Expressions, Stamford Peace, & CBC take Junior Elite chips at NEHF

NERR Junior Elite Division | Sunday, April 10th, 2011

The fourteen-and-under field ended up the same as the fifteen-and-under group at the Northeast Hoops Festival – with CBC and Expressions being the last two clubs standing. 

Both clubs were coming off big semifinal wins and the final was nothing short of a back and forth offensive battle that delighted the on-looking crowd. 

The first half saw an individual scoring battle between two talented young players as Expressions’ Aaron McLean had 16 points while CBC’s Blair Howard had 22 of his own all before intermission. 

McLean is a physically strong interior player with a good motor who rebounds as well as he scores around the basket while Howard was simply on fire all weekend long, scoring in high volume and making shot after shot from the perimeter. 

With Expressions holding a 40-34 lead at the half, McLean and teammate Aaron Baldwin imposed their will on the inside to push the lead to 12 early in the second.  Baldwin was terrific throughout the weekend showing the size to dominate the point but also the potential to transition his game to the wing with his developing skill set. 

CBC’s Darrick Boyd became the next player to step up in the final, scoring in bunches to bring his team back in a hurry and finishing with 21 points in the second half. 

With the game going back and forth down the stretch, Tyree Weston took over and went for the jugular, scoring 20 second half points of his own and putting the finishing touches on a 90-77 win for Expressions, giving the program their third title at the Northeast Hoops Festival. 

In the u13 championship a talented local team defender their home turf as a variety of players made a name for themselves to give the Stamford Peace the championship over the visiting Shore Shots of New Jersey.

CBC got over the hump in the u12 division, scoring the program's lone championship of the weekend by knocking off the Long Island Lightning 58-45.