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Continued ....  The Semifinal games each featured an amazing comeback; one that would fall tantalizingly short, and one that will no doubt become a part of NACBA folklore. When the Phila Suns B played the NY Rockits Alumni on center court, it was a rematch and chance at redemption for the Alumni, who were favored in 2008 to win but knocked out by the hometown Suns B in the Semis. Nobody quite knew what to think after last year’s shocking fiasco, but almost everyone thought the Alumni guys were the team to beat in 2009. Most people would probably have bet the house limit on the Rockits, as their balanced attack and talented roster had looked unbeatable all weekend long. Kenny Yu (Rutgers-Camden), Kevin Chung (Baruch), and Kwok Fung gave NYC a clear advantage in the backcourt, while Ed Chan, Joe Liu, and Victor Tang were a lethal combo up front. And with shooters like Denny Lee and Rick Wong, this team had the balance necessary for a deep run. The Suns B meanwhile, were led by 6-2 rookie sensation Andrew McCarthy and shooting star Jimmy Huynh. Support was available from two young kids: SF Liken Fung and PG Yit Mun Lee. But you never know what’s going to happen once the game begins, as reputation and seeding don’t mean a thing if you can’t put the ball in the rim. The Rockits played the worst half they have probably ever played, hitting only 2-15 shots, and turned the ball over an astounding 11 times. The Suns on the other hand, didn’t have the best start either. Halfway into the first half, the score was only 7-2 in favor of the B team, as both teams were bricklaying. But eventually the Suns B found their groove, as the backcourt duet of Jimmy Huynh (8 pts, 2 reb, 5 TO) and Yit Mun Lee (9 pts, 4-6 FG, 1-7 FT, 3TO, 1 dime) each played pretty well in the first half, scoring 5 points each. Andrew McCarthy (6 pts, 2-4 FG, 2 3’s, 0-2 FT, 9 rebs, 2 assists) used his leaping ability and length to hog the rebounds, and NY had few second chance opportunities. The lead had ballooned to 15-2 in favor of Philadelphia with 3:15 left in the half, with the Alums inexplicably tossing the ball out of bounds, missing layups, and miscalculating jumpers. The Suns B led 17-4 halfway. In the second half, the Rockits began steadily chipping away. With Joe Liu (6 pts, 7 boards, 2 TO, 3-7 FG) and Ed Chan (9 pts, 3-6 FG, 3-4 FT, 2 steals, 1 block) playing solid ball down low, and Kenny Yu (All-NACBAIT, 13 pts, 4-6 FG, 3 treys, 3 rebs, 3 TO’s) swishing some three’s, the Rockits Alumni were back where they needed to be. The Suns B weren’t helping their cause much, going 0-8 at the line in the half. With only seconds to play, Philly clung to a one point lead and Andrew McCarthy was fouled, sending him to the line for 2 shots. He missed both, and the Rockits had a chance for a miracle finish, but they missed a ¾ court heave at the buzzer, and the game ended with the score 34-33 in favor of the Suns B.
 The Friendship Championship game would boil down to the Philadelphia Suns B and the newly formed Philadelphia Suns C, whose roster was the core of the Suns 18 team a couple years back. So no matter what, the Phila Suns organization would emerge with a title. Not many spectators opted to watch this one on the Main court, besides the other Philly teams, as most onlookers gravitated to Juniors, Seniors, or Women’s division games that featured intercity rivalries. But to these two teams, a whole lot was on the line including bragging rights and pride. The game represented a stark contrast in styles, as the B team represented the classic Suns tradition of solid old school basketball, while the C team represented a new wave of players and a more uptempo style. The gameplan of the Suns B would be to keep the game low scoring and in a halfcourt set where they could take advantage of the relative inexperience and immaturity of the C team, and the Suns C would be in favor of a wide open game full of up and down action that would highlight their athleticism. Both teams rightly felt they were going to come home as the Champions. At three minutes in, the scoreboard favored the Suns C 8-2, and the tempo was definitely more to the liking of the new team. The lead went to 12 points as C rookie Vincent Chung stepped back for 3 triples from way downtown. B team’s All-Tournament F Liken Fung (11 pts, 4 offensive rebounds) kept his team from getting run away from, as he worked his way inside for some timely putbacks. The halftime score was Suns C 25, Suns B 16. The score stood at 29-20 with 15 minutes to play, as offensive rebounds were giving the B team opportunities to score. The Suns C called a timeout, and decided not to trap and to help less on defense to prevent the offensive rebounds that were keeping the B team in the game. Suns B guard Yit Mun Lee (12 pts, 4-8 ft, All-Tournament) saw the straight up man to man, and his mouth began salivating. He took it straight to the cup repeatedly on dribble penetration from all angles, and posted 11 points in the second half to position his team within striking distance. The game’s pace settled into a slower tempo that clearly favored the Suns B, and the score was 36-32 with under 4 minutes to go. But the heart and soul of the C team- Tuan Tang (MVP, 17 pts, 1-6 ft, 2 treys) and Tang Vu (8 pts, 1 block, 6-7 ft, All-Tournament) - remembered the pain of working so hard all those years and never capturing an 18 & under title. These two took over the game together as the C team started to pull away. After veteran glue guy Jerry Fung fouled out for the B team, the Suns C were able to relax a little bit, clear the bench, and coasted to a 45-38 Championship. Congrats to the Suns C, and President Harry Leong. << previous |
Phila Suns C def. Phila Suns B
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2016-05-27 20:00:00 GMT-04:00
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