Georgia Stars end Team Takeover's perfect EYBL run

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – Think wins and losses don't matter in summer ball?

Try telling that to the hundreds of onlookers surrounding Gym 1 at the Riverview Park Activities Center on Wednesday to see Team Takeover take on the Georgia Stars.

The game featured warnings to both benches, plenty of statement fouls, heated confrontations and Team Takeover coach Keith Stevens chasing an official off the court.

Perhaps Nike's Elite Youth Basketball League is changing the summer game as the chase to advance out of pool play and into Thursday's quarterfinals has led to compelling basketball at the annual Peach Jam.

Thanks to a late free throw by Clemson commitment Jaron Blossomgame and 27 points from Marcus Hunt, that hope is still alive for the Georgia Stars, who knocked off defending champion and previously-unbeaten (17-0) Team Takeover 62-61.

"It's really big. Really, really big," Blossomgame said following his late-game heroics. "We've been given an opportunity and we are going to take advantage of it."

And the Stars did take advantage, responding with an evening victory over All-Ohio Red. A quarterfinal bid still isn't assured, however. Five spots are still there for the taking pending Thursday morning results. Two teams advance from each pool. The Oakland Soldiers, Memphis YOMCA and Boston Amateur Basketball Club have clinched.

More from Wednesday action at the EYBL Finals at the Nike Peach Jam;

Clark makes a statement

Despite being just 5-foot-9, Stephen Clark of Athletes First and Douglass High School (Oklahoma City, Okla.) has one of the glossier prep resumes of anybody in North Augusta.

The rising junior owns a pair of state titles and Douglass is 54-4 in his two years with the program.

Wednesday he displayed he can get it done against elite competition on the summer circuit as well.

Facing a Houston Hoops backcourt that features nationally-ranked stars like Rasheed Sulaimon (Duke commitment), J-Mychal Reese and L.J. Rose, it was Clark stealing the show with 23 points and six assists to lead Athletes First to an overtime victory.

"I'm just trying to be a better point guard and be a leader on and off the court," Clark said. "I'm more comfortable now and it led up to this game."

Marquette is Clark's only offer at this point, but Connecticut and Oklahoma are showing strong interest.

Anderson for MVP?

Kyle Anderson of the Playaz Basketball Club and St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) has undoubtedly been the story of the EYBL Finals through three games.

After recording a triple-double (12 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) and a monster, near-triple-double (27 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists) Tuesday, the 6-8, 220-pound point-forward came up big again for the Playaz on Wednesday morning.

Anderson nailed a shot in the closing seconds to lift the Playaz past Ricardo Ledo, DaJuan Coleman and the Albany City Rocks. And he did it in front of an overflow horde of college coaches that included interested parties like Jay Wright (Villanova), Billy Donovan (Florida) and a front and center Steve Lavin (St. John's), among others.

Following a disappointing loss Wednesday night to Memphis YOMCA, Anderson's EYBL Finals averages stand at 18.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.

Notes

New Orleans Hornet point guard Chris Paul was on hand to see his namesake team – CP3 – get a win over California Supreme. The North Carolina-based club has a pretty special point guard of its own in Rodney Purvis, who scored 18 points and dished out eight assists in front of prominently-seated coaches from Missouri and North Carolina State. Purvis is rated No. 10 in MaxPreps.com's Class of 2012 Top 100...Perhaps no player drew a more impressive crowd than rising junior Julius Randle of Team Texas Titans. Rick Pitino, Roy Williams and Rick Barnes were among the throng who watched him battle manchild Ricardo Gathers and Louisiana Select on Wednesday night. Randle didn't shy away from going straight at the most physically impressive specimen in high school basketball, scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 boards...Even with heavily-recruited Jarnell Stokes and Will "Shaq" Goodwin on the roster, it was two-sport star Martavious Newby sparking Memphis YOMCA in a big win over the Playaz.

Wednesday's scores

Pool A
Athletes First 84, Houston Hoops 74
All-Ohio Red 59, Arkansas Wings Elite 51
Georgia Stars 62, Team Takeover 61
Georgia Stars 85, All-Ohio Red 68
Team Takeover 86, Houston Hoops 80
Arkansas Wings Elite 65, Athletes First 62

Pool B
Team Texas Titans 60, Baltimore Elite 48
Boo Williams 89, Louisiana Select 84
Oakland Soldiers 65, Indy Spiece 60
Boo Williams 68, Indy Spiece 64
Oakland Soldiers 74, Baltimore Elite 70
Team Texas Titans 61, Louisiana Select 44

Pool C
Playaz Basketball Club 58, Albany City Rocks 57
California Supreme 78, The Family 70
Memphis YOMCA 73, CP3 59
CP3 93, California Supreme 82
Memphis YOMCA 63, Playaz 47
The Family 62, Albany City Rocks 54

Pool D
CIA Bounce 80, Mean Streets 53
All-Iowa Attack 69, Howard Pulley 64
BABC 83, Mac Irvin Fire 59
Mac Irvin Fire 82, All-Iowa Attack 78
BABC 58, CIA Bounce 55
Howard Pulley 72, Mean Streets 67

Wednesday's leaders

Points
30 – Rasheed Sulaimon, Houston Hoops vs. Team Takeover
29 – Ricardo Gathers, Louisiana Select vs. Boo Williams
28 – Anthony Barber, Boo Williams vs. Louisiana Select
27 – Marcus Hunt, Georgia Stars vs. Team Takeover
27 – Matt Jones, Team Texas Titans vs. Louisiana Select
26 – Jabari Parker, Mac Irvin Fire vs. BABC
26 – Terry Rozier, All-Ohio Red vs. Georgia Stars
26 – Daquein McNeil, Baltimore Elite vs. Oakland Soldiers
26 – Jerami Grant, Team Takeover vs. Houston Hoops
25 – Jordan Woodard, Athletes First vs. Houston Hoops
25 – Jabari Parker, Mac Irvin Fire vs. All-Iowa Attack
25 – James Robinson, Team Takeover vs. Houston Hoops

Rebounds
20 – Ricardo Gathers, Louisiana Select vs. Boo Williams
15 – Brian Bridgewater, Houston Hoops vs. Athletes First
14 – Tony Parker, Georgia Stars vs. Team Takeover
14 – Alex Poythress, Georgia Stars vs. All-Ohio Red
13 – Sim Bhullar, CIA Bounce vs. Mean Streets
13 – A.J. Hammons, Indy Spiece vs. Boo Williams
12 – Jabari Parker, Mac Irvin Fire vs. BABC
12 – Jabari Parker, Mac Irvin Fire vs. All-Iowa Attack
12 – Jarnell Stokes, Memphis YOMCA vs. Playaz
12 – Phabian Glasco, Athletes First vs. Arkansas Wings Elite
12 – Julius Randle, Team Texas Titans vs. Louisiana Select

Assists
12 – L.J. Rose, Houston Hoops vs. Team Takeover
9 – Madison Jones, CP3 vs. California Supreme
8 – Rodney Purvis, CP3 vs. California Supreme
8 – Kyle Anderson, Playaz vs. Memphis YOMCA
7 – James Robinson, Team Takeover vs. Georgia Stars
7 – Marcus Paige, All-Iowa Attack vs. Mac Irvin Fire

Standings

Pool A
Georgia Stars (3-1)
Team Takeover (3-1)
Athletes First (2-2)
All-Ohio Red (2-2)
Arkansas Wings (2-2)
Houston Hoops (1-3)

Pool B
* Oakland Soldiers (4-0)
Baltimore Elite (2-2)
Indy Spiece (2-2)
Louisiana Select (2-2)
Boo Williams (2-2)
Texas Titans (2-2)

Pool C
* Memphis YOMCA (4-0)
Playaz (3-1)
CP3 (2-2)
The Family (1-3)
California Supreme (1-3)
Albany City Rocks (0-4)

Pool D
* BABC (4-0)
Mac Irvin Fire (3-1)
Howard Pulley (2-2)
CIA Bounce (2-2)
All-Iowa Attack (1-3)
Mean Streets (0-4)

* Clinched quarterfinal spot