASAE was led by Jim 12 pts ad Sunny with 11 pts. Championship Round: CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: FABA 56, MASAE 50
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: BIG STEVE, FABA
FRIENDSHIP
DIVISION Five teams took part in
this year's Pre-NACBAIT Friendship Division tourney. In addition
to the anticipated assortment of local NY teams (Falcons, Crossbearers,
& Tigers), a couple of out of town organizations made the
trek to North Jersey to take part in the event. Toronto CCYAA
18's and Philadelphia Fastballonly added to the excitement by
bringing a couple of athletic teams into the mix. Although the
talent level may not have been on par with the Mens Elite teams
the day before, the teams at the top of the standings could have
given the Mens Open teams a run for the money. All the squads
were coached by well known Chinese Hoops veterans (Tom Law's
Falcons, Bao Run Yu's Crossbearers, Paul Gong's Tigers, Jeff
Fong's CCYAA, and Mike Mon's Fastballonly). The Championship game boiled down to the teams that most onlookers would have predicted to be in the Finals, although most people would would have predicted them to have been the #1 and #2 seeds instead of the #3 and #4 seeds. But all that matters is that these teams got it done when it counts the most. Both squads were pumped up for the Finals, it didnt matter that this would be the 5th game in 6 hours for Philly, or that CCYAA would be playing their 4th game of the day after spending much of the weekend packed like sardines as they made the 9 hour car trip. CCYAA started off well enough, as they were getting open 3-pointers and chased down any misses to get second chances. CCYAA also alternated with a 1-3-1 press and a Diamond press to force the tempo. But as their name implies, this was exactly the sort of game that Fastballonly wanted. These guys thrive in the uptempo game, as their conditioning and ability to convert in the open court is their strength. CCYAA was tried to slow things down and clamp down on their defense a bit as it became clear that they couldn't run with Philly. The turning point of the game came when Philly's Tuan Tang drove the lane from the top of the key, but Toronto's top player stepped in the line of fire and took a big charge. The sacrifice stopped Fastball from extending the lead to double digits, but a bad knee injury didn't allow him to continue the game. Fastball went up by as much as 12 points shortly thereafter, as CCYAA's youthful enthusiasm was dampened. In the end, Philly Fastballonly pulled off a big repeat, as this team had also taken last year's Pre-NACBAIT Classic title. Final score was 43-34, and Fastballonly went to White Castle for a big celebration dinner. De Lin had a big game on the boards for Philly and the MVP was rookie PG Heng Guo.
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The 2009 edition of the 12th Asian Basketball Classic held in New Jersey on the weekend of April 18-19 brought together many of the area's top Asian basketball teams/programs for a weekend of fun and competitive hoops. Teams from New Jersey, New York, Philadelphia, were mainstays of this annual event. Even teams from the Toronto, Canada region have been known to make the trip down to NYC/NJ. But this year, the Chicago Triways teams from the Midwest came to test their skills against some of the east coast's best ballers.
WOMEN'S OPEN
The excitement and anticipation was electric as Saturday's Men's
AAA division and Women's Open division were played at the City
Sports on 4 basketball facility in Englewood, New Jersey. With
the Women's division tipping it off at 8am, it promised to be
a long day of hoops. With 8 teams in the Women's Open (that's
a lot in Asian basketball), the teams were split into two groups
of 4. In Group A, the Washington CYC China Dolls, won their two
prelim games by defeating the Toronto Dragons 42-29 and the NY
Lady Cruisers 36-28 to claim the top seed in their bracket. Pui
Sham led the balanced scoring attack with teammates, Robin and
Elsebeth also filling the stat sheet. Claiming the second seed
in Group A was the NY Lady Cruisers, 1-1. They defeated the NYC
Sabres B team in their first game 31-18 but fell to the CYC in
the second game. Youngster Priscilla Wong tallied 15 pts in the
win while Joanna Lou led the way with 10 pts in the loss. The
Toronto Dragons, 1-1, recovered to take the #3 seed with a win
against the NYC Sabres B 59-24. Their earlier game loss to Washington
CYC was unfortunate as they arrived late after having trouble
finding the gym. With no time to warm up and penalized a record
10 free throws, they played the best they could. Niveal Pastrana
and JoJo Agudio led the scoring attack in both games. The remaining
seed, #4, was relegated to the youthful NYC Sabres B team. With
a team of basically high school age girls, they fought hard and
this experience will only add to their success in the future.
 Chicago's Sarah Caro connecting on another trey |
 Another fast break layup for Chicago |
In Group B, the highly anticipated debut of the All-Filipino Chicago Triways team didn't disappoint as they cruised to a 59-39 victory over the Philly Lady Suns. With a roster of eight players and many with collegiate varsity basketball experience, they dominated on the inside and outside. Point guard Alexis Jenkins (D1-Illinois St. - beginning this fall), led the way with numerous assists and pushed the ball up continuously up the court. Captain, Erika Axibal (Oakton College Alum) took it to the opponent in the paint finishing off anything her teammates couldn't. Sara Caro (Loyola U. Alum) connected on 5 treys (she did this in every game). Chrissy Dizon (Illinois-Chicago Alum) chipped in with 11 pts with numerous fast break layups. Melanie Bonafacios (Dominican U. - current) chipped in with 4 pts. and played some stellar defense. Even reserve center, Adrienne Carmona, tallied 10 pts. down in the low post showcasing her tremendous footwork. In the second game, they defeated the NYC Sabres 54-31. Once again, their stifling man-to-man defense, coupled with their outstanding shooting proved no match for the opponent. Erika Axibal led the way with 15 pts (1 trey) and Sara Caro connected on 4 treys. With a 1-1 record, the NYC Sabres A team tried hard but was no match for the more experienced Triways team. Guard Tiffany Lee led the team with 13 pts. In their first game, they were victorious against the Boston Masae girl's team 38-12. Maisie Wong (Baruch College) paced her team with 13 pts with Annie Lee and Ally Mao chipping in with 6 pts each. The #3 seed of Group B saw the Philly Lady Suns defeat Boston Masae 42-27. Guards Alex Leung, 17 pts and Sandy Yu, 13 pts led the way for the Suns. Forward Cadie Chu (Queens College) followed up with 8 pts. Going 0-2 in the prelims, Boston Masae claimed the remaining #4 seed. Like the Sabres B team, Masae featured many girls on the team. It was an opportunity for youngsters like Phibe Castillo and Michelle Le to shine. And shine they did.
 Boston Masae Women with the block |
 Boston Masae & NYC Sabres Going for the Rebound |
Heading into the playoffs, it was evident the team to beat was the Chicago Triways. But which team could provide them some competition? Having already defeated the Philly Lady Suns and the NY Lady Cruisers, the only undefeated team so far was the Washington CYC China Dolls. Jumping ahead, the first semifinal pitted the CYC China Dolls against the NYC Sabres A. This was a nip and tuck affair throughout as evidenced by the low scoring halftime score of 8-6 in favor of CYC. Both teams turned up the offense in the second half but the game wasn't decided until the final two minutes as Washington edged the Sabres A, 29-24. Robin led the way for CYC with 11 pts (3 treys) and Pui chipped in with 7 pts. The Sabres were led by Tiffany Lee with 7 pts and DJ Liu had 6 pts. The other semifinal saw the dominant Chicago Triways repeating against the Philly Lady Suns. The results were the same as Chicago won handily 45-31. Philly, this time playing without speedy point guard Alex Leung, just couldn't hang. Once again, it was a 3-point barrage as Sarah Caro dropped in 5 treys. With Erika, Chrissy and Alexis tallying one each. It was just raining threes.
The Women's Open championship was all set as both teams came into the game undefeated with 4-0 records. It was the unheralded, hard nosed, scrappy Washington CYC China Dolls against the fast-breaking, hot shooting Chicago Triways. It was one of the most anticipated games of the day. But like every other game that Chicago played, they jumped right in began and shocked the CYC squad with numerous steals leading to layups. Point guard Alexis Jenkins was unstoppable on offense, dishing and slashing to the basket with 17 pts in the first half. Her outstanding play was like a highlight reel for ESPN. By halftime, the score was 36-22 with Chicago in full control. As soon as the second half started, Chicago again pounced on CYC and now the rout was on. Captain Erika Axibal, an all-tournament selection, started taking it down low with 3 quick baskets before banging home one of her 3 treys for the game and finishing with 17 pts. Chrissy Dizon chipped in with a couple of fast break drives to the hoop and finished with 13 pts. But it was Alexis Jenkins who continually forced the action by penetrating and dishin it to her teammates. Alexis finished with 19 pts and took home MVP honors as well. The final outcome saw the Chicago Triways team defeat the Washington CYC China Dolls 62-36. CYC played brilliantly throughout the day only to run into a buzzsaw in the championship. Elsebeth led the way with 13 pts; Robin chipped in with 11 pts. and Pui finished with 6 pts. For CYC, the future of this team looks bright as they are relatively young and fundamentally sound. I'm certain they will continue to dominate the on the east coast for years to come.
As for the Chicago Triways team, they played brilliantly throughout. Their skill level and knowledge of the game far surpasses many of the Asian teams from the east coast. Without a doubt, this was one of the best Asian women's basketball teams this writer has ever seen. Thank you for coming to play.
MEN'S AAA
The Men's AAA division always brings out the best in Asian basketball
as teams competing usually bring their best. Eleven teams vied
for the coveted championship trophy. Teams favored to take home
the CHIP included the NY RL Cruisers, Boston Masae, and the Toronto
CCYAA Dragons. Other teams like the Philly Suns, NY Crossbearers,
United East, NY Rockits AIA and Rockits U were all eager and willing
to make some noise. Just like the Women's Open division, everyone
was eagerly anticipating the first game of the All-Filipino Chicago
Triways Men's team. They didn't disappoint.
It would be Chicago vs. the NYC's own 1/2 Asian 1/2 Amazin. From the tip off to the end of the game, Chicago dominated from inside and the outside. Down in the low post, 6'5" behemoth Sandro Tovalin scored at will (22 pts). There would be no one on this team who could stop him. But it was the entire team that contributed to this 59-41 victory as seven players chipped in with 2-10 points each.
Another anticipated game was the matchup between the NY Crossbearers against Boston Masae. Player/coach Vinny Nazareno stacked his squad up with some serious ballers, most notably Jamal "Fruity" Brooks, a former D2 player and Jeff Lee, both on loan from the Washington CYC. With the addition of 6'1" athletic swingman, Pek Mith, this team was going to do some damage. But a funny thing happened in this first game as the NY Crossbearers jumped out to a 29-22 lead at halftime and held on to win 44-36 shocking the Boston Masae. G/F Mike Chan scored more than half the points for his team and finished with a game high 26 pts. Only 3 other teammates scored for the Crossbearers but it was enough. For Masae, Fruity Brooks did his thing and kept his team within striking distance by tallying 23 pts. But no one else was able to step up.
In the other gym, it was the RL Cruisers and CCYAA Dragons (Toronto) who both finished their preliminaries with identical 2-0 records. As usual, for the Cruisers, it was the stellar play of their big men, Tony Hu and George Chan. They've been teammates since they were 10 years old.
Saturday,
April 25, 2009
With 8 teams and
2 courts, the Men's B division proved to be a survival of the
fittest as the Rockits Alumni outlasted the Philly B team to capture
the Men's B championship of the 12th Asian Basketball Classic.
Both teams played consecutive games from the quarterfinals to
the championship leaving players on both teams tired and cramped.
The low scoring game saw the Rockits Alumni team narrowly pulling
away with under 1 minute left in the game. More to come
3/23/09
That's two championship
each. It started on Saturday, March 21st when the USAB Warriors
defeated the NY RL Cruisers handily. Then on Sunday, the little
ones got their chance as the 13u team for the USAB Warriors also
took top honors in the 13u division.
Also, on Sunday, March 22nd, it was the resurgent Young Life Rockits who captured the CHIPS in both the hotly contested Boys 18u and 15u divisions.
Other winners at the 2009 Prenacbait were the Toronto CCYAA in the women's division and the Philadelphia Suns in the Men's Friendship division. For complete results, go to www.washingtoncyc.com
The 2nd Annual Give Me 5 Tip Off Classic held on Saturday, November 15th at Ramsey High School and the Joseph Lawrence Health and Recreation Center brought together 17 teams from the Boston, Philadelphia, and New York/New Jersey area for a day of exciting hoops. There were no losers but three teams did distinuguish themselves as they claimed championships in their respective divisions: Boys 18U - BOSTON MASAE, Women's - NY LADY CRUISERS, and the Men's B - ROCKITS ALUMNI.
Games for the 8th Annual 5on5 Friendship Cup are now complete as the necessary games were played in order to announce the champions and runners up. Here they are:
2008 5 ON 5 FRIENDSHIP CUP CHAMPIONS
MEN'S AAA: USAB WARRIORS
MEN'S A - BELIEVERS
MEN'S B: NU ALPHA PHI FRAT
MEN'S B/C - Co-champions: NY FLIGHTZ and PHILADELPHIA SUNS
WOMEN'S ELITE - NY LADY CRUISERS 1
WOMEN'S LIBERTY: to be determined
MEN'S C - THE FUTURE
JUNIOR MEN'S 18-UNDER: NY YOUNG LIFE ROCKITS
BOY'S 15-UNDER: USAB WARRIORS
CONGRATULATIONS TO
ALL THOSE WHO PLAYED
MEN'S
B - July 11 - The brothers
at Nu Alpha Phi Frat muscled their way to a 44-39 victory over
the brothers of Faith. First half action saw Faith jump out to
an early lead thanks to the play of Tony Wong and Stephen Chen.
Both players drove hard to the basket and connected with some
nice moves. But Nu Alpha Phi Frat started to throw the ball down
low to their big man, Jiang Yu. With Jiang drawing a double team,
he either scored, got fouled or sent it back outside for an open
j. When halftime ended it was 16-15 in favor of Nu Alpha Phi.
The second half story remained the same with Jiang Yu scoring
on numerous low post possessions. The Nu Alpha Phi brothers stayed
in front throughout holding a 4-8 point lead.
MENS AAA - This past weekend on Saturday, June 21st, the USAB Warriors defended their 2007 title in the Men's AAA division by defeating the NY Rockits AIA in the deciding third game of the day. The exciting guad trio of Nick Mui, Justin Kao and Jason Chin were just too much as they caused numerous turnovers and sank some clutch shots as they cruised to a 5 point victory. More to follow.
Who says you can't play in a tournament even if it was on Easter Sunday? Twenty-four teams from the east coast representing Philadelphia, Maryland, Boston and 4 from Toronto, Canada making their way to New Jersey for the 11th Annual Asian Basketball Classic.
Enough of the intro, and let's get to the results.
The Men's AAA division, the best of the best saw the Toronto 25 For Life team capture the championship with a stunning come from behind victory over the host NY Rockits AIA, 32-30. It wasn't much of a shocker, as the 25 For Life was the top seed going into the championship game with an undefeated 4-0 record. You knew they had game because in 2007, they also dominated in the prelims only to be upset in the playoffs.
With both teams playing in the 7pm
CHIP, everyone was just a little tired. But the Rockits jumped
out to an early lead led by clutch outside shooting of Chris Chin
who had 9 pts in the 1st half. With pg Jarvis Miu chipping in
4 pts., the Rockits jumped out to a 23-14 halftime lead. The second
half continued with both teams playing some tremendous D and forcing
missed shots and turnovers. Slowly but surely, 25 For Life started
to creep back into the game. Momentum changing baskets from Adam
Aglipay and AJ Serjue pulled the team within 2 pts, 30-28, with
less than 1:30 remaining. A missed shot and another turnover by
the Rockits led to their demise as 25 For Life capitalized on
both occasions and came away winning 32-30. Tournament Outstanding
Player, Adam Aglipay led the way with 9 pts, AJ Serjue finished
with 8 pts. and All-Tournament selection, James Forrester chipped
in with
5 pts.
FINAL RESULTS OF TEAMS
with records
Champions - Toronto
25 for Life, 5-0
Runnersup - NY Rockits AIA, 3-2
Semifinalist - Toronto CCYAA Dragons, 2-2
Semifinalist - Dreamleague East, 3-1
NY Crossbearers, 1-2
Toronto Titans, 1-2
TLC, 0-3
Philadelphia Suns, 0-3
TOURNAMENT OUTSTANDING
PLAYER
Adam Aglipay, Toronto 25 For Life
 Playin D or the Electric Slide |
 The Flash - Speed Kills |
 Puttin it Up |
 All About the Defense |
Here's where the up and coming teams show they've got some game. Four teams were thinking CHIP including the Maryland Flights led by Beaver Ho, United East and Leighton Kuet, Rockits U. and Tim Chin and the Rockits Alumni and Ken Lee. With both Rockits teams winning their group and going undefeated with 3-0 records, a battle for supremacy was definitely in the works. But before that could happen, both teams had to take care of business in the semifinals.
In one semifinal, the Rockits Alumni team defeated United East 38-30. First half action was slow to say the least as both teams struggled with fatigue. But the Rockits Alumni team came prepared as they fielded 12 players on their team including the only female baller, Jenny Chan. With fresh legs for the semis, they were able to jump out to a 19-14 halftime lead. The second half began with UE trying to make a run with a couple of long treys by captain Steve Liu and the play of Way Chong. But it was the Rockits Alum, Victor Tang who dominated in the second half by answering with a variety of post moves and jumpers on his way to 14 pts that sealed the game. Big Ed Chan and Ken Lee finished with 6 pts a piece, numerous rebounds and a couple of blocks that contributed to the victory.
The other semifinal pitted the Maryland Flights against the Rockits U. It was going to be a game of firsts as the Maryland team has never lost to the up and coming Rockits U in past tournaments. But this was going to be the day as the Rockits U. did what they did to all the other teams on their way to this semifinal. The speed and the trapping defense was no match for the Maryland team whose average age on the team was over 35+. Before you could blink an eye, the Rockits U. were already up 20-2 and there was still over 10 minutes left to play in the first half. The Flights were definitely feeling the effects of a double overtime loss in the prelims to the Rockits Alumni team only an hour earlier. In the end, Rockits U. claimed their first victory over the Maryland Flights with a 34-16 win. Guard Tony Mui, was selected as the tournament's most outstanding player award for his consistent play on both ends of the court.
The long awaited championship game between the young Rockits U. team against the Rockits Alumni team was not to be as the Alumni team gracefully bowed out due to fatigue. Another factor was the championships games all scheduled for 7pm included all the Rockits teams. So who would scorekeep?
The play of the Rockits U. team definitely surprised many as they continue to improve under the tutelage of coach Virg Borbo. They look to their next challenge at the upcoming Chinese Nationals as they will be competing in the Men's Open division, a step up from the Friendship division that they have been participating in these past few years.
FINAL RESULTS OF TEAMS
with records
Champions - ROCKITS
U, 5-0
Runnersup - Rockits Alumni, 4-1
Semifinalist - Maryland Flights, 2-2
Semifinalist - United East, 1-3
NY Flightz, 1-2
Toronto CCYAA B, 1-2
Philly Suns B, 1-2,
NJ Raging Demonz, 0-3
TOURNAMENT OUTSTANDING
PLAYER
Tony Mui, Rockits U.
With 4 teams competing in a round robin format, the Boys 18-under division was definitely an opportunity for players and teams to showcase their talents and work on building up their programs. From NY, the Flightz, Young Life Rockits and the Crossbearers would play host to the Philly Suns.
Preliminary game action saw the NY Flightz post convincing victories over the other 3 teams and the opportunity to play in the CHIP. Two teams vying for the 2nd seed were the Philly Suns and Young Life Rockits and the final preliminary game of the day pitted these two outstanding community organizations. The YL Rockits were ready for challenge after losing earlier to the Flightz. The guard trio of Jimmy Lau, Dennis Liew and Cheuk Wong helped the Rockits to a 25-19 halftime lead with some stellar outside shooting (5 treys). But the Suns weren't lacking in that department as they tallied four themselves led by Tuan Tang's first half explosion of 10 pts. The second half saw both teams make numerous runs with the Suns clawing their way back into the game due to some careless turnovers from the Rockits. With the score tied at 42-42 and seconds remaining the Rockits had the ball and chance for victory. Dennis Liew launched the long trey that swished home the game winner and a trip to the CHIP, 45-42. For the Rockits, Dennis led the way with 13 pts, Eddie Zheng and Jimmy Lau followed that up with 9 a piece. The Suns were paced by their captain, Tuan Tang who netted 20 and Tommy Le chipped in with 9.
The stage was set and a long day was coming to an end as the Boys 18-under championship pitted the undefeated NY Flightz against the YL Rockits. First half action saw both teams shoot poorly along with numerous turnovers. But the Flightz Jason Wu stormed out to hit 4 fg's to lead the way for his team and an 19-15 lead at halftime. Matching him with 8 pts. in the first half was Eldwin Qiu of the Rockits. But it was the second half that told the story as the Flightz and their trapping 1-3-1 defense forced over 15 turnovers which led to numerous layups. With 10 minutes left in the game, the Flightz were up by a comfortable 12 point lead. The Rockits struggled back but couldn't match the intensity and aggressiveness displayed by the Flightz. At the end, the Flightz cruised to an easy 43-33 victory. For the Flightz, tournament outstanding player Jason Wu tallied 21 pts. While for the Rockits, Eldwin Qiu finished with 14.
FINAL RESULTS OF TEAMS
with records
Champions - NY
FLIGHTZ, 4-0
Runnersup - Young Life Rockits, 2-2
Philly Suns 18, 1-2,
NY Crossbearers, 0-3
TOURNAMENT OUTSTANDING
PLAYER
Jason Wu, NY Flightz
It's where everyone begins and for the three teams that participated - NY Chinatown Life Rockits, NY Junior Falcons, and team M.A.S.A.E. from Boston it was full of fun watching them all hoop it up.
Team M.A.S.A.E. won the preliminary round by defeating the Rockits and Falcons and a berth in the CHIP. Coach Vinny had them ready as these youngsters showed so much energy and hustle on their way to their two victories. By virtue of their victory over the Falcons in the first game of the day, the Chinatown Life had a chance to avenge their earlier loss to M.A.S.A.E. in the championship. In the CHIP, which was exciting as it can be, both teams played aggressive defense and forced the other team to mistakes and turnovers. Each team also never led by more than 5 points at a time and the lead changed hands numerous times . The first half saw M.A.S.A.E. jump to an early lead by capitalizing on the turnovers made by the Rockits. With both teams making their runs in the second half, it was M.A.S.A.E. who had a 3 point lead less than 2 minutes remaining. Foul shots by Raymond Fung of the Rockits made it close by utlitmately M.A.S.A.E. came out on top 34-31. Leading the way for M.A.S.A.E. Brandon Nazareno with 17 pts. Teammate Minh Truoung chipped in with 9pt. For the Rockits, Raymond Fung finished with 13 and Derek Kwong netted 9.
CHAMPIONS: M.A.S.A.E.
 Playin the D - Ball, You, Man |
 M.A.S.A.E. - Form and Concentration |
 CL ROCKITS - That's the way |
 POST UP BABY!!! |
For more info:email rockits@asianhoops.com
In
the Boys 18u division, perennial powerhouse, the USAB Warriors,
winners of the past four Boys 18u NACBA Chinese National Championships,
was definitely the team to beat. But teams such as the Maryland
Pistons, MASAE, and the Young Life Rockits were all looking for
the upset. A total of seven teams competed for the chance to
advance into the CHAMPIONSHIP round. The Prelims finished with
3 teams all tied with a 2-0 record with USAB the #1 seed, Maryland
the #2 seed and the YL Rockits the #3 seed. Rounding out the
final two spots were MASAE and the NY Crossbearers. In the play-in
game, MASAE (2009 ABC Classic Boys 18u champs), defeated the
NY Crossbearers, 46-32 to advance into the semifinal matchup
with #1 seed, the USAB Warriors. In the semis, MASAE hung tough
in the first half but trailed 20-18. But the second half was
a different story as USAB exerted their defense, size and hot
shooting to end the hopes of MASAE, 51-34. Devin F, led the way
with 14 pts, followed by Kevin Chang and Tom Chu with 13 pts
apiece. For MASAE, Jim Tran tallied 19 pts (4 treys) and Kevin
Bui had 14. The other semifinal matchup had the Maryland Pistons
up against the Young Life Rockits. A game that was supposed to
be a nip and tuck affair didn't materialize as the Young Life
Rockits stepped on the defensive pressure from the tip off and
forced the Pistons into numerous turnovers which led to a 22-11
halftime lead. The Pistons didn't fare much better in the second
half as the YL Rockits continued their dominance and catapulted
themselves in the CHAMPIONSHIP game with a 46-23 victory. Kenny
Yu led a balanced scoring attack with 10 pts. All told ten players
scored. The CHAMPIONSHIP game had the top two teams from the
New York area battling it out for supremacy and respect. Both
teams came off stellar semifinal wins and anxieties were running
high. But the game got off to a rocky start with Rockit Center
Eddie Zheng getting hurt and Warrior guard Kevin Chang unable
to play because of and injury. The first half saw Devin F showcase
his talents by connecting on 10 pts and leading his team to a
20-14 halftime lead. With a comfortable margin of 5-10 points,
the YL Rockits just couldn't make a second half charge and wind
up losing 43-34. Once again, the USAB Warriors proved their mettle
and came away with the "CHIP". Devin Figueroa, the
tournament's outstanding player, led the way with 18 pts.
Seven
more teams competed in the Boys 15u division with numerous teams
(Philadelphia Rising Suns, NY Titans, Chinatown Life Rockits)
playing in only their first or second organized basketball tournament
ever with many players between the ages of 11-13 years old. But
that didn't stop these youths from competing against the other
top teams: NYCE (New York City's Elite), USAB Warriors, and the
Maryland Pistons. It was not hard to see that these three teams
went undefeated (2-0) in the preliminary round. It was also very
evident that the NYCE team was the team to beat. Coached by Robby
Penalosa, this youth basketball team from the NY/NJ metro area
has some of the best Filipino ballers you'll ever see. They were
15 and under but could've played in the 18u division and still
challenge for the title. In the consolation game between the
0-2 young Philadelphia Rising Suns and the Chinatown Life Rockits,
the Rockits notched their first victory by a score of 37-18.
In the play-in game, it was a rematch between the 0-2 NY Titans
vs. the USAB Warriors Biddys. The Titans, who were younger and
smaller that played admirably throughout the tournament but were
no match for the more experienced and bigger USAB Biddy team.
The Biddy's ran away with a 59-27 victory and were led by the
16 pts of Anthony Chang. The Biddy's advanced to the semifinal
match versus the NYCE team, also a repeat match from the prelims.
The results were the same as NYCE just dominated from the tip
off on their way to a convincing 61-33 victory. Twelve players
from NYCE got into the scoring column with Cole Dechavez leading
the way with 13 pts. For the USAB Biddy's, 13 yr old P.J. Chung
netted 13 pts. The other semifinal matchup had the Maryland Pistons
pitted against the USAB Warriors 15 team. The game was close
in the early minutes but the Pistons eventually jumped out to
a 25-14 halftime lead. The USAB Warriors made two runs in the
second half to cut the lead to 3 or fewer but in the end, the
Pistons squeaked by with a 40-35 win. Justin Kung led the way
with 9 pts while Thomas led the Warriors with 9 too. The Championship
game was now here, NYCE versus the Maryland Pistons. Everyone
expected NYCE to dominate as they had all day winning by 30+
points in each victory. But the Maryland Pistons weren't about
to lay down as these two teams played one of the most exciting
games I've seen in quite some time. NYCE jumped out early to
a 15-2 lead in the first few minutes of the game before the Pistons
woke up and began to claw their way back into the game. By halftime,
the score was 24-22 in favor of NYCE. Each time NYCE tried to
pull away and increase the lead, the Pistons countered with a
clutch trey or deuce. It went back and forth this way for until
two minutes remained and NYCE finally pulling away to a 51-44
victory and the "CHAMPIONSHIP". The tournament's outstanding
player was the NYCE's Carlo Dechavez who finished with 14 pts.
Teammate Bamir Garcia chipped in 18 pts and sealed the win with
his clutch free throw shooting. The Pistons were led by Justin
Kung who had 15 pts and Ervin Liang who netted 16 pts (4 treys).
MOST
EXCITING GAME OF THE DAY: MASAE vs. FABA. It was high scoring
affair as both teams pushed the ball up the court and shot lights
out from three point range. At the end, it was a last second
buzzer beating three point fling from half court that propelled
MASAE into the semifinals in a thrilling three overtime victory,
71-69.