Davis & Davis still undefeated in Grant Street Playground League
The basketball action on the Grant Street Playground was just as hot as the temperatures on Wednesday with two games going into double overtime.
APEX Cleaning’s comeback fell just short of taking down the only undefeated team across all four divisions, Davis & Davis in a 41-27 setback.
Davis & Davis was able to finish the night perfect, locking up a first-round bye in the double-elimination elementary division tournament without two of its leading scorers.
Davis’ Eli Teslovich and Ethan Koffler posted 13 and 11 points, while APEX Cleaning’s Jeremy Harim netted eight.
APEX played Grant Street’s Warriors in the opening game of the evening. APEX’ s Nijaah Hagens scored 12 and Davian Dennis added 9 points in the 41-27 win over the Warriors in the early contest.
The Warriors’ DJ Johnson and Bud Brooks scored seven points apiece.
New Beginning’s found itself on the positive end of a 22-15 halftime lead over Ball Out. Shorthanded Ball Out couldn’t close the gap, as the Heat ran away with a 54-21 win.
Christian McGowan paced the Heat with 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Ball Out’s Jaydice Kennedy chipped in five.
In the middle school game of the night, AJ’s Mounties needed an extra period to notch their first win, taking down Next Level, 34-33.
Next Level held a slim 14-12 halftime lead, and the game was knotted at 28 at the end of regulation.
A stubborn defensive stand after two made free throws by the Mounties helped send the game in a second overtime.
AJ’s Colt Sparks hit a free throw that fueled the 34-33 lead the Mounties would need to secure the victory.
Sparks led all scorers with 15. Damarr Lewis was atop the scoring charts for Next Level with 14.
The Flying Dutchmen picked up a win against Fayette’s Finest in the middle-school finale. The Finest and Davis & Davis have suffered short-handedness, as some of their top producers are in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in national AAU tournaments.
Fayette’s Finest high school team’s Elijah Guynn’s scored 19 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead his team over Ball Out, 65-49.
Jamir Richardson tallied 17 points in the loss. Mill Street Market was too strong for the Gators, as Shandon Marshall paced the Market with 19 points, four steals and four assists.
Enzo Fetsko led the Gators for the second straight game, scoring with 13 on 5 for 6 shooting from the field. The uptempo and quick-scoring Raiders were too hot to allow Team Lonigro to acquire any sort of pace of play.
Trapping and passing, the Raiders ran away with a 20-point victory. Kam Fitzgerald again led the Raiders in scoring with 19 points. Joel Lonigro, again, led Team Lonigro with 17.
Team Juan forfeited Game 1 of the adult league, as they are currently in the playoffs in the adult league held in Irwin.
For the past several years, Team Juan, loaded with local standouts both at the high school and collegiate levels, are extremely competitive perennially in the Irwin League.
Big Willie Style and Team Young threw heavyweight-like punches at one another until the final minutes, where Team Young emerged with a 56-49 win.
Leading Team Young was team president, Jeff Young. Young’s 17 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists put him an assist short of a triple-double.
Team president Will Deichert again led Big Willie Style with 16. The final game was nothing short of a grand finale, as two Fayette players led the scoring columns for opposite teams. Ben Wilson’s 20-point, 15-rebound night wasn’t enough for EZ Money to cap off a double overtime thriller.
Next Level took advantage of a possible tired EZ Money team, as EZ Money filled in for Team Juan’s game.
EZ Money’s Mike Speilman and Nick Thomas made hit three pointers, but it wasn’t enough to stop sharp-shooting London Hoxie, who poured in a game-high 22 points.
The playoff picture is shaping up, as the Grant Street Basketball League enters the final game of its season on Monday. The first game is scheduled to tip-off at 5 p.m. and run through 10 p.m.
Fitzgerald was awarded Wednesday’s C and C Granite’s Rock Solid Player of the Evening.