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| "....I saw something special from this group this weekend and that was that they didn’t want to let each other down" Said Coach Francis |
BY: CONTRIBUTING ONSITE REPORTER
COLUMBUS,
OHIO – The 2020 Team Melo / Terror Squad had a riveting weekend competing in
the NYBL National Championship – showing why they have long been considered one
of the top teams in the nation.
Arriving
to Ohio the talented bunch had claimed the title in every single tournament or
league that they entered in the 2014/2015 season, except for one which was lost
on a last second buzzer beater. Confident
and poised the group realized this would be one of its biggest challenges on
the season.
Prior
to game one the players made a commitment to play each possession and every
game for each other, to go beyond the framework of team and to operate as a
family. The results were devastating to
the competition as they opened play with a dominating performance in the round
of 28 to advance to the Sweet 16.
In
the Sweet 16, Melo was pitted against Canada Drive who upset the favorite Team
Felton by double figures in the previous round.
The Canadian upstarts came in on a high but any hope of victory was
quickly put to rest as Team Melo continued to click on all cylinders in route
to a 23-point drubbing.
In
each of the first two games Melo looked to be peaking at the right time; after
a 72-5 start to the season this is saying a lot about the focus and
determination of the team. A team who
through the first two games boasted 6 to 7 players in doubles figures in each of
the contest. With a roster of many of
the nation’s top players – playing in this manner made them exceptionally hard
to contain let along stop.
As
the evening’s Elite 8 game drew closer; the intensity could be felt in the air
as Team IZOD/Sports U prepared to face Team Melo with a chance to advance to
the final four on the line. IZOD jumped
out to a 17-12 lead behind the shooting of Qudiar Manari and Richie Greavis;
but Melo weathered the storm taking a 4-point lead into the half. After the half the lead ranged from 6 to 10
for Melo as they controlled the pace of the game until IZOD made one last at
the start of the 4th to cut the lead to 3-points 44-41. Melo’s clutch gene kicked in leading to a 6-0
run and ultimately control of the game as they waltzed into the Final 4 behind
their 58-47 victory over IZOD.
Waiting
for the Melo squad in the Final 4 was the defending NYBL Champion and national
top 5 team West Coast Stars led by top ranked 6’8 Jason Harris. In what could possibly be labeled as the game
of the weekend the two Goliaths battled from tip to buzzer. Melo put on a shooting display throughout the
game that allowed them to answer any run put on by WCAC going 8-14 from 3-point
range and shooting 16-21 from the charity stripe. Again everyone contributed to the win both offensively
and defensively where Melo used a collapsing defense to keep Harris off
balance.
Down the stretch Melo
maintained a 3 to 5 point lead with WCA cutting the lead to 64-61 with 16.6
remaining on the clock. Melo who looked to be attempting to foul intentionally
to avoid the 3-point attempt caused a turnover with under a second remaining in
the game, went to the line knocked down a FT and the rest was academic –
putting Melo into the long awaited Championship game against their fellow NIKE
brothers from the west coast; the reigning AAU National Champions Oakland
Soldiers.
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| Team Melo receives instruction in route to 2nd place finish in Columbus, OH |
In
the Championship game it opened with each team throwing round houses with mini-runs
of their own ending the first quarter tied 17-17. The slugfest continued as each possession was
contested and the players became testy with each other. Soldiers looked to be in trouble as both
superstars Kyree Walker and Shemar Marrow battled foul trouble. Melo who entered the bonus early in the 2nd
quarter wasn’t able to take full advantage and enter the half down 33-30.
Coming
out of half Melo knocked down a 3-pointer from the leftwing to tie it up 33-33;
but immediately went ice cold and sustained a 9-0 run putting them down 42-33 a
deficit they were not able to recovery from as they entered the 4th
down 12. The Solders spread the floor
and knocked down their FT’s to secure the win – leaving the DMV’s own Terror
Squad who represented the area and Team Melo to fullest finishing second in the
most competitive league in the country.
Melo’s
Headman, Coach Francis stated; “the team showed confidence and believed in each
other all weekend long – they trusted me and were coachable, when this group
plays and operates like that there's never been a moment where I’ve doubted
them. I saw something special from this group this weekend and that was that
they didn’t want to let each other down; it wasn’t about points, minutes,
highlights - nothing.. it was about winning at the end of the day we played
perfect basketball for 18.5 of 20 quarters, I couldn’t be any prouder of these
young men.
Melo’s NYBL Championship Runner-Up Roster
Jordan Toles
Cameron Byers
AJ Hoggard
Tyler Brelsford
Montez McNeil
Jeremy Roach
Ryan Conway
Jenkins Dormu
Justin Graham* (injured)
Corey Barns* (injured)
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