Eric Gordon Central Stars claim 16U Gibbons Championship
SUWANEE, GA - All weekend long the Eric Gordon Central Stars drummed the competition, winning games via mercy rule. Balanced effort, intense defense, calculated offense and unselfish play was the calling card.
No one really challenged last year's champions in the 16 and under age group.
Then came the Florida Tarheels. It was a different story with the kids wearing the powder blue jerseys. They were having no part of the past and gave Eric Gordon's crew a battle that they won't soon forget.
It was a back-and-forth battle all the way to the buzzer as Eric Gordon Central Stars won out 57-56 to claim the 16 and under championship.
Nick Rogers scored 10 points, as did Ryan Welage to pace the team in scoring. Avery Brown finished with 20.
"I thought we played great," Rogers, said. ""We played as a team. That's what we do. No one has to worry about who is getting the most shots. We want to play well as a team."
That they did. And they did it all weekend long. Team play, balanced effort, smart decisions and unselfishness paced the team to another trophy at the Gibbons. Rogers was named MVP of the 16 and under division.
He and Florida Tarheels point guard Avery Brown went back and forth in this one, providing fans and coaches with one of the best point guard match-ups of the tournament. Brown finished with 20 points in the game and was easily one of the best point guard match-ups in the tournament.
Trey Hall and Josh Raoul each scored 10 for the Tarheels.