CHAMPIONS
Boys 11u:
Husay JC
Boys 13u: New York Titans
Boys 15u: New York Titans
Boys 18u: Lunar NYC
Men's Open: Philadelphia KO
Friendship: 2 Bridges Elite
2018 CHAMPIONS
Boys 15u:Golden Horizon Cruisers
Boys 18u: 2 Bridges Elite
Men's C: Ball Is Not Life
Men's B: Showcase NYC
 BOYS 18U CHAMPIONS - 2 BRIDGES
ELITE |
 MEN'S B CHAMPIONS - SHOWCASE NYC |
 BOYS 15U CHAMPIONS - GOLDEN HORIZON CRUISERS |
Husay JC
- Boys 11u
Husay JC - Boys 13u
Game Changers NJ - Boys 15u
Husay JC- Boys 18u
NY LADY ROCKITS - Girls 18u
NY SPARTANS - Friendship
2018 CHAMPIONS
HUSAY JC DOUBLES UP AT
TIP OFF CLASSIC
11/4-5/17 -
Asianhoops enjoyed another big time weekend at the annual Tip
Off Classic at Sportika Sports as 38 teams competed in six divisions
of play.
Husay JC captured two titles (Boys 10u and 18u), KSANY took top honors in the Boys 15u division, the Junior Rockits came away victorious in the Boys 13u division, while the NY Titans walked away with the Boys 11u chip. Finally, in the Friendship division, it was Phila Fastball.
2017 FRIENDSHIP CUP -
about the ball
The 17th Annual 5on5 Friendship Cup held over the weekend of June 10-11 at Roosevelt Park was all about friends getting together to some bball and hanging with the boys. Mission accomplished. On Saturday, championships in the Men's C, C+ and B divisions followed by Sunday's exciting youth bballers taking it to the rim. Congrats to everyone for coming down to hoop it up.
ASIAN YOUTH BBALLERS CAN DANCE TOO
3/25-26/17: Sportika Sports, the new indoor megafacility with seven courts was the perfect host of the 1st Annual March Badness Basketball Tournament sponsored by Asianhoops.com. The weekend was filled with basketball highlights galore as these hoopsters were ballin and showcasing their skills amongst the backdrop of the NCAA Big Dance March Madness Tournament that was already underway. Congratulations to all the 2017 champions. See you in 2018.
ASIAN HOOPS - ALL ABOUT FUN
2/25/17 - Asian basketball is all about fun and nowhere was it ore evident than at the NACBA 2017 Pre Nationals at Competitive Edge Sports - King of Prussia, PA. Forty-four teams from the east coast and Canada came to play. Teams from Toronto, Boston, Washington, Philadelphia, New Jersey and New York were well represented in addition to all the ethnic groups - Filipino, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Burmese, Malaysian, Tibetan, just to name a few. But it was the youths participating in the 11u and 13u divisions that put a smile on your face as you watch them go up and down the court with so much energy and passion. Keep working hard.
JUNE 18 RESULTS
Boys 13u - Junior Rockits
Boys 15u - NY Titans
Boys 18u - AAYC
Women's - NYC Sabres
JUNE 12 RESULTS
4/2/16 - The Philadelphia Suns and the Bucksmont
Indoor Sports Center played host to the 2016 Philadelphia Suns
Spring Invitational as teams from the east coast gathered for
another round of exciting Asian bball action. Divisions of play
include:
Boys 11u, Boys 13u, Boys 15u, and Men's Friendship. In the Boys
11u, Lunar NYC took top honors. The Boys 13u and 15u saw the Rockits
boys teams claim both championships. Finally, the Men's Friendship
division was captured by Fastball Fong.
2/27/16 - March Madness started early this year as the NACBA hosted 46 teams in the annual Pre-Nationals at Competitive Edge Sports (King of Prussia, PA) on Saturday, February 27th. Buzzer beaters, overtimes and exciting break your ankle moves ruled at this year's tournament. In the end, seven teams captured the coveted title of NACBA champions led by the continued success by our Canadian brothers/sisters from the CCYAA organization.
WOMEN'S
Nice to see the 2014/2015 NACBA Chinese national champions, Toronto
Warriors making their way to Pennsylvania to this year's Pre Nationals.
Even nicer, the fact that there were five other teams challenging
them. Two from the NYC Sabres organization, and one each from
the NY Lady Rockits, Washington CYC, and the Philadelphia Suns.
All eyes were fixed on the first game of the women's division between the Warriors and Washington CYC as many thought this would be a preview of the championship game later on in the evening. It wasn't to be as the Warriors came out shooting and hitting better than 50% of their shots on their way to a 23-6 lead at halftime led by Niveal Pastrana. Both teams played to a standstill in the second half with the Dragons coming up victorious 41-24. Making a name for itself in the other bracket was the Lady Rockits, winners of the Give Me 5 Tip Off Classic this past December. The Lady Rockits outlasted the NYC Sabres and Suns in group play before facing CYC in the semifinals. The Lady Rockits started slow and trailed at the half 20-12. In the second half, their fortunes changed as they turned up the defensive pressure and held CYC to 10 second half points. The pressure surprised CYC and the Lady Rockits took complete advantage by erasing the deficit taking a 41-30 victory led by the scoring of Karen Mak and the steady play of veterans, Kelly/Yen/Norlene. The Championship game looked to be a mismatch with the powerful Warriors against the little know Lady Rockits. With both teams exhausted from their semifinal victories, scoring in the first half was minimal as evidenced by the 15-9 halftime lead by the Warriors. Throughout the second half, the Lady Rockits stayed close never being down by more than 5-8 points. But turnovers always seem to come at the wrong time. In the end, the Warriors came away with a 33-24 victory.
MEN'S OPEN
Five teams competed in this high level division with all eyes
on returning champions, the Toronto Dragons and local powerhouse,
Lunar NYC. They were the finalists in 2015 and this year was no
different as both teams entered into the championship with identical
3-0 records. Both teams played locked down defense in the first
half with Lunar leading at the half by one, 21-20 thanks to the
play of Joe Vines and Kevin Chang. If not for the hot shooting
of #34-Kelvin, the Dragons would have been down by double digits.
But things changed in the 2nd half as baskets were tough to come
by for Lunar. On the other side, the heady guard play of Tony
Ho led to five others contributing points in the second half led
by the steady scoring of veteran, Kenny Ao. The final results
saw the CCYAA Dragons defend their title with a 42-30 victory.
Outstanding player went to Tony Ho of the Dragons.
BOYS 18
Six teams signed up for this year's division with every team having
the same chances to advance to the championship game. Perennial
favorites, the NY Titans and Lunar NYC were both reloading with
many players aging out from 2015. The core of the Young Life Rockits
team was still intact but questions marks remained with this enigmatic
team. Another up and coming team, the Boston Hurricanes was moving
up to the Boys 18u after becoming the 15u champs in 2015. Rounding
out the field were the Philadelphia Suns and the NY Falcons. After
some exciting pool play action and a hard fought semifinals, it
was the Boston Hurricanes vs. the Young Life Rockits in the championship.
Both teams were 3-0 when they met. The Rockits came out strong
and jumped to a 25-12 halftime lead thanks to the play of big
man, Cal, and the hot shooting of Kyle Mak. In the second half,
Steve Lai led the hungrier Rockits as they prevailed 46-27.
BOYS 15
The division with the most teams (10) was none other than the
Boys 15u. Teams from Washington, Philadelphia, and all over NYC
came to PA to play. After the preliminary games, only the top
6 teams by virtue of their won-loss records and point differential
would advance into the championship round. Four teams were tied
with 2-0 records, with Lunar holding onto the top seed, followed
by the NY Titans, DMV Elite MD, and BSANY. The Chinatown Life
Rockits and Washington CYC were the 5th and 6th seeds. In the
quarterfinals, the Rockits beat the 4th seed, BSANY, 38-26. In
the other quarterfinal, DMV Elite MD took it to their in-state
rivals, CYC, 36-7. Both semifinals were nail biting non stop action
as the margin of victory in both games was two points. In the
first semifinal, the NY Titans squeaked by DMV, 37-35 while the
Rockits upset the #1 seed, 30-28. The stage was set for an exciting
championship game. But it wasn't too be as the Titans jumped out
to a 20-8 lead and won going away 36-22.
BOYS 13
It was a battle of the undefeated teams with 3-0 records, the
NY Titans vs. JSAG (Jersey Shore Athletic Group). One of the most
exciting games of the day, The defense on both teams was outstanding
in the first half with the Titans clinging onto a 14-12 lead at
halftime. The second half action was just as furious as the lead
changed numerous times only to see JSAG come away with a 40-38
victory.
BOYS 12
Four teams battled it out in the Boys 12u division. The top two
teams heading into the tournament were the NY Titans and Lunar
NYC. They didn't disappoint as both teams met each other in the
championship game after finishing group play as #1 and #2 seeds,
respectively. In their first meeting in the prelims, the Titans
came away with a 30-28 victory. In the first half, both teams
played brilliantly with the Titans leading at half, 16-13. The
Titans opened the second half with some tough defense and balanced
scoring which led to a 33-23 victory and the championship.
FRIENDSHIP
The states of New York and Philadelphia were well represented
as all the teams in this years Friendship division hailed from
these two basketball luminaries. Nine teams came to play with
only the top four after the prelims advancing to the championships
round. The Titans/Rockits U. combo team held the #1 seed and were
pitted against the older Philadelphia Cruising Suns team. It was
the young kids versus the older 25-35 year olds. What was expected
to be a run and gun game turned out to be a sleepfest as the more
experienced Suns kept the pace slow and methodical and upset the
#1 seed 26-24. In the other semifinal, the NY Crossbearers battled
it out with the NY Flightz. Led by Mike Chan's steady play, the
Crossbearers advanced to the CHIP with a 36-29 victory. Could
the #4 seed, the Cruising Suns make a March Madness run to the
championship? Believing in themselves, the Suns only trailed the
Crossbearers by three points at halftime, 17-14. The second half
saw both teams trading baskets and numerous hard fouls. But in
the end, it was the Crossbearers taking the championship with
a 37-33 victory.
On behalf of the NACBA, I would like to thank all the teams for participating in this year's Pre Nationals. I also want to thank the team organizers, managers, coaches and captains for bringing your teams to the various tournaments throughout the year.
12/12/15 - Led by the surge in popularity of Asian youth basketball, the New York Titans captured the Boys 11u championship by achieving a perfect 4-0 record and defeating Lunar NYC, 48-33.
In the Boys 13u division, the all Filipino championship saw BSANY
defeat SIPAG, 50-37. The team played with six kids on the team
and went undefeated for a perfect 4-0 record and the "CHIP".
Nice Job.
The Boys 15u division was one of the most competitive throughout
the day and in the end the top two teams, UFBL and Lunar NYC met
in the Championship game with UFBL victorious with a 51-44 win.
In another hotly contested division, the NY Falcons defeated the
NY Titans 32-27 for the CHIP. Playing tough defense throughout
the tournament, the Falcons kept the Titans at arms length by
holding onto a 2 to 7 point lead.
Unexpected but definitely warranted is the way to describe the
Lady Rockits as they captured the women's chip by defeating the
NYC Sabres in t hotly contested championship game and coming away
with a 33-30 victory.
SUPER, STUPENDOUS, SCINTALATING
The first weekend of the Friendship Cup was indeed SUPERB as the up and comng youth ballers from around the NYC/NJ region got the opportunity to hoop it up on Saturday, June 13th. Chinese, Filipino and Korean basketball teams were all well represented. The family atmosphere was ever present as the adults came out in full force to cheer on their sons, daughters, nephews, grandkids, et al.
The second weekend was hampered by light showers but we were still able to complete most of our games except for a few. Eventually, we were able to complete the Men's AB division on June 30th with the Rockits Alumni taking the championship over young studs, Jack's Crew. In the Women's division, the NYC Sabres prevailed over the NY ISS Flightz.
Thanks to all the teams for participating in the first weekend of the 15th Annual Friendship Cup. Our champions for 2015 are:
Boys 11U: JUNIOR ROCKITS
Boys 13u: JUNIOR ROCKITS
Boys 15u West: LUNAR NYC
Boys 15u East: NEW YORK TITANSx
Junior Men 18u: NEW YORK TITANS
Men's C: NAPHI
Men's CC: ROCKITS REUNITED
Men's B: PIONEERS
Men's AB: Rockits Alumni
Women's: NYC Sabres
The FRIENDSHIP CUP gives players of all abilities a chance to form a team of friends, family members, or just those who love the game to play some 5on5 full court streetball. It's a chance to hang out with friends; or even grab some dumplings and a bubble tea in Chinatown.
The 2015 17th Annual ABC - Asian Basketball Classic - one of the longest running Asian basketball tournaments on the east coast was yet another opportunity for the Asian basketball community to get together and hoop it up. Although this year's tournament only hosted 3 divisions compared to years past. The action was non-stop. In the Boys 13u division, the Junior Rockits played superbly and defeated the NY Titans. In the Boys 15u division, it was the NY Titans defeating Husay-JC, an all-Filipino team. Finally, in the Men's Friendship, the Borough City Ballers outlasted the Boston Knights - 4 generations.
MARCH MADNESS AT THE
PRE-NATIONALSThe 2015 NACBA Pre-Nationals proved that
March Madness is not only relegated to the annual NCAA tournament
as 48 teams from the east coast and Canada met on Saturday, March
7th at Competitive Edge Sports in King of Prussia, PA to vie for
the coveted championships in seven divisions of play. The action
was non-stop from the beginning as were the killer crossovers,
three-point bombs and buzzer beaters. Long time basketball organizations
with numerous teams in the tournament like the Philadelphia Suns,
Washington CYC, Lunar NYC, NY Titans, NYC Falcons and Sabres,
RL Cruisers, NY Rockits and our brothers from Toronto CCYAA to
name a few were all there to support the continued growth of Chinese/Asian
basketball. It was great to welcome the Korean teams from D.C.
and Philadelphia and a Filipino youth team, BSA New York. Without
a doubt, this year’s tournament was one of the best.
The seven divisions of play was a record for the NACBA Pre-Nationals
as were the number of teams.
For complete coverage and a tournament recap, please visit: www.facebook.com/nacba
REMEMBER THE TITANS
& CRUISERS RETURN TO GLORY
LUNAR NYC
(formerly
USAB) makes
debut
11/8/14 - Not the movie. The New York Titans Asian basketball organization. Reborn about 3 years ago after a 10+ year hiatus, they've been quietly rebuilding their program and it was evident as they captured two of the youth championships at the 8th Annual Give Me 5 Tip Off Classic at Coastal Sports on November 8-9.
The New York Cruisers never left but this tournament signaled the return of center George Chan to Asian hoops after a 1-1/2 to 2 year rehabilitation from ACL surgery. George didn't disappoint and the Cruisers went on to take the Men's Open championship.
Additionally, we saw the debut of the LUNAR NYC basketball program. They may look familiar as they were formerly known as the USAB Warriors. Founder Bill Chan continues to build upon his youth basketball dynasty as he has captured the most 18u championships in NACBA history.
On Saturday, November 8th, the kids ruled the courts as the 12u, 13u, and 15u divisions took center stage. It was a festive atmosphere as brothers, sisters, parents and even grandparents came to cheer on these rising stars. In the Boys 12u division, the Junior Rockits went 4-0 and defeated the shorthanded NY Titans (5 kids all day), 45-31. The trio of Harrison Chan, Jake Greenberg, and Casey Lee led the way for the Rockits. It was there second championship in less than a month. In the Boys 13u division, Lunar NYC also had a perfect 4-0 record for the day as they defeated the RL Cruisers, 39-34 in a hotly contested championship game. The RL Cruisers youth basketball program is definitely on the rise as they are in the capable hands of coaches, Jose, Vincent, and Chiu. Finally, in the boys 15u division, the New York Titans outlasted the Lunar NYC team to capture the championship 46-35. It was also the second championship in a month for this NY Titans 15u team.
BOYS 12U - JUNIOR ROCKITS
BOYS 13U - LUNAR NYC
BOYS 15U - NY TITANS
On to Sunday, November 9th. It was big boy basketball as the Men's Open, Men's Friendship and Boys 18u divisions took to the courts. The comp was fierce in each division. Especially in the Boys 18u division where the NY Titans and Lunar NYC battled it out in one of the more exciting prelim games of the day and finally meeting up again in the championship. In the prelims, the thriller saw Lunar NYC squeak by with a 41-39 victory. It was big man bball, as the bigs from both teams dominated the action. For Lunar NYC, it was Jack and Wanshan and for the Titans it was Justin and Bodhi. In the rematch, it seemed the Titans always had a 3-8 point lead throughout and that was enough of a cushion as they won 46-38. It was the stellar play throughout the day by Preston Cheung that led the Titans to this championship and the second chip in the past month. In the Men's Friendship, a tightly contested championship game between the NY Flightz and R.N.S. saw the Flightz prevail 39-36. It was the first tournament in some time for many on the talented Flightz team as they prepare to make their return back to the NACBA Nationals in May. In the Men's Open, the two teams that were supposed to be there didn't disapoint. The NY Cruisers and Lunar NYC. Both teams had big time players on their rosters. For the Cruisers, Tony Hu and George Chan come to mind. Plus they also have sharpshooter Chris Chin and point guard Ming Wang. For Lunar NYC, Joe Vines and Kevin Chang are on everyone's wish list. It was in this championship game, that the old George Chan was beginning to emerge. Playing big like he always does, George made himself a presence on the offense and defensive end, scoring, rebounding and intimidating. He started out tentative in the earlier preliminary games but I guess playing in the CHIP, you step up your game. He did that big time. But it the play of the entire team which saw them hit clutch shots every time the Lunar NYC team would make a run. At the end, it was the Cruisers 51, Lunar NYC 45.
BOYS 18U - NY TITANS
MEN'S FRIENDSHIP - NY FLIGHTZ
MEN'S OPEN - NY CRUISERS
Thank you all for coming out to the tournament and assisting with the scorekeeping (especially Bill Chan). Hope to see all of you at the next event.
2014 FALL PHILLY SUNS INVITATIONAL -"its a city game - new york city"
October 25, 2014 – The city of brotherly love played host to this year’s edition of the Philly Fall Invitational sponsored by the Philadelphia Suns and the NACBA (North American Chinese Basketball Association). Teams from Washington D.C. and New York City made the trip to battle it out for the coveted championships in the Boys 11u, 15u, and 18u divisions. The action was non-stop but in the end, New York City basketball looked pretty good as they captured the championships in each division. The New York Junior Rockits took the 11u division while the New York Titans captured the 15u and 18u titles. The stage is set for the next showdown at the upcoming 8th Annual Give Me 5 Tip Off Classic on November 8-9 in New Jersey. See you there.
November 1, 2015 - Pride took over as the Philadelphia Suns captured the Men's A championship over the 5 Pillars, 43-37. In the Men's B division, the NJ Knights handled the Expendables, 46-33.
BOYS 11u: JUNIOR ROCKITS
BOYS 15u: NEW YORK TITANS
BOYS 18u: NEW YORK TITANS
MEN'S A: PHILADELPHIA SUNS
MEN'S B: NEW JERSEY KNIGHTS
20 youth teams meet at 2nd annual community cup
10/5/14 - The Asian basketball community tipped off the 2014-2015 hoop season by participating in the 2nd Annual Asian Community Cup sponsored by www.bballshootout.com. Organizers Wing Lee and Gary Javier, welcomed 20 youth basketball teams from the New York/New Jersey area to the brand new Coastal Sports West sports facility in Fairfield, New Jersey. Tournament day drew a festive crowd of family and friends who came to cheer on these young rising ballers. The action was non-stop and the 3-poniters aplenty. It's going to be an exciting hoop season.
MESSAGE FROM THE ORGANIZERS:
Thanks everyone for participating in the 2nd Annual Asian Community Cup. In this tournament, champions were crowned in four divisions of play. Congratulations to all the teams that won and thanks to all the teams that participated. Our next Asian tournament is scheduled for February 2015.... In addition to Chinese, Filipino, and Indian teams already participating, we anticipate having more Indian and Korean teams playing as we look to expand the Community Cup to include all players of Asian descent. ...Get the word out.....ASIAN PRIDE....
2nd Annual Asian Community
Cup October 5 @ Coastal Sports
Boy's 18u: Young Life Rockits - 1st place; NY Titans - 2nd place
Boy's 15u: SIPAG (Blue) - 1st place; Team Republik - 2nd place
Boy's 13u: SIPAG - 1st place; NY Titans - 2nd place
Boy's 11u: QLI - 1st place; Team Republik - 2nd place
PICTURE PERFECTBoth weekends of the 2014 Friendship Cup were "PICTURE PERFECT" as the sunny weather was everpresent. On June 15th, youth basketball was at it's finest as the 11u, 13u, 15u and 18u ballers got the opportunity to showcase their skills. Then on Sunday, June 16th, it was true friendship cup hoops as teams vied for the coveted championship cup in the C, C+ and B divisions. On the final day, June 21, ladies basketball and our two top level men's divisions (A and BB) ruled.
MEN'S A - NEW YORK ROCKITS
AIA
MEN'S BB - PIONEERS
WOMEN'S - NYC SABRES BLACK
MEN'S B - 102 EAGLES
MEN'S C+ - ROCKITS ALUMNI
MEN'S C - AAYC SHARKS
BOYS 18U - YOUNG LIFE ROCKITS
BOYS 15U - NEW YORK TITANS
BOYS 13U - QHCC/USAB WARRIORS
BOYS 11U - JUNIOR ROCKITS
BALL SO GOODThat's what it's all about as the Annual Asian Basketball Classic completed it's 16th edition. The 2014 ABC Classic attracted 40 teams from across the tri-state area and also welcomed teams from from as far away as Philadelphia and Boston.
And just like the past 15 editions, the BALL WAS GOOD.
DIVISION WINNERS INCLUDE:
Boys 11u - Junior Rockits
Boys 13u - USAB Warriors
Boys 15u - Chinatown Life Rockits
Boys 18u - USAB Warriors
Women's - MASAE
Men's Open - USAB Warriors
Men's Friendship - Phila Fastball
Youth
basketball highlighted the 1st Annual Filipino Chinese Community
Cup on Sunday, February 23, 2014 as twenty-four teams competed
for the coveted championship trophy in four divisions of play
- boys 11u, 13u, 15u, and 18u. This basketball festival brought
together many of the local Filipino & Chinese teams and gave
them a chance to compete against each other in march madness atmosphere.
Add the fact that the Filipino organizers sold lunch full of Filipino
favorites and it was a day to remember.
2014 champions:
Boys 18u - SIPAG
Boys 15u - Young Life Rockits
Boys 13u - QHCC/USAB Warriors
Boys 11u - JSAG
The 7th Annual GIVE ME 5 TIP OFF CLASSIC didn't disappoint as Asian bballers took to the courts and let their skills do the talking. They did just that as ballers from the tristate area and Philadelphia played spectacularly throughout the weekend.
CHIP WINNERS:
Boys 18u
- NEW YORK TITANS
Boys 15u - CHINATOWN LIFE ROCKITS
Boys 13u - QHCC/USAB WARRIORS
Boys 11u - JUNIOR ROCKITS
Women's - LADY ROCKITS
Men's B - PHILADELPHIA SUNS A
BOYS 18U Championship
Game: NY
TITANS 41,
PBMNY 37
BOYS 15U Championship Game: CHINATOWN LIFE ROCKITS 45, New York Titans 38
BOYS 13U Championship Game: QHCC/USAB WARRIORS 38, New York Titans 31
BOYS 11U Championship Game: JUNIOR ROCKITS 37, QHCC/USAB Warriors 8
WOMEN'S Championship Game: LADY ROCKITS 39, SABRES 34
MEN'S B Championship Game: PHILADELPHIA SUNS A 40, USAB Warriors 38
They came and they conquered.
Making the long road trip down from Canada, the Toronto Dragons
men's basketball went home undefeated with a perfect 4-0 record
and the men's championship of the 6th Annual Give Me 5 Tip Off
Classic.
In the championship game, the Toronto Dragons defeated the New York Flightz, 51-31. Playing some inspired defense on the undermanned Flightz (six players), the Dragons were just too much. Small forward Andrew Suen led the way with 19 pts (3 3-pointers) and PG Tommy Wu chipped in with 13 pts (3 3-pointers). The Flightz were led by Jason Wu who finished with 10 pts.
But the most exciting game of the day had to be the Men's semifinal between the Toronto Dragons against the NY Rockits AIA. Both teams came out strong on defense and at the half, Toronto held a 27-20 lead thanks to the hot shooting of Kenny Ao and the stellar play of PG Tommy Wu. The lead would increase to 10 with nine minutes remaining when the Rockits started their comeback. With Tony Hu hitting some clutch shots and Ricky Vien playing some stellar defense, the Rockits started to create some turnovers. It was a slow process as the Rockits offense gave many of those turnovers back. But with less than 25 seconds left, Toronto lost the ball in the frontcourt but were still up by 1, 45-44. The Rockits marched up the court and worked the ball around. After a couple of missed opportunities the ball fell into Ricky Vien's hands with only 8 seconds left. Rick took it strong into the paint, spun around and took a fall back jumper that hit nothing but net and was fouled on the play. He calmly sank the free throw and gave the Rockits there first lead of the game, 47-46 with 5 seconds left on the clock. On the pursuing inbounds, the Rockits Kyle Lew was able to knock the ball away before a Toronto players was able to secure it and call time out with only 2.1 seconds remaining. Out of the time out, the Dragons had to go the length of the court which seemed impossible. But what they did was throw a pass to the half court area to subsequent tournament MVP, Kenny Ao who caught the ball turned and two two dribbles and launched a running 3-pointer that banked in at the buzzer and propelled the Dragons to the championship game. It was definitely a moment to remember.
Results
MEN'S A Champions: TORONTO
DRAGONS
Championship
Game: Toronto Dragons, 51, NY Flightz 31
Semifinals: Toronto 49, Rockits 47; Flightz 49, Scarlet Knights
33
Tournament MVP:
Kenny Ao, Toronto Dragons
All - Tournament: Andrew Suen, Toronto Dragons; Tony Hu, Rockits
AIA;
In the Boys 18u division, the Young Life Rockits also finished with a perfect 4-0 record and outlasted the NY Titans on their way to the championship, 57-46. It was a run em type of game as both teams tried to push the tempo any chance they had. At half, it was a tightly contested battle with Rockits holding a tiny 30-29 lead thanks to the hot shooting of Manny Cuadrado. The second half saw the Rockits turn up the defense which resulted in numerous layups for Charlie Holley . The YL Rockits lead soared to over 10 which they held to end the game. Leading the way for the Young Life Rockits were Manny Cuadrado with 16 pts, Charlie Holley with 15 pts and Jimmy Ng 13 pts. For the Titans, PJ Cheung paced the team with 13 pts and Jae Kwong Lee chipped in with 10 pts.
Results
BOYS 18u Champions: YOUNG
LIFE ROCKITS
Championship
Game: YL Rockits 57, NY Titans 46
Semifinals: YL Rockits 44, Brooklyn Knights 40; NY Titans 55,
Philadelphia Suns 37
Tournament MVP:
Mark Terng, Young Life Rockits
All-Tournament: Charlie Holley, Young Life Rockits; Jae Kwong
Lee, NY Titans; Jon Lai, Philadelphia Suns
5on5 Friendship Cup -
Amazing
The weather for both weekend's of the 2011 5on5 Friendship Cup was ideal for hooping it up outside as all the participating teams expressed all the fun they had playing ball with their friends. There were no losers here. Everyone was a winner. Thank you for participating. See you next year.
MEN'S A - THUNDER
MEN'S BB - EXTRATERRESTRIALS
WOMEN'S - NYC SABRES
BOYS 14U - YL ROCKITS
MEN'S BC - PHILADELPHIA FASTBALL
MEN'S B - COLUMBUS FLIGHTS
MEN'S C - WE ATE AIR BUD
April 16-17
LATE GAME
HEROICS - AMAZINGIt was an amazing
first weekend of the 13th ABC Classic as numerous divisions were
decided by late game heroics that carried their team to the championship.
On Saturday, in the Men's AAA, the NY Cruisers, down 17 in the
second half made an amazing comeback led by Ian Yu (tournament outstanding
player)
and the game winning shot by Tony Hu with 4 seconds left to defeat
Boston Masae. The Women's division followed with the NY Lady Rockits,
led by the play of Patricia Tiu (tournament outstanding player) and the game winning
shot by Tracy Ng with 3 seconds left to catapult them to a victory
over the Boston Lady Masae. On Sunday, the Boys 18u went down
to a triple overtime thriller as Coach Robby Penalosa's "NYCE"
team squeaked by Coach Vinny Nazarene's "MASAE" team.
Finally, in the Men's A1 division, the Rockits U. took the chip
over the NYC Falcons.
More exciting game action will follow as soon as I get a chance.
CRUISERS WIN AGAIN !!!The New Year started off with a bang as basketball organizations the NY USAB Warriors, New York Rockits Athletes In Action, Boston Masae and host Philadelphia Fastball as they claimed the coveted championships at the 2011 Philly Fastball Winter Invitational Basketball Tournament held on Saturday, January 8th at Temple University in Philadelphia. For the complete scoop on the tournament, go to www.philafastball.org.
PBM - NY
COASTS TO CHIP
12/4/10
The Men's AAA (elite) division of the 2010 Give Me 5 Tip Off Classic saw the PBM - NY (Philippine Basketball Ministry) team go undefeated 4-0 to win the championship over the Toronto Dragons, 61-53. A complete recap will be posted soon.
THANKS TO ALL THE TEAMS FOR PARTICIPATING !!
JSAG JUST
TOO MUCH
11/28/10
The Jersey Shore Athletic Group (JSAG) took home the championship trophy of the Boys 13u division by going undefeated and dominating throughout the day. The Junior Rockits had no answers to the stifling defense and offensive schemes of JSAG. A complete story will be posted soon.
The NY Rockits organization captured the first two championships of the 4th Annual Give Me 5 Tip Off Classic on Saturday, November 20th by winning the Men's A & B divisions. In the Men's A division, the NY Rockits AIA squeaked by with a 38-35 win over Tristate Invasian. In the Men's B division, the YL Rockits outlasted the Philadelphia Fastball Only 40-30.
November 20, 2010 @ Citysports on 4, Englewood, NJ
MEN'S A by Denny Lee
The Men's A division championship game pitted the defending champs, NY Rockits AIA against Tristate Invasian. It was the second meeting of the day for these two teams as they had played against each other in the prelims with the Rockits winning 42-31. With both teams having already played three games apiece and spending a long day in the gym, the players knew they'd have to give it their best efforts to capture the "CHIP".
Early on, it was evident that both teams were a little exhausted as missed field goals and turnovers were the norm. Add to that the tremendous defense played by both teams and you knew the game would be going down to the wire. By halftime, the Rockits clung to a slim 17-15 lead thanks to the play of Tony Hu who contributed 10 first half points. In the second half, Tristate started to mount a comeback thanks to the streaky shooting of Kashem Miah, who tallied 13 second half points which included a 4 point play. With only 5 minutes remaining, Tristate held a comfortable 4 point lead. But the tide turned once again, as the newest Rockit, Bo Kwan Du reentered the game and scored on consecutive post moves on the low post to tie the game up, 30-30. Another clutch basket by Tim Chin and some free throws by Tony Hu and Dennis Liew made it 38-35 with only seconds remaining and Tristate with the ball. A last second heave at the three point line by Kashem Miah fell short and that was all she wrote. For the Rockits, Tony Hu led the way with 18 pts. and was voted the tournament's Most Valuable Player. For Tristate, Kashem Miah finished with 17 pts. Both teams played a great game. Congratulations to both coaches, Denny Lee and Andre Liu for a job well done.
Surprise Team of the Men's A division: Mike Mon's Philadelphia Fastball Only 18u team which played extremely well in every game. Definitely a team to watch out for.
Semifinals:
NY ROCKITS AIA 48, Philadelphia Suns 39
TRISTATE INVASIAN 42, NY Crossbearers 34
Championship
Game
NY ROCKITS
AIA 38, Tristate
Invasian 35
Tournament MVP:
TONY HU
(NY Rockits
AIA)
ALL TOURNAMENT
TEAM
Kashem Miah, Tristate Invasian
Ian Yu, Tristate Invasian
James Li, NY Crossbearers
Matthew Tom, NY Rockits AIA
Tim Chin, NY Rockits AIA
THANKS TO ALL THE TEAMS FOR HELPING OUT WITH THE SCOREKEEPING DUTIES. IT DEFINITELY MADE THE TOURNAMENT RUN SMOOTHER.
MEN'S B by Denny Lee
In the Men's B division, it was two teams meeting again for the second time except for the results. The Young Life Rockits avenged their prelim loss to the Fastball Only (Philadelphia) team with a 40-30 win in the championship game. It was surprising but rewarding victory for the YL Rockits team.
Playing with a cast of hard working role players and a couple of brothers on loan (from fastball only), they shocked everyone by defeating the powerful USAB Warriors in the semifinals, 56-45. This was not expected because the Warriors fielded a squad with numerous players from their top men's squad and won their two prelim games by a margin of 25+ points. There was no reason to doubt that they weren't going to coast to the Men's B championship. The first half saw USAB jump to an early lead as they did in previous contests. Down at the half 25-19 and then by as much as 13 points in the second half, the YL Rockits began their miraculous comeback by playing smarter, getting to the loose balls, and driving to the basket. Along the way, they just started to believe in themselves. Coach Mike Mei and assistant coach Tim Chin must've said some inspiring things during those timeouts. Playing some inspired basketball were unheralded guards Kyle Lew (Men's B MVP-10pts) and 14 year old Jimmy Ng (10pts). Forward Brian Niang used his speed/versatility and netted 13pts. Add to that the contributions from brothers Tuan and Loc 15pts and a bunch of rebounds and it turned into the UPSET of the day.
Back to the championship game. Knowing the style of play of Mike Mon's Fastball Only team - run n' gun, and Mike Mei's YL Rockits team - tempo, there couldn't be two more contrasting philosophies. This time, tempo prevailed and the YL Rockits captured the championship with a 40-30 win. Leading the way for the YL Rockits was All-Tournament selection, Brian Niang (18pts) and MVP, Kyle Lew (8pts). For the Fastball Only team, All-Tournament selection, Yu Heng Guo finished with 7pts and Tang Vu chipped in 9pts to lead their respective team. Congratulatons to both coaches, Mike Mei and Mike Mon for a job well done.
Semifinals:
YL ROCKITS 56, USAB Warriors 45
Philadelphia FASTBALL ONLY 42, Philadelphia Suns 24
Championship
Game
YOUNG
LIFE ROCKITS 40,
Fastball Only 30
Tournament MVP:
KYLE LEW(YL Rockits)
ALL TOURNAMENT
TEAM
Yu Heng Guo, Philadelphia Fastball Only
Zachary Liu, USAB Warriors
Brian Niang, Young Life Rockits
Tuan, Young Life Rockits/Fastball Only
Billy, Philadelphia Suns
The 2010 3on3 (16th annual) came to a magnificent end on Saturday, July 31st with the exciting championship finals of the Men's All Star division and Women's Open division. Both games went down to the wire with the NY Cruisers capturing their 6th 3on3 Chip for the Men and the NY Lady Rockits standing tall for the women. All told, in two weekends there were 19 champions crowned at this year's 3on3. A new record. More than that, over 800 players came down to play some 3on3 street basketball with their friends, relatives and teammates.
USAB WARRIORS TAKE TWO; SLOWTIME VICTORIOUS
TRI STATE OLD SCHOOL & YL ROCKITS ALSO WIN AT THE CUP
NY FORCE,
BK THUNDER, RAGING DEMONZ CLAIM TOP HONORS
DURING 1st WEEK OF 5ON5
The 2010 Pre Nationals came to its conclusion on the weekend of 4/17-18 highlighted by the outstanding play of the NY Cruisers as they marched to the Men's Elite Championship against some of the east coast's most talented Asian teams. On Sunday, FABA of Metro DC took top honors in the Men's Open division outlasting the Boston MASAE. In the Friendship division, Philly FASTBALLONLY suprised some with its victory over the top seed, NYC Falcons in the semifinals before defeating the Toronto CCYAA 18's in the championship. The Boys 13u division was probably the most exciting and most watched as three teams finished in a tie with 2-1 records, Philly Rising Suns, Junior Rockits, and the USAB Warriors. Using the tie breaking procedures, the USAB Warriors came out on top and took home the "CHIP".
The first day of the Pre Nationals didn't disappoint as each division was hotly contested. In the end, it was the CCYAA Womens team, USAB Warriors, and NYCE who claimed top honors and bragging rights in the Women's Open, Boys 18u and Boys 15u divisions, respectively.
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
By
Denny Lee
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.
Consolation Round: Philadelphia Fastball Only 33, Philadelphia Suns 26
Championship
Round:
MASAE 46, NY Crossbearers 32
USAB WARRIORS 51, Masae 34
YOUNG LIFE ROCKITS 46, Maryland Pistons 23
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: USAB WARRIORS 43, Young Life Rockits 34
OUTSTANDING PLAYER:
DEVIN FIGUEROA, USAB WARRIORS
BOYS 15U
By
Denny Lee
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).
Consolation Round: Chinatown Life Rockits 37, Philadelphia Suns 18
Championship
Round:
USAB BIDDYS 59, NY Titans 27
NYCE 62, USAB Biddys 33
MARYLAND PISTONS 40, USAB Warriors 15's 35
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: NYCE 51, Maryland Pistons 44
OUTSTANDING PLAYER:
Carlos Dechavez, NYCE
WOMEN'S
OPEN
By
Kevin Low
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
TORONTO DRAGONS 41, NYCE 37
TORONTO CCYAA 46, Washington CYC China Dolls 26
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: TORONTO CCYAA 42, Toronto Dragons 31
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: JANICE LUI, CCYAA
MEN'S ELITE
By
Denny Lee
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.
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.
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.
Fruity
Brooks blocking the shot of Big Steve
Championship
Round:
Washington CYC 57, NY Rockits AIA 52
Masae 71, FABA 69 - 3 overtimes
USAB 53, Boston Hurricanes 50
RL Cruisers 57, Washington CYC B 30
Toronto Titans 53, Toronto Dragons 34
RL Cruisers 45, Toronto Titans 37
USAB 63, MASAE 45
CHAMPIONSHIP
GAME: RL CRUISERS 55,
USAB 54
OUTSTANDING PLAYER: Tony Hu, NY RL Cruisers
12/19/09
The 2009
Give Me 5 Tip Off Classic came to a less than dramatic conclusion
with area's first major snowstorm spoiling the travel plans of
most of the out of state teams. But like that saying "THE
SHOW MUST GO ON", the tournament was completed with the NYC
Sabres capturing the title in the women's division and the NY
Hypebeasts taking the Men's AAA championship. More to follow.
RESULTS FROM DECEMBER 19
1ST PLACE - CHAMPIONS
HYPEBEASTS - Men's AAA
NYC SABRES - WOMEN'S
15th
Annual Asian 3on3 Crowns New ChampionsIt definitely wasn't the same ol' thing at this year's 3on3. This summer, the 2009 edition of the 15th Annual 3on3 saw the crowning of new champions in numerous divisions led by the the Asphalt Ninjas in the high caliber All Star division. Other champions of note include the Toronto Dragons who captured the women's division. Even the Junior Rockits got in the act by capturing the boys 10u Diaper Dandy division.
More results will follow. Thanks and keep on hoopin it up.
There were only winners on Sunday's edition of the 15th Annual 3on3 sponsored by UNITED COMMERCIAL BANK as these lucky 1st and 2nd place 10 and under boys played in the DIAPER DANDY division. Coach Seng (left) and Coach Ralph (right) posing with the New Life Rockits.
2009 5ON5 FRIENDSHIP
CUP USAB WARRIORS "A" CHAMPS FASTBREAK NYC CAPTURES MEN'S C
ASPHALT NINJAS TAKE "B" AND "BC CROWNS
The second weekend saw the USAB Warriors defend their "A" division title from 2008 as they took care of business and defeated the Hypebeasts. In The BC division, it was the Asphalt Ninjas taking their second 5on5 title of the tournament.
The Opening weekend of the 2009 5on5 Friendship Cup are in the books with the two teams, the Fastbreak NYC team and the Asphalt Ninjas taking home the CHIP. On Saturday, June 21, the Fastbreak NYC team led by Liren Teng, captured the Men's C crown by overtaking a much older veteran team of doctors, the CMC Mustangs (CMC = Chu Medical Center). On Sunday, it was the Asphalt Ninjas, a co-ed team that took home top honors. Jenny Chan, DJ Liu and the girls combined again with some serious ballers (Ian Yu, Howie "Big Boy" Chu, and Justin Kao, just to name a few) and proved once again that the girls got game.
2009 CHINESE
NATIONALS
SEATTLE
BLADERUNNERS, SAN FRANCISCO ARC ANGELS
TORONTO CCYAA MASTERS, USAB WARRIORS 18'S
REPEAT AS
CHAMPIONS
5/25/09
The 29th Annual North
American Chinese Basketball Association Invitational Tournament
(CHINESE NATIONALS) held this past Memorial Day weekend in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida on the campus of Nova Southeastern University
crowned it's 2009 Champions with numerous teams repeating and
defending their 2008 crown. The Seattle Bladerunners (Men's Elite),
San Francisco Arc Angels (Women's Open), Toronto CCYAA Masters
(Senior 35+) and the USAB Warriors (Junior Men's 18u) all were
victorious again. In the Boys 15u division, the Toronto CCYAA
15's were also crowned champions along with the Philly Suns C
team which captured the Men's Friendship division. For a complete
recap of this year's tournament, please go to www.nacbait.com.
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.
Chicago Triways MVP Alexis Jenkins with the pull up j
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.
Chicago's 6'5" big man
Sandro Tovalin feasting down on the post
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.
Here, the Chicago Triways
players seem to have their sights on another rebound
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
BOSTON
MASAE,
NY LADY CRUISERS
and ROCKITS ALUMNI VICTORIOUS AT
GIVE ME 5 TIP OFF CLASSIC
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
.
TORONTO 25 FOR LIFE
- MEN'S AAA CHAMPIONS
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.
ROCKITS U. - MEN'S
A CHAMPIONS
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.
ROCKITS ALUMNI BENCH
- CHILLIN
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.
NY FLIGHTZ -BOYS
18-UNDER CHAMPIONS
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.
- BOYS 15 UNDER CHAMPS
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
