3RD ANNUAL UPSTATE ELITE SHOWCASE - Registration & PayPal Links Included

3rd Annual EST Upstate Elite Showcase

Date: Sunday, October 1, 2017
Times
Session 1 - 10:00 AM-1:00 PM
Session 2 - 1:00-4:00 PM
Site: Schenectady High School (Pat Riley Sports Center), Schenectady, NY
Cost: $60 (shirt included)
Open to 9th-12th grade (Classes of 2018-2021)

9th-12th grade girls & families: in the beginning of October, Empire State Takeover will wrap up its 2017 series of events with the 3rd annual Upstate Elite Showcase, a one-day fall event for the serious basketball player looking to test & show their ability with and against some of the best players the region has to offer, along with the chance to do so in front of numerous college coaches!

Laycee Drake, one of NY's top rising freshmen, at the EST Summer Kickoff Showcase in June 2017

The action will happen on Sunday, October 1 at the Pat Riley Sports Center @ Schenectady High School in Schenectady, NY. The event is open to all high school girls who want to test their game with & against many of the region's finest, along with those who have aspirations to play basketball at the college level. Participants will go through 3v3 work, plenty of 5v5 action, and a high intensity individual skills session simultaneously with 5v5 games. This format, which shows similiarities to some college elite camps, allows the opportunity for participants to have an outlet to work on their game for the future along with showcase their game in the present. The format allows it to be a good simulator for the college basketball experience, all while being seen by college coaches in attendance.

Hundreds of Division II, III, junior colleges, and prep schools will be sent information on the event, with a solid representation expected in attendance. All 5v5 action will be recorded as well, something that has been a staple for EST events since the 2016 summer league, and game film links will be available.

Cost for the event is $60, shirt included. The easiest way to submit payment is through PayPal - direct link will be at the bottom of this post. Cash or check in person is also acceptable. All that's needed to fully register is by filling out the registration/coaches' packet form - which link will also be below - and submitting payment.

Fordham commit Chloe Chaffin at the 2nd annual EST summer league in 2016

College practices start on October 15. Don't miss this great opportunity - and perhaps the last one of the fall - to get meaningful exposure to colleges & scouting services, quality run, and a chance to GET BETTER at a relatively low cost! With it being a relatively light week in Northeast girls' basketball, a strong turnout of players & coaches are expected. This looks to be a continuation of mid-June's Summer Kickoff event, which was the strongest one-day EST event held to date. If there are any questions, please feel free to contact me. Links to the registration form (which can be done & submitted online) and PayPal are directly below. I hope to see you at Schenectady HS on October 1!

REGISTRATION (COACHES' PACKET FORM) LINK: https://jeffmlinar.wufoo.com/forms/z1pgsde61fr4oek/
PAYPAL LINK: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=MLPS5MUUMMBWN

Registered Player List (w/ height & graduating class)

Ashley Connery (5'8", 2018)
Lexi DeBeatham (5'7", 2018)
Petrina DeMarco (5'6", 2018)

Kayla Doody (5'4", 2018)
Samantha Doupe (5'4", 2018)
Katelyn Flanagan (5'4", 2018)
Madison Graber (6'0", 2018)
Madison Greco (5'8", 2018)

Aubrey Halloran (6'0", 2018)

Stephanie Jankovic (5'8", 2018)
Naesha Jones-Kelley (5'7", 2018)
Maggie Kirby (5'9", 2018)
Molly Kirby (5'6", 2018)
Victoria Kurisko (5'9", 2018)

Kyra Oeffler (5'10", 2018)
Sam Pasinella (5'8", 2018)
Meaghan Perrino (5'7", 2018)
Emily Pike (5'10", 2018)
Maddie Pratt (5'10", 2018)
Julia Sarrge (5'8", 2018)

Kylie Sisto (5'8", 2018)
Rebecca Townes (5'8", 2018)

Emily Vallee (5'9", 2018)
Sophie Wittenbeck (5'5", 2018)

Emily Zeyak (5'6", 2018)

Saige Benedict (5'11", 2019)

Emma Brophy (6'0", 2019)
Khaleah Cleveland (5'7", 2019)
Claire Cody (5'11", 2019)
Lexi Emmi (5'6", 2019)

Taylor Hansen (5'9", 2019)
Madison Hoyt (6'0", 2019)
Victoria Konicki (6'3", 2019)
Marina Maerkl (6'1", 2019)
Harper Mead (5'9", 2019)
Anna Milham (5'9", 2019)
Allison Moreau (5'9", 2019)
EmmaLee Morgan (6'1", 2019)

Jaclyn Murphy (5'4", 2019)
Triniti Myers (5'5", 2019)
Ashlyn O'Neil (5'9", 2019)
Lauren Obermayer (5'10", 2019)
Alivia Paeglow (5'10", 2019)
Hannah Palmer (5'7", 2019)

Renna Poulin (5'9", 2019)
Brianna Rozzi (5'7", 2019)

Gracianna Serravillo (5'8", 2019)

Shaniya Stancil (6'0", 2019)

Elizabeth Thompson (6'0", 2019)
Kyara Triblet (5'9", 2019)

Anna VanRoy (5'11", 2019)

Grace VanRoy (5'11", 2019)

Lexi Van Vorst (5'5", 2019)

Makayla Blake (6'0", 2020)
Hope Boland (5'2", 2020)

Jillian Casey (5'8", 2020)
Brooke Curtin (5'6", 2020)
Julia DeBeatham (5'7", 2020)
Halea Eaton (5'6", 2020)
Abigail Flynn (5'10", 2020)
Madison Graham (5'8", 2020)

Kiarra Kennedy (5'10", 2020)

Belle Kranbuhl (6'2", 2020)

Breanna Lott (5'11", 2020)
Reilly McCarthy (6'0", 2020)
Taylor Meacham (5'9", 2020)

Amanda Mieczkowski (5'7", 2020)

Mikyla Mitchell (5'6", 2020)

Rachel Palladino (5'6", 2020)

Ahnalese Pearson (5'4", 2020)
Rhaymi Porter (6'1", 2020)
Ally Shoemaker (5'7", 2020)
Erin Smith (5'3", 2020)

Bella Stuart (5'10", 2020)
Logan Thayne (6'1", 2020)
Kelli Venezia (5'7", 2020)

Kelsey Wood (6'0", 2020)

Jenalyse Alarcon (5'8", 2021)
Maria Baker (5'5", 2021)

Molly Brophy (5'10", 2021)
Kayleigh Bryant (5'3", 2021)
Solé Carrington (5'6", 2021)
Jess Cook (6'2", 2021)

Laycee Drake (5'5", 2021)
Julia Harvey (5'7", 2021)
Melanie Hoyt (6'1", 2021)

Anna Jankovic (5'7", 2021)
Ava Learn (6'1", 2021)

Sydney Lusher (5'8", 2021)

Maddisyn Mahoney (6'0", 2021)

Sarah Mattfeld (5'9", 2021)
Sophie Pelton (5'4", 2021)
Lilly Phillips (5'9", 2021)
Sophie Phillips (5'9", 2021)

Aysia Pink (5'7", 2021)
Mackenzie Searles (5'9", 2021)
Katelyn Van Auken (5'7", 2021)
Reese Vaughan (5'9", 2021)

Jaelyn Vleer-Elliott (5'11", 2021)
Sophia Wakin (5'9", 2021)

Callie Chevalier (5'7", 2022)
Payton Graber (2022)

Abbie Grace (6'0", 2022)
Ava LaClair (5'5", 2022)
Maren Louridas (5'10", 2022)

Emma Shields (5'11", 2022)
Macie Trimarchi (5'9", 2022)

Amelia Wood (5'11", 2022)

Jeff's Journal: Mase Madness, Upstate Elite Showcase, and What Else is Next

Hopefully everyone has been enjoying their last couple weeks! If you're all hoops, this two-week period probably feels as weird to you as it does to me. There's nothing going on. If you play fall sports, it's like it never ended - you're just on a different playing field.

The last few days of down time, which have been spent catching up on stats, organizational work, and breaking down film to put on the drive & cut clips up for highlights, also gave me some time to reflect on recent basketball events. Nothing continues to stick in my head like last weekend's Mase Madness.

If you follow me on social media, you already know my thoughts about the event, but it bears repeating. Thanks to Scott Gantos, who reached out to me about it in mid-July, I was able to get involved with this charity tournament held at Johnson City Middle School. I liked the idea at first, especially to put a couple dream teams of different ages together that bridged the gap of regions & AAU programs. Then it became a hassle to balance the back end of EST, the Battle of NY at Shen, and Mase the following weekend - plus, who wants to play basketball the 2nd weekend of August when you haven't had a break yet? Thankfully, a couple dozen very solid players between the 518 and 315 area codes did want to, and Mase Madness became the most fulfilling experience I've had on a basketball court in quite some time.

The atmosphere is great. It's much like the EST summer league, with music being played through the games and a different buzz in the gym. They go all the way with a DJ though, not my 'put a playlist together and connect the computer to a speaker' method. It's basically a 'can't miss' event if you're in the Southern Tier. There are divisions seemingly for all ages. They went as low as 10U on the boys & girls sides, and there were competitive varsity divisions for each. There was also a competitive women's division, along with competitive and recreational men's divisions. Basketball for everybody.

The level of play was worth the trip. We put three teams together, and it seemed like every time I was on a sideline, we were going up against a stacked squad coached by Dan Whalen. This team featured a super-athletic backcourt of Susquehanna Valley 2018 Trinasia Kennedy and Binghamton 2019 Lexi Gruss, the highly-regarded McPeek sisters (Montverde Academy 2018 Lauren McPeek and Montverde 2019 Kendra McPeek), and a 6'4" post that has been blowing up in the eyes of D1 coaches in Susquehanna Valley 2019 Maeve Donnelly. Not to mention Laycee Drake, a rising freshman at Hancock that's one of upstate NY's best 2021s. Gruss & Kennedy continued to stick out to me in this tournament like they had in July as two players improving at an alarming rate. If it was said in March that you'd be going up against a team with two BNY Select guards that you really needed to focus on, and the names that followed were Gruss and Kennedy, you would probably get scoffed at. Now, that's absolutely the case. Both have become much better shooters, which makes defenders respect the range & allows their elite speed and quickness to become even more effective. Kennedy has improved her ability to finish in various ways around the rim; Gruss has become a better playmaker. Both are elite on-ball defenders with their athleticism, defensive awareness, and tenacity. If there was any buzzkill in this tournament, it's that two players slated to be on their roster were unable to play due to injury. I actually got to coach against rising Binghamton senior Annie Ramil for a little while, who was sadly in a boot instead of where we all would've rather seen her, on the court. Morgan Gentile, a Troy (PA) standout who's now transferring to Elmira for her sophomore year, also had to miss the weekend after twisting her ankle during the week. They were great battles to begin with; the addition of two high-level wings like Ramil & Gentile would've made the battles even better.

Seton Catholic, as usual, also put their school team in the tournament. I unfortunately was able to see very little of them, as I was never on the sideline against Seton and one of our teams always played at the same time. However, I was able to get a couple minutes here & there with eyes on their games. This was a building experience for them, mixing longtime standouts Hanna Strawn, Julia Hauer, and Marina Maerkl with some younger faces like Reese Vaughan. Hauer, a 2019 that recently got her first offer from Siena, had one of the performances of the weekend, dropping 33 in a close win on Friday night. I've seen the Seton girls as much as a lot of the 518ers; no secret that the Saints, now in Class A, will have success once again.

Now to our teams. I spent most of my time on the sidelines of two of our three teams - the blue team (Piedra), a team full of 2019s, and the green team (Sambursky Eye Center), which featured 6 guards/wings in the 2021 class and 2 posts in the 2020 class. I'm not sure who I was more impressed with, but I was extremely impressed with both.

The Piedra squad ended up winning the varsity division title, beating our third team, the orange one (The Partners), in the finals. Two blowout wins Friday night were followed by a closer win over Seton, a quality win over the aforementioned team with Gruss, Kennedy, & Co. in semis before the final win. Eight girls, three from Section II and five from Section III. Four from I-90 Elite, three from NY Havoc, one from JC Ballers - or as one of the parents dubbed this team, the 'I-Havoc Ballers'. You would've thought this group of girls had 6 months to prepare with the way they played at JC. They've played together in smaller groups, and half of them got together on the same team at my Summer Kickoff Showcase in mid-June, but nothing would've made me expect the level at which they gelled. Everyone stood out at different times. They had runners like Madison Smith (West Genesee) and Allison Moreau (Sauquoit Valley), trailers like Cat Almeida (Shenendehowa) and Alyssa Stevenson (South Jefferson), players that would get them the ball like Mackenzie Smith (West Genesee) and Grace Heeps (Northfield Mount Hermon by way of Columbia), and ultimate half-court assets like Mackenzie Martin (Westhill) and Renna Poulin (Tamarac). They all had their moments. Poulin was great early Friday night. Madison Smith stood out in the later stages of Friday night. Alyssa had big stretches Saturday. The first half of the semifinal game was a Grace & Cat takeover, with Grace looking as confident scoring off the ball as she has in a long time, and with the 6'5" Cat not only being dominant in the blocks, but also showing off some perimeter skill. Mackenzie Martin had her shining moments in the process, which she did all through Sunday. Renna & Allie Moreau went to work in the 2nd half of that semifinal game. Mackenzie Smith took over for a couple stretches as well, early and late. They all held their weight in the finals, almost looking like they were savoring the stretch of their last game. If I was to a list of standouts, they'd all be on it. It was so balanced, we found it impossible to choose an MVP (which they asked for). An official was talking about this group after and said he was trying to figure out for a few minutes whether they were running set plays or if they just had that kind of continuity. First time they had ever seen the court together, and I was more than happy to see it with my own eyes. It definitely has made me more motivated to try & put that group of eight together for something else down the road!

The younger team turned heads the entire weekend as well. They didn't have the success of their two older counterparts, going 1-2 in pool play and not making playoffs, but they didn't go down without a fight. They lost 51-44 to our orange team, which had Grace & Cat filling in alongside highly regarded Michigan commit Danielle Rauch among others. They lost by 7 in their 2nd Saturday game as well, dropping it to Gruss, Kennedy, & crew. They ended their weekend with an 18 point victory. For the younger team, Sarah Mattfeld really stepped up. The rising freshman at Catholic Central looked as good and as comfortable as I've seen her since a leg injury forced her out of nearly all of basketball season. She has made great strides over the last couple months, and how she showed - at both ends - against older players with scholarship offers, often inviting the challenge and wanting to guard the opponent's best player, was all of the proof anyone needed to see she's ready to make the next progression in her game. Momo LaClair was very good throughout the weekend as well. The rising freshman at Jamesville-DeWitt, no stranger to getting the call in the bigger moments, played with no fear or second thoughts against the older players. After all, she did it last year for a state champion team as an 8th grader. Momo was a distributor, but she'd look to attack and get her own when it was needed. You're not going to find many better 2021s in upstate NY than her.

The orange team, The Partners, was the mix & match group. Players represented every class from 2018 through 2022 on this team. In fact, it was a 2018 connecting with a 2022 on back-to-back possessions to forge a win in a tough game (against, you guessed it, Gruss/Kennedy & Co.) Saturday. That was when the aforementioned Danielle Rauch, a rising senior at Bishop Ludden, found South Jefferson 2022 Jackie Piddock in the left corner two straight times. One of Piddock's threes swished through to tie the game, and the second swished through to give them a 3 point lead. Rauch ended up canning 4 straight free throws in the waning seconds to win by 5. Those two will more-than-likely do battle in March 2018, as Bishop Ludden & South Jefferson look to be the frontrunners in a stacked Section III Class B. But for now, it was great to see them on the same side. As the weekend went by, players for this team changed. Grace & Cat went back to their normal team Sunday. Jackie wasn't able to play Sunday, either. Liverpool 2018 Jenna Wike and Jamesville-DeWitt 2018 Jamie Boeheim couldn't make Saturday, but they were there for Sunday. They joined a few that were there for the full weekend - alongside Rauch, South Jefferson 2020 Abby Piddock, Jamesville-DeWitt 2018 Kasey Vaughan, and Colonie 2019 Kyara Triblet. A fun battle between them and the blue team in the finals. All-in-all, one of my favorite weekends in a long time. I'd like to thank all of the girls that participated on our three teams this weekend. They are, by graduating class:

2018
Jamie Boeheim (Jamesville-DeWitt)
Danielle Rauch (Bishop Ludden)
Kasey Vaughan (Jamesville-DeWitt)
Jenna Wike (Liverpool)

2019
Cat Almeida (Shenendehowa)
Grace Heeps (Northfield Mount Hermon)
Allison Moreau (Sauquoit Valley)
Renna Poulin (Tamarac)
Mackenzie Martin (Westhill)
Mackenzie Smith (West Genesee)
Madison Smith (West Genesee)
Alyssa Stevenson (South Jefferson)
Kyara Triblet (Colonie)

2020
Makayla Blake (Colonie)
Lindsey Lawson (Cazenovia)
Abby Piddock (South Jefferson)

2021
Catie Cunningham (West Genesee)
Momo LaClair (Jamesville-DeWitt)
Sarah Mattfeld (Catholic Central)
Lilly Phillips (Cambridge)
Sophie Phillips (Cambridge)
Lexie Roe (Fayetteville-Manlius)

2022
Jackie Piddock (South Jefferson)


Now, onto the rest. This won't be long, I promise.

- Look out for information regarding the 3RD ANNUAL UPSTATE ELITE SHOWCASE. The event will be held on SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1 and plans are made to have it at the Pat Riley Sports Center at Schenectady High School, which is where last year's UES and this year's Summer Kickoff Showcase were also held. SAVE THE DATE! Worth mentioning - there's also a showcase scheduled for the 1st at Whitesboro HS called the CNY Basketball Showcase. It's recently been brought to my attention that they've been including my name in 'who will be there', and I came across it on their website as well. This is NOT TRUE and AT NO POINT WAS IT EVER COMMUNICATED AS SUCH. Perhaps I lose a few people to that showcase that would do mine, but I think the track record already being shown & the work ethic over these years speaks for itself. Info will be out soon; I hope to see you at the Upstate Elite Showcase on the 1st!!

- You can catch me at two more events during the month of August, and they're both in Syracuse. I'll be at the 2nd annual Slinky Skills Academy at Nottingham HS next Saturday, 8/26. That's a later start, going from 3-8 PM. I'll be back in the Cuse that Tuesday, outside at the Great New York State Fair for the State Fair games. I'm more than happy to be able to take part in the 9th/10th grade division showcase games. For the four teams that will be put together, their first games will be at 1:00 & 2:00. The losers play at 5:00, and the winners play at 6:00. The senior division all-star game ends the night, slated for an 8:00 start. You know, since it appears that I have to announce where I'll be going forward!

Thanks, as always, for following along. The plan is for the next 'journal' to have all pertinent info for the Upstate Elite Showcase set in stone. Hope to see you soon!

EST 2017 League Leaders & Stats of Note

Points Per Game (total points)

1.) Aysia Pink (Guilderland 2021/Young Guns) - 16.0 (160)

2.) Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018 (Fordham commit)/Outwork) - 15.0 (180)

3.) Silke Milliman (Northfield Mount Hermon (MA) 2019/Next Level) - 13.4 (107)

4.) Kerry Flaherty (Saratoga Springs 2019/Rising Stars) - 12.7 (76)

5.) Sam Dayter (Cohoes 2018/Lockdown) - 12.1 (97)

6.) Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018 (Albany commit)/Next Big Thing) - 12.0 (120)

7.) Dolly Cairns (Saratoga Springs 2020/Rising Stars) - 11.3 (135)

8.) Madison Graber (Schalmont 2018/Next Big Thing) - 10.7 (96)

9.) Renna Poulin (Tamarac 2019/Next Big Thing) - 10.3 (123)

10.) Logan Thayne (Hoosick Falls 2020/Next Big Thing) - 10.2 (112)

11.) Stephanie Jankovic (Averill Park 2018/Next Big Thing) - 9.9 (119)

12.) Sophie Tougas (Brewster Academy (NH) 2020/Next Level) - 9.5 (104)

13.) Maggie Malone (Cornwall 2019/Outwork) - 9.1 (73)

14.) Sam McKenna (Millbrook 2019/Outwork) - 9.0 (36)

15.) Belle Kranbuhl (Adirondack 2020/Next Level) - 8.4 (67)

T16.) Julianna Okoniewski (Bethlehem 2018/Show Stoppers) - 8.2 (82)

T16.) Lexi Van Vorst (Columbia 2019/Young Guns) - 8.2 (82)

18.) Erin Fox (Millbrook 2020/Outwork) - 8.1 (97)
19.) Molly Kirby (Bethlehem 2018/Show Stoppers) - 7.9 (55)
20.) EmmaLee Morgan (Averill Park 2019/Dynasty) - 7.7 (77)

Single Game Individual Scoring

1.) Chloe Chaffin (7/19) - 27

2.) Silke Milliman (7/19) - 25

T3.) Chloe Chaffin (8/9) - 24

T3.) Maggie Malone (7/17) - 24

5.) Aysia Pink (8/9) - 23

3-Pointers Made (with percentage)

1.) Aysia Pink - 24 (47.1%)

2.) Dolly Cairns - 23 (41.8%)

3.) Sophie Tougas - 22 (34.4%)

4.) Renna Poulin - 16 (33.3%)

5.) Sam Dayter - 15 (36.6%)

Rebounds Per Game (total rebounds)

1.) Logan Thayne (Hoosick Falls 2020/Next Big Thing) - 10.1 (111)

2.) Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018 (Albany commit)/Next Big Thing) - 9.5 (95)

3.) Kelsey Wood (Averill Park 2020/Lockdown) - 8.0 (96)

4.) Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018 (Fordham commit)/Outwork) - 7.8 (93)

5.) Giuliana Pritchard (Amsterdam 2018/Rising Stars) - 7.45 (82)

6.) Belle Kranbuhl (Adirondack 2020/Next Level) - 7.38 (59)

7.) Stephanie Jankovic (Averill Park 2018/Next Big Thing) - 7.33 (88)

8.) Erin Fox (Millbrook 2020/Outwork) - 6.83 (82)

9.) Rhaymi Porter (Scotia-Glenville 2020/Young Guns) - 6.5 (52)

10.) Haedyn Roberts (Holland Patent 2020/Young Guns) - 6.33 (76)

Assists Per Game (total assists)

1.) Grace Heeps (Northfield Mount Hermon (MA) 2019/Next Level) - 6.7 (80)

2.) Stephanie Jankovic (Averill Park 2018/Next Big Thing) - 3.7 (44)

3.) Holly Manchester (Susquehanna Valley 2018/Show Stoppers) - 3.5 (28)

4.) Dolly Cairns (Saratoga Springs 2020/Rising Stars) - 3.1 (37)

5.) Brianna Rozzi (Highland 2019/Outwork) - 2.9 (35)

Steals Per Game (total steals)

1.) Rebecca Townes (Our Lady of Lourdes 2018/Outwork) - 2.7 (16)

2.) Stephanie Jankovic (Averill Park 2018/Next Big Thing) - 2.4 (29)

3.) Emily Frodyma (Catholic Central 2018/Show Stoppers) - 2.3 (16)

T4.) Lexi DeBeatham (Shaker 2018/Young Guns) - 2.0 (20)

T4.) Molly Kirby (Bethlehem 2018/Show Stoppers) - 2.0 (14)

T4.) Shyla Sanford (Shaker 2018/Show Stoppers) - 2.0 (12)

T4.) Deliah Smith (FDR-Hyde Park 2020/Dynasty) - 2.0 (12)

Blocks Per Game (total blocks)

1.) Jenna Zimmerman (South Jefferson 2018 (Le Moyne commit)/Next Level) - 2.8 (22)

2.) Cat Almeida (Shenendehowa 2019/Rising Stars) - 2.2 (22)

3.) Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018 (Albany commit)/Next Big Thing) - 1.9 (19)

T4.) Belle Kranbuhl (Adirondack 2020/Next Level) - 1.63 (13)

T4.) Rhaymi Porter (Scotia-Glenville 2020/Young Guns) - 1.63 (13)

6.) Logan Thayne (Hoosick Falls 2020/Next Big Thing) - 1.55 (17)

Single Game/Season Stats of Note

- Three years into EST, and on the 8:30 set of playoff night, the league had its first triple-double. Grace Heeps, who had been close a couple other times this summer, went for 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a consolation game victory.

- Believe it or not, it took until the 3rd year of EST for someone to have a 20 point/10 rebound game. We saw two in the league's final three nights this summer. Stephanie Jankovic & Chloe Chaffin both went for 21 points & 10 rebounds in games; Steph doing it in a July 31 victory, and Chloe doing it in the championship victory over Steph's NBT team.

- Logan Thayne had as good of a summer as anyone could imagine for the Next Big Thing squad. Her & post mate Julie Ford (who will be mentioned soon after) controlled the blocks throughout the year. Thayne, just a rising sophomore, had a summer milestone of her own. Compiling averages of 10.2 PPG and 10.1 RPG without missing a week of official games, Logan was the first person in the EST summer league to ever average a double-double over an entire season. The aforementioned Ford was just off that mark as well, averaging 12 PPG and 9.5 RPG.

- Chloe Chaffin, the league's all-time leader in points scored and games played, added 'single season scoring' to her list of EST records. Her 180 points this season topped the mark previously held by Danielle Migliore. Starting in 2018, Chaffin & Migliore will see each other on the court as conference foes - Chaffin at Fordham, Migliore at St. Bonaventure.

- With all of the high-level talent in EST in the 2018 & 2019 classes, it will take many by surprise that a rising freshman found a way to get the league scoring title, but Aysia Pink did it with consistency. She shot a remarkable 53.5% from the field, 47.1% from behind the arc, and 73.7% from the line. Besides a 23 point outburst on playoff night, her scoring was mainly in the teens. She became the first person in three years of EST to finish with double digit points in every game played for a season.

- I always like to comb over the final compiled stats for any oddities or interesting tidbits. One of them, because I noticed the rarity of it in the past, is to see how many players fill the stat line to the point that they average 1 or more of each of the 5 main statistical categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks) per game. In two previous years, Lucy Tougas was the only one to do it. This year, there were numerous players who pulled it off. They were:

• Kelsey Wood (6.6 PPG, 8 RPG, 1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1 BPG)
• Jenna Zimmerman (6 PPG, 5 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1 SPG, 2.8 BPG)
• Harmony Philo (6.8 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1 BPG)
• Giuliana Pritchard (5.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 1.1 BPG)

- The three is becoming more and more of a staple in the game, even by the year, and the trend is no different in EST. The summer of 2017 saw a new league mark being hit, as 462 threes were made throughout the course of the league games. This blew past last year's mark of 416 with the same amount of teams (and even more recorded games, as I didn't do stats for July 12 games this year). In 2015, with three fewer teams (thus fewer games), 230 threes were made.

- Scoring as a whole was also up. Next Big Thing's 59 PPG as a team shattered the previous league record. Rising Stars wasn't that far behind, racking up an average of 54.6 PPG. Next Level & Outwork were also in the lower 50s, meaning that half of the league's teams averaged well over 50 PPG. This is the first time that's happened. Young Guns were just off the mark, averaging a fraction over 49 per game. That number was boosted by a scoring outburst starting in the later stages of July, where they averaged nearly 60 PPG for the last four nights.

Jeff's Journal: EST Second Half, Plus Some Congratulations

The first two weeks of August - and we'll include July 31 in that - were as busy of a two-week period as I may have ever personally had. With three league nights packed in those two weeks (7/31, 8/2, 8/9), the task of helping put three teams in the Mase Madness charity tournament in Binghamton 8/11-8/13, working the Battle of NY team camp at Shenendehowa 8/4-8/6, early work regarding numerous fall events & projects, whether of my own or others, and various other tasks, it was a wild one. Time to recap, starting with the back end of EST.

First, about that first week of August. I suppose this will be a test to see how many people read this, because I'm asking for opinions in the process. With the week coming off the back end of the live period being a big one for me as I put two league dates there (in order to try & get more players there), I noticed two things. First, there were still a few people who took the week off. Second, many that didn't take the week off weren't at their usual performance during the week. At first, I was a little annoyed watching play, but then I realized I had to sit back and relax. It appeared to be August legs at its finest. A lot of tired girls trying to play in a steamy Union College gym, and their bodies didn't have much left to give them. The proof can be shown in various ways. Of course, the eye test doesn't lie. Let's take one stat and use it for this discussion, though. A telltale sign of fatigue is a drop in 3 point percentage. This summer had, without question, the highest number of threes made & 3 point percentage of the three. Teams were consistently hitting 30-40% of their attempted threes. On Wednesday, August 2, team totals from beyond the arc went like this; 3/15, 2/14, 8/29, 2/12, 2/7, 8/21 (a rare outlier), 4/24, 0/17, 7/21, 4/19, 6/20, 3/11, 3/16, 5/22, 1/7, 2/17. That 0/17? It came from Next Big Thing, a team that went 9-0 before the donut from deep led them to their first loss. And for those counting, those combined numbers are 60/272 - a touch over 22%. Tired legs can't make 20 footers. It seemed like girls were able to get it back together and refresh for some very good playoff games on the 9th - either that, or pride took over - but how the Monday/Wednesday set went begs the question. I certainly need to work around the live periods regardless. Should I frontload the league instead of backload it? Should I experiment with doing a Friday night/Saturday late morning-early afternoon early in the summer to get four games out of the way? I'm genuinely curious as to what people think. Your thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Onto playoff night. Or as some would call it, the night that Outwork takes over.

Back in 2004, UConn was dominant in the women's college hoop game (shocker). When asked how they'd been able to establish such a reign, Geno Auriemma's answer was simple. 'We have Diana, and you don't.' Although obviously on a smaller scale than Diana Taurasi's dominance nearly 15 years ago, words similar to that were heard uttered after the championship game on the 9th. 'We have Chloe Chaffin and they don't.' This is taking nothing away from Outwork teammates. For the second straight year, Brianna Rozzi played an integral role in securing a championship W with some bigtime shots late. Rebecca Townes dominated the early going as one of only two players - along with Chloe - to play in all three EST championship games. Outwork may not even be a top 4 seed without the major contributions of 1st-year ESTer Erin Fox, and Madison Burke & Sam McKenna provided well-needed backcourt stability and a scoring infusion when needed. But on playoff night, Chloe takes it to another level. Her huge 2nd half - which ended up leading to an assist on a game-winning Madison Little basket in the final minute - spearheaded the 2016 win, as they came back from down 13 with 6 minutes left. This year, the deficit was 6 with 4 minutes remaining. But when they needed it, they got it. Two assists from Chloe on Rozzi buckets set the stage for Chloe to end her EST days the way it'd be written in a script. The three-year member of a team called 'Outwork' - the only player in EST to not miss a game in three years - outworks everyone around the basket for an offensive rebound, then wraps around and makes a left-handed reverse (not always her forte) for the game winning basket. It was the cherry on top of a 21 point/10 rebound game - to my surprise upon research, only the 2nd 20/10 game in 3 years of EST, with Steph Jankovic's 21/10 on 7/31 being the first - and the lasting memory of back-to-back Outwork titles. Chloe's shot attempts went up on playoff day. After going through the regular season with a higher shooting percentage, fewer attempts, and more assists than each of the previous two years, she took 42 shots between the two playoff games. She was 10/18 in the semifinal, going for 24 points & 7 rebounds, and then went 9/24 in the finals. First, with shooting percentages being what they usually are, I'll take the increase in attempts without batting an eye if I'm getting 45% from the field with it. Second, there's something to be said about deciding when it's your time to take over. Chloe is the type of person to want that moment and be up for the pressure of it. She took it and got the job done. Three years, 42 games, and along with being the EST 'all-time' leader in games played as of now, she's also the leader in total points. This league - and EST as a whole - isn't what it is without Chloe and Becca jumping on board in 2015.

Speaking of Bri & Becca... how about Bri & Becca?! Becca Townes, now a rising senior at Our Lady of Lourdes, was one of the young bucks on the scene in 2015. Her & Chloe were the lone 2018s on their team; the rest were 2016s & 2017s. She has grown in two years from the fresh face to the wily veteran. She had stretches of dominance for Outwork, oftentimes being when they needed it most. Always gifted with quick hands, she became the league leader in steals this summer by baiting players into thinking they could pull off a move against her. She'd relax sometimes and put her hands down, but if you knew her game, you'd realize that was nothing more than a setup. 7 quick points before you could blink in the championship game also put her growth on full display - the 2018 (who by age really should be a 2019) showed she wasn't about to lose. Her backcourt mate, Brianna Rozzi, has also shown immense growth from last summer to this one. In 2016, she was the fresh face. A hot-blooded spitfire that could put the team on her back, but you'd also have to pull the reigns on her at times. It's remarkable to see how she's matured to this point. She's turned into a commanding floor general with an even head. She plays with intensity & focus and has a competitive edge that's second-to-none, but she plays with poise regardless of situation. She can control a game, or she can take it over if needed. The poise in tough situations and continued spurtability was as important a piece to the finals as anything. Bri had 5 points through 3.5 quarters. Outwork was down 6 with under 5 minutes left and nearly went down 9 as a Julie Ford three was just short. Bri ran out at the right time, getting a feed from Townes for a layup. Still down 4 later on - now 53-49 - Bri lined up a three off a Chloe feed in a clutch moment and it was good from the start. Soon after, she got in the open court again and found herself on the receiving end of another Chaffin pass, which she finished to give Outwork their first lead since the 1st half. Unrivaled desire to win with even emotions in tight spots is a deadly combo, and one that Bri has seemed to get to work in her favor.

Have to show love to the team that fell just short in the finals, Next Big Thing. In three years, there may not have been a more enjoyable team to watch in the league. They were very similar to the 2015 version of Outwork. A mix of older & younger, and a lot of girls that may not get the attention they deserve. Whether it's because they come from a smaller school, a team without much of a supporting cast, or they just get overshadowed or live in an area without much coverage, many of Next Big Thing's players don't get the kind of respect that many others have enjoyed. Well, at least they didn't. If this summer showed anything, it's that many of these girls deserve to see their name up at the head of discussion too. No team that I've had in the league has scored at the rate of NBT while maintaining scary balance. Julie Ford, a rising senior at Class C Cooperstown (committed to Albany), led NBT at 12 PPG. Right behind her was Madison Graber at 10.7, a rising senior at Class B Schalmont that showed this summer that she can be a major piece to the puzzle on a great team instead of just being a big scorer. Two Wasaren League rivals coexisted well and sat right behind Madison - Renna Poulin, a rising junior at Tamarac, had 10.3 per game, and Hoosick Falls rising sophomore Logan Thayne had 10.2. Thayne also averaged 10.1 rebounds per game, which marks the first time in EST that a girl has averaged a double-double for the summer. Averill Park's Stephanie Jankovic - for my money, the most underrated player left in the Suburban Council - ended up 5th on the team in scoring average, but her 9.9 PPG (literally 1 point short of 10 per game) was good for 11th in the league. Steph also averaged 7.3 RPG (7th in EST), 3.7 APG (2nd in EST), and 2.6 SPG (2nd in EST). Other players stepped up and had huge moments throughout the year for a team that finished 10-2 and didn't suffer their first loss until the last night of the regular season. Sophie Phillips, one of the three 2021s on the team (another being her twin sister, Lilly), had a 14 point showing in the middle of July, including the game-winning basket with 3 seconds left in a battle of teams that were unbeaten to start that night. Lilly also showed her great value in different stretches, finishing in double digits a couple times and showing electrifying athleticism in the open court. Kayla Doody, Maggie Schuermann, and Anna Jankovic - the other young buck on the squad - had their big moments through the summer. Everyone on NBT played their part and didn't stop the person next to them from playing their part as well. It wasn't the ending that any of them wanted, but it was a team that I - along with many that followed EST - took great joy in watching.

Just a quick follow-up from something in the last 'journal'. I talked about how strong the younger classes look in upstate NY. Look no further than this - in a league that featured nearly 10 girls committed to schools on scholarship already, along with several more players with an impressive list of offers (even some high majors), it was a 2021 that led the league in scoring. Aysia Pink, who will be entering her freshman year at Guilderland, took EST by storm. She helped turn a Young Guns season around, as they went from 0-4 to start the summer to finishing 6-6. She averaged 16 PPG, edging out the likes of Chloe Chaffin and Silke Milliman, and her 24 threes made led EST as well, just holding off Dolly Cairns and Sophie Tougas. And unlike Cairns & Tougas, she wasn't there every week (missed opening night). No one in EST averaged 16 or more last year, and only one - Danielle Migliore, then a rising senior at Frankfort-Schuyler & now entering her sophomore year playing at St. Bonaventure - surpassed that mark in 2015. Better yet, her shooting percentage was great. The 5'7" guard went 54/101 (53.5%) from the field, 24/51 (47.1%) from three, and 28/38 (73.7%) from the line. It's tough to put your stamp on the league in your first year the way Aysia did, especially at her age. It'll be fun to watch her growth, especially as she increases the ability to impact in all areas, just like it will be for the rest of a stacked Class of 2021.

Finally, congrats to the latest ESTers that have either made their verbal commitments to schools or have received offers. Jenna Zimmerman and Cameron Tooley, 2018s at South Jefferson and Shenendehowa that have previously been teammates for a week in the CNY fall league on a team that I happily coached, will be college teammates next fall as they both recently announced their commitments to Division II Le Moyne. They join Erin Fouracre - a 2018 at Colonie that stopped in on July 17 & got a game in EST - in a very strong recruiting class for the Dolphins thus far. They'll be lined up against Emma Carter for the next four years. A rising senior at Mount Abraham (VT) that saw time in 2015's summer league, played consistently in 2016's, and has done various one-day events through the last couple years, recently gave her verbal commitment to Franklin Pierce, a rival member of the NE-10. As far as offers go, three members of the Next Level squad have been racking them up in recent weeks. Grace Heeps - the most heavily offered player in the league that ended her summer by producing the first triple-double in EST history - added Buffalo to recent offers that have included Boston College, Seton Hall, and St. Joseph's. Silke Milliman, her teammate this coming year as a member of Northfield Mount Hermon (MA)'s 2019 class, has racked up Fordham, Vermont, Siena, and most recently NJIT over the last few weeks. Sophie Tougas has already reaped the benefits of a prep move and reclassification. Within 48 hours of announcing her decision to transfer from Glens Falls to Brewster Academy (NH) and become a member of the 2020 class, Tougas picked up offers from Rhode Island and Boston University. Last but not least, Cat Almeida has been earning additional offers after her play in July. Going into the month with a preexisting offer from Binghamton, she's recently piled up additional offers from Manhattan, Cal State Bakersfield, and Hofstra.

Keep an eye out for another post coming soon. There's much to be said about the experience I had at Mase Madness last weekend, along with upcoming events!

Outwork Defends Title In Instant Classic & More; Playoff Recap

The 2nd week of August has marked the culmination of the Empire State Takeover summer league for the last three years; where many of the best players within 3 hours of Albany battle for the title & bragging rights for a year. Last year, a Section IX heavy Outwork squad overcame a 13 point deficit with 6 minutes left to take home the championship as the 2 seed. This year, the Outwork namesake - exclusively Section I & IX now - came into the playoffs one seed lower, but the script read much like it did in 2016.

With a new playoff format separating the top four seeds from the bottom four, the 'quarterfinal' game was aborted as matchups went straight to semifinals. Thanks to major efforts from Chloe Chaffin, an original Outwork member and Fordham commit playing in her 41st & 42nd EST games over three summers, along with timely contributions from fellow defending champs Rebecca Townes (3-year Outwork member) and Brianna Rozzi & a strong supporting cast of first-year players, their team was able to take down the top two seeds en route to the title. A full recap of the night's eight games below:


5:30

(8) Show Stoppers 53, (5) Lockdown 39

It has been a long summer for Show Stoppers, battling injuries to several original players and some inconsistent attendance to fall short in every regular season game. They finally broke into the win column with a strong wire-to-wire performance and strong contributions from 2018 guards playing in their final EST games over two years. It didn't look like it'd end that way at the outset though, as Lockdown started off establishing the perimeter & post in inside/outside duo Makayla Blake (Colonie 2020) and Sam Dayter (Cohoes 2018). Dayter scored 9 of her team high 14 in the first 15 minutes, 7 coming in a 10-3 run that gave Lockdown a 19-10 lead midway through the 2nd. However, they would go on a long scoreless stretch from there, as a pair of Maggie Kirby (Bethlehem 2018) free throws would start a 15-0 run for Show Stoppers reaching into the 3rd quarter. Hancock 2021 Laycee Drake, an electric newcomer, scored all 8 of her points in the run. Emily Frodyma took over from there for Show Stoppers, as she reeled off 7 quick points of her own to maintain the cushion through the 3rd. A Lockdown basket from Amelia Wood (Averill Park 2022) early in the 4th brought their deficit down to 6 at 38-32, but it was all Show Stoppers from there, as 6 different players scored in a game-clinching 11-2 run. A Frodyma basket pushed their cushion to 49-34, the largest lead of the game. She led all scorers with 19 points (7/12 FG), and she added 6 rebounds and 5 steals. Haley Steenland (Stamford 2018) went 4/5 from behind the arc and 13 points and 2 steals. Drake added 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks to her 8 points. Dayter contributed 4 rebounds along with her team high 14 points for Lockdown. Blake added 7 points & 7 rebounds; Jenalyse Alarcon (Troy 2021) chipped in 6 points & 9 rebounds.

Lockdown (4-7): Sam Dayter 14, Brooke Curtin 3, Kelsey Wood 3, Taylor Hansen 2, Jenalyse Alarcon 6, Amelia Wood 4, Makayla Blake 7. Totals: 15-6-39.

Show Stoppers (1-10): Holly Manchester 3, Molly Kirby 1, Haley Steenland 13, Emily Frodyma 19, Maggie Kirby 4, Laycee Drake 8, Callie Chevalier 2, Riqiya Harris 3. Totals: 17-9-53.

Field Goals: Lockdown 15/58 (Dayter 6/16, Curtin 1/6, K. Wood 1/6, Hansen 0/2, Alarcon 3/15, A. Wood 2/7, Blake 2/6), Show Stoppers 17/50 (Manchester 1/7, Mo. Kirby 0/3, Steenland 4/8, Frodyma 7/12, Ma. Kirby 1/6, Drake 3/7, Chevalier 0/1, Harris 1/6).

3-Point Field Goals: Lockdown 3/15 (Dayter 2/7, Curtin 1/3, K. Wood 0/1, Hansen 0/1, Alarcon 0/1, A. Wood 0/2), Show Stoppers 10/21 (Steenland 4/5, Frodyma 3/5, Drake 2/2, Manchester 1/4, Mo. Kirby 0/1, Chevalier 0/1, Ma. Kirby 0/3).

Free Throws: Lockdown 6/12 (Blake 3/7, Hansen 2/2, K. Wood 1/3), Show Stoppers 9/17 (Frodyma 2/2, Ma. Kirby 2/2, Chevalier 2/4, Mo. Kirby 1/2, Steenland 1/2, Harris 1/5).

Rebounds: Lockdown 39 (K. Wood 10), Show Stoppers 33 (Mo. Kirby 8).

Assists: Lockdown 8 (Hansen 3), Show Stoppbers 12 (Manchester 5).

(7) Young Guns 67, (6) Dynasty 45

After a very slow start to the summer, Young Guns turned it around and became a truly dangerous team heading into playoffs. Unfortunately, with the balance of the league, their late push only brought them to the 7 seed with a 4-6 record. They played like a team much higher than their seed once again, though, as a long run stretching from the middle of the 1st quarter into the middle of the 2nd set the tone as there was no question who was coming away with the win. Dynasty held the lead for a short stretch in a back-and-forth start, but the first points from Aysia Pink gave Young Guns a lead they'd never relinquish. The rising Guilderland freshman, who has been one of the breakout performers of the league, then followed up with the last 9 points of the 1st for her team to forge a 19-13 lead. 5 more points to start the 2nd stretched it out more, and a Molly Williams (Waterville 2019) free throw completed a 16-3 run and gave them a 28-13 lead. Dynasty would only bring their deficit to single digits once from then, when Emily Zeyak (Columbia 2018) scored 4 quick points late in the quarter to knock their deficit to 9. Lexi Van Vorst (Columbia 2019) responded with a three for Young Guns to take a 34-22 lead into the half. Any question was erased when Young Guns reeled off the last 8 points of the 3rd - 3 from Pink, and a 3 point play from Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville 2020) to end the quarter - to take a 47-28 lead. Pink led all scorers with a season-high 23 points, and did so on just 11 field goal attempts. Mitchell added 14 points & 3 steals, and Williams added 10 points, 2 steals, and 2 blocks. Haedyn Roberts (Holland Patent 2020) and Lexi DeBeatham (Shaker 2018) hauled down 9 rebounds apiece, helping Young Guns gain a 36-21 edge on the boards. For Dynasty, Zeyak finished with 8 points and 6 assists, and Deliah Smith (FDR-Hyde Park 2020) added 8 points.

Young Guns (5-6): Molly Williams 10, Kyra Oeffler 4, Mikyla Mitchell 14, Lexi Van Vorst 7, Haedyn Roberts 5, Aysia Pink 23, Lexi DeBeatham 3, Sophie Wittenbeck 1. Totals: 23-11-67.

Dynasty (4-7): Alivia Paeglow 4, Emily Zeyak 8, Kyara Triblet 5, Ahnalese Pearson 6, Paige Brinkman 5, Bella Stuart 3, Emmalee Morgan 6, Deliah Smith 8. Totals: 16-7-45.

Field Goals: Young Guns 23/59 (Williams 4/6, Oeffler 1/6, J. DeBeatham 0/4, Mitchell 5/12, Van Vorst 3/8, Roberts 2/5, Pink 7/11, L. DeBeatham 1/2, Wittenbeck 0/5), Dynasty 16/42 (Paeglow 2/7, Zeyak 2/6, Triblet 2/3, Pearson 2/5, Brinkman 2/4, Stuart 1/4, Morgan 2/5, Smith 3/7, Daubon 0/1).

3-Point Field Goals: Young Guns 10/25 (Pink 4/7, Mitchell 2/4, Williams 1/2, L. DeBeatham 1/2, Oeffler 1/3, Van Vorst 1/3, J. DeBeatham 0/1, Wittenbeck 0/3), Dynasty 6/19 (Pearson 2/5, Smith 2/5, Stuart 1/2, Brinkman 1/3, Morgan 0/1, Daubon 0/1, Zeyak 0/2).

Free Throws: Young Guns 11/15 (Pink 5/6, Mitchell 2/2, Roberts 1/1, Williams 1/2, Oeffler 1/2, Wittenbeck 1/2), Dynasty 7/13 (Zeyak 4/7, Morgan 2/2, Triblet 1/3, Paeglow 0/1).

Rebounds: Young Guns 36 (L. DeBeatham, Roberts 9), Dynasty 21 (Paeglow, Stuart 4).

Assists: Young Guns 12 (L. DeBeatham 4), Dynasty 11 (Zeyak 6).

6:30

(1) Next Big Thing 38, (4) Next Level 36

It was playoff basketball at its finest in the 6:30, as two teams that have won games with plenty of offensive firepower decided to turn up the defensive intensity & make it a grind of a game. In a game with a handful of lead changes that was always within range for the team that was trailing, Next Big Thing was able to throw the last punch and then get saved by the buzzer to hold onto the victory.

Next Level, a talented 4 seed that many looking at rosters expected to run the table in EST, held the lead for most of a low scoring 1st half. They established the post from the tip, and Belle Kranbuhl (Adirondack 2020) scored 6 of the team's points and anchored the middle on the defensive end. An 8-2 run in the 2nd gave NBT a brief lead on a Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018; Albany commit) basket, but Next Level quickly responded with a 7-0 spurt to end the half to take a 20-14 lead. All 3 of those field goals were assisted by Grace Heeps (Northfield Mount Hermon (MA) 2019); the last 5 points came from Sophie Tougas (Brewster Academy (NH) 2020). NBT came back with a run of their own in the 3rd, anchored by a stellar defensive start. Ford scored 7 of the 9 points, and they held Next Level to just one field goal in the quarter, a Jackie Piddock (South Jefferson 2022) basket in the last minute. With the score tied at 23 after 3, it was NBT that again started the quarter off strong. A 10-2 run to start the 4th, with Ford receiving help from Wasaren League rivals Renna Poulin (Tamarac 2019) and Logan Thayne (Hoosick Falls 2020), gave NBT the largest lead of the game at 33-25. Next Level responded out of a timeout with one last major push. Piddock & Tougas knocked down threes, both assisted by Heeps, and then Heeps hit one of her own to make it 35-34. After a Stephanie Jankovic (Averill Park 2018) free throw, Next Level received the answer from Kranbuhl. Her first points since the 1st quarter tied the game up at 36. That set the stage for Jankovic. Held without a field goal to that point in the half, she was able to get the ball in the lane, quickly make a move to her left and put one in off the glass to make it 38-36 with 20 seconds left. Their thrill came dangerously close to agony though, as a designed Next Level play led to the ball going in Tougas' hands. After a shot fake from well beyond the arc & dribble, her running three sailed through the net, but left her hand a half-second after the buzzer.

NBT got a huge game from their posts, which has been the case as the summer goes on. Ford had a monster showing, finishing with 18 points & 12 rebounds, and Thayne added 9 points & 9 rebounds. Jankovic added 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, as the three combined for all but 3 of NBT's points. Tougas knocked down 3 threes in the game and paced Next Level with 13 points & 4 rebounds, and Kranbuhl finished with 8 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks in another strong performance.

Next Big Thing (10-1): Julie Ford 18, Stephanie Jankovic 8, Renna Poulin 3, Logan Thayne 9. Totals: 14-9-38.

Next Level (6-5): Kylie Sisto 3, Grace Heeps 3, Belle Kranbuhl 8, Sophie Tougas 13, Jackie Piddock 6, Aubrey Halloran 3. Totals: 13-5-36.

Field Goals: Next Big Thing 14/49 (Doody 0/1, Ford 7/14, S. Jankovic 3/7, Poulin 1/9, A. Jankovic 0/4, Schuermann 0/2, L. Phillips 0/1, Thayne 3/9, S. Phillips 0/2), Next Level 13/48 (Sisto 1/3, Heeps 1/10, Moreau 0/2, Kranbuhl 3/7, A. Piddock 0/2, Tougas 5/15, J. Piddock 2/5, Halloran 1/4).

3-Point Field Goals: Next Big Thing 1/14 (S. Jankovic 1/2, Doody 0/1, Schuermann 0/1, L. Phillips 0/1, Thayne 0/1, Ford 0/2, Poulin 0/3, A. Jankovic 0/3), Next Level 5/25 (Tougas 3/8, J. Piddock 1/3, Heeps 1/7, Halloran 0/1, Sisto 0/2, Moreau 0/2, A. Piddock 0/2).

Free Throws: Next Big Thing 9/16 (Ford 4/5, Thayne 3/5, S. Jankovic 1/2, Poulin 1/2, L. Phillips 0/2), Next Level 5/8 (Kranbuhl 2/2, Sisto 1/2, J. Piddock 1/2, Halloran 1/2).

Rebounds: Next Big Thing 34 (Ford 12), Next Level 35 (Kranbuhl 11).

Assists: Next Big Thing 8 (S. Jankovic 3), Next Level 11 (Heeps 7).

(3) Outwork 58, (2) Rising Stars 48

It's an EST tradition by now. On playoff day, it's Chloe Chaffin's world and we all just live in it. She continued this tradition in the 2017 semifinal, dominating the game from the opening tip and taking control again when needed throughout the game to help write her Outwork team a ticket into the finals for the 3rd straight year.

Thanks in large part to a hot start by Chaffin, a Fordham commit, the game was never truly in question after the 1st quarter. Outwork ran out to a 10-2 start, and another 11-3 run after a couple Rising Stars baskets brought their lead to double digits. A Rebecca Townes (Our Lady of Lourdes 2018) basket brought Outwork's lead to 23-10 after 1 quarter, a quarter in which Chaffin scored 12. Their success continued early in the 2nd, as Erin Fox (Millbrook 2020) helped with a pair of baskets to extend their run to 12-0 and lead to 29-10, the largest lead of the game. From then on, Rising Stars would only cut the lead to single digits twice - once in the 2nd quarter, as a 10-0 run ending with a pair of Dolly Cairns (Saratoga Springs 2020) free throws cut it to 29-20. 4 more points from Chaffin stopped the bleeding for Outwork. She followed with three more timely baskets in the 3rd quarter, two coming back-to-back to extend Outwork's lead back to 43-28 late in the period. Rising Stars chipped away once more, and a Cairns trifecta cut their deficit to 9 at 51-42, but it was Chaffin again who answered with a basket to extend the lead back to double-digits. Sam McKenna (Millbrook 2019) followed with a three to ice the finish.

Chaffin finished with a game high 24 points and added 7 rebounds & 4 steals. McKenna had a solid game for Outwork as well, finishing with 13 points (9 in the 4th), 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. Fox, her high school teammate, had 8 points & 6 boards. For Rising Stars, Giuliana Pritchard (Amsterdam 2018) had 9 points & pulled down 13 rebounds. Cairns, along with Grace Mahar (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2020) also finished with 9 points apiece.

Outwork (7-4): Chloe Chaffin 24, Brianna Rozzi 6, Erin Fox 8, Rebecca Townes 3, Madison Burke 4, Sam McKenna 13. Totals: 25-5-58.

Rising Stars (7-4): Giuliana Pritchard 9, Cat Almeida 5, Allie Pacatte 4, Julia Ryan 8, Dolly Cairns 9, Grace Mahar 9, Sarah Mattfeld 4. Totals: 18-5-48.

Field Goals: Outwork 25/54 (Chaffin 10/18, Rozzi 3/9, Fox 4/8, Townes 1/4, Burke 2/5, McKenna 5/10), Rising Stars 18/60 (Palleschi 0/8, Pritchard 3/10, Almeida 2/7, Pacatte 2/4, Ryan 3/4, Cairns 2/5, Mahar 4/10, Mattfeld 2/12).

3-Point Field Goals: Outwork 3/14 (McKenna 2/5, Chaffin 1/4, Fox 0/1, Townes 0/1, Burke 0/1, Rozzi 0/2), Rising Stars 7/17 (Ryan 2/2, Cairns 2/2, Mahar 1/1, Almeida 1/3, Pritchard 1/4, Palleschi 0/2, Mattfeld 0/3).

Free Throws: Outwork 5/10 (Chaffin 3/4, McKenna 1/2, Townes 1/4), Rising Stars 5/10 (Cairns 3/4, Pritchard 2/4, Pacatte 0/2).

Rebounds: Outwork 27 (McKenna 8), Rising Stars 39 (Pritchard 13).

Assists: Outwork 13 (Townes 6), Rising Stars 12 (Almeida 4).

7:30

(7) Young Guns 61, (8) Show Stoppers 43

A fast start from the upstart Young Guns was too much for the Show Stoppers to overcome, as the hot streak continued for the team in orange. The game was a runaway seemingly from the word 'go', as 6 quick points from Mikyla Mitchell (Scotia-Glenville 2020) & 4 more from Julia DeBeatham (Shaker 2020) helped Young Guns gain a quick 14-0 edge. Show Stoppers were able to gather themselves and get on the board, but a 20-8 1st quarter margin quickly blew out of proportion as Aysia Pink (Guilderland 2021) and Haedyn Roberts (Holland Patent 2020) combined forces on a 9-0 run to start the 2nd and extend their lead to 29-8. Show Stoppers didn't quit, going on an 8-0 run to cut their deficit to 13, but Roberts ended the quarter with a pair of free throws, and the margin was never closer than 15 in the 2nd half. To make matters worse, Show Stoppers suffered a loss late in the 3rd as point guard Holly Manchester (Susquehanna Valley 2018) - who had 9 points at the time - went down with an ankle injury. A Pink three gave Young Guns their largest lead in the 4th at 54-30, and they coasted to the finish line.

Pink again led all scorers with 18 points (7 in the 4th), and she added 5 rebounds. Mitchell contributed 11 points (9 in the 1st), 4 rebounds, & 2 steals, and they received 8 points on 4/5 shooting from Lexi Van Vorst (Columbia 2019). For Show Stoppers, the twins combined for half of their scoring as Maggie Kirby (Bethlehem 2018) finished with 11 points and Molly Kirby (Bethlehem 2018) added 10. Maggie added 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in what was her best showing since returning just over a week prior from an ACL tear. Manchester added 9, and Laycee Drake (Hancock 2021) chipped in 7 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks.

Young Guns (6-6): Molly Williams 2, Kyra Oeffler 7, Julia DeBeatham 6, Mikyla Mitchell 11, Lexi Van Vorst 8, Haedyn Roberts 5, Aysia Pink 18, Lexi DeBeatham 2, Sophie Wittenbeck 2. Totals: 22-13-61.

Show Stoppers (1-11): Holly Manchester 9, Molly Kirby 10, Emily Frodyma 4, Maggie Kirby 11, Laycee Drake 7, Riqiya Harris 2. Totals: 17-6-43.

Field Goals: Young Guns 22/55 (Williams 1/7, Oeffler 2/6, J. DeBeatham 2/6, Mitchell 4/5, Van Vorst 4/5, Roberts 1/3, Pink 6/12, L. DeBeatham 1/6, Wittenbeck 1/5), Show Stoppers 17/53 (Manchester 4/9, Mo. Kirby 4/8, Frodyma 1/5, Ma. Kirby 4/11, Chevalier 0/3, Drake 3/11, Harris 1/6).

3-Point Field Goals: Young Guns 4/16 (Pink 2/6, Mitchell 1/2, Oeffler 1/4, Williams 0/1, J. DeBeatham 0/1, Wittenbeck 0/2), Show Stoppers 3/22 (Mo. Kirby 2/4, Drake 1/6, Harris 0/1, Frodyma 0/3, Manchester 0/4, Ma. Kirby 0/4).

Free Throws: Young Guns 13/17 (Pink 4/4, Roberts 3/4, Oeffler 2/2, J. DeBeatham 2/3, Mitchell 2/4), Show Stoppers 6/8 (Ma. Kirby 3/4, Frodyma 2/2, Manchester 1/2).

Rebounds: Young Guns 34 (Oeffler, Roberts, Pink 5), Show Stoppers 28 (Ma. Kirby, Drake 6).

Assists: Young Guns 11 (J. DeBeatham 4), Show Stoppers 9 (Drake 3).

(5) Lockdown 46, (6) Dynasty 44

A Lockdown season that could aptly be described as a roller coaster finished on a peak, as they overcame a 9 point 1st half deficit to take a late lead, then held off a late rally and got a game saving block from a less-than-likely source to end with a win.

It didn't look like it'd end in this fashion at the start, as Dynasty threw the first punch and went on a 12-0 run to end the 1st quarter up 16-7. Their balance was key, as they received scoring from 5 different players in the run. However, a staunch defensive effort by Lockdown forced their opponents into 3/15 shooting in the 2nd, and the inside/outside combo of Kelsey Wood (Averill Park 2020) and Sam Dayter (Cohoes 2018) helped their team clip the deficit to 2 by the half. The two combined to score all 13 of Lockdown's 2nd quarter points, with Dayter scoring 8 of them. The game turned into a back-and-forth affair in the 3rd, featuring six lead changes on consecutive baskets. Wood stepped out and showed her improving range, knocking down her 2nd three of the night in giving Lockdown a 30-29 lead midway through the 3rd, their first lead since early in the 1st. The tug of war continued into the 4th, featuring three more lead changes to start the quarter. A Dayter 3-point play gave Lockdown a 39-37 lead in the early stretches of the 4th. Jaelen Daubon (FDR-Hyde Park 2020) answered with a Dynasty basket to tie it up, and a three from Averill Park 2022 Amelia Wood - her only field goal - gave Lockdown a lead they would no longer relinquish. After Dayter scored to push the lead to 5, 6'3" Victoria Konicki (Voorheesville 2019) answered with a three to cut Dynasty's deficit to 44-42. A Lockdown free throw was answered with an EmmaLee Morgan (Averill Park 2019) basket - the final of her team high 12 points - to cut it to 45-44. After a Brooke Curtin (Cohoes 2020) free throw pushed Lockdown's lead back to 2, Dynasty had the ball on a sideline out-of-bounds set with a few seconds remaining. A broken play resulted in what appeared to be an open layup for Dynasty, but Taylor Hansen (Norwich 2019) - a guard - made the recovery from the weak side and climbed the ladder to block the game-tying shot right before the buzzer. It was her 3rd block in 8 games.

Dayter led all scorers with 19 in the Lockdown victory, and she added 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Kelsey Wood had a strong game, scoring 12 points on just 5 field goal attempts & adding 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Her younger sister, Amelia, had 8 rebounds and 2 steals. For Dynasty, Morgan added a team high 7 rebounds to her 12 points. Konicki added 8 points and 4 rebounds, and Anna Iannotti (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2018) also contributed 8 points.

Dynasty (4-8): Victoria Konicki 8, Emily Zeyak 2, Kyara Triblet 2, Bella Stuart 5, EmmaLee Morgan 12, Jaelen Daubon 7, Anna Iannotti 8. Totals: 18-5-44.

Lockdown (5-7): Sam Dayter 19, Brooke Curtin 6, Kelsey Wood 12, Taylor Hansen 2, Jenalyse Alarcon 2, Amelia Wood 3, Makayla Blake 2. Totals: 16-8-46.

Field Goals: Dynasty 18/49 (Paeglow 0/2, Konicki 3/7, Zeyak 1/4, Triblet 1/3, Pearson 0/4, Stuart 2/5, Morgan 5/13, Daubon 2/3, Smith 0/3, Iannotti 4/5), Lockdown 16/48 (Dayter 7/18, Curtin 2/9, K. Wood 4/5, Hansen 0/2, Alarcon 1/5, A. Wood 1/6, Blake 1/3).

3-Point Field Goals: Dynasty 3/10 (Konicki 2/3, Stuart 1/2, Zeyak 0/1, Daubon 0/1, Smith 0/1, Pearson 0/2), Lockdown 6/22 (K. Wood 2/2, Dayter 2/9, A. Wood 1/4, Curtin 1/6, Hansen 0/1).

Free Throws: Dynasty 5/11 (Daubon 3/4, Morgan 2/3, Zeyak 0/2, Stuart 0/2), Lockdown 8/15 (Dayter 3/3, K. Wood 2/2, Hansen 2/4, Curtin 1/2, Alarcon 0/2, A. Wood 0/2).

Rebounds: Dynasty 28 (Morgan 7), Lockdown 31 (K. Wood, A. Wood 8).

Assists: Dynasty 11 (Zeyak, Pearson, Daubon 3), Lockdown 9 (Alarcon 4).

8:30

2017 EST Finals

(3) Outwork 57, (1) Next Big Thing 55

There have been many great games over the three years of Empire State Takeover, with several coming this summer, but this year's finals go on a short list among the best games the summer league has ever seen. It was a scene much like the 2015 finals, just with an ironic role reversal. Next Big Thing, the 2017 version of 2015's Outwork team, used an uptempo style and great teamwork to get to this point. But much like Outwork - which featured Chloe Chaffin and Rebecca Townes in 2015, just like it did this year - experienced in the league's first year with an individual takeover by Danielle Migliore (now at St. Bonaventure) & great efforts by the Tougas sisters in a 57-53 loss, they received that same sort of individual output by Chaffin and major timely contributions from Townes, Brianna Rozzi, and the remaining players en route to a thrilling victory.

The tug of war started right from the tip, as the teams traded baskets at a breakneck pace early. The first 5 baskets included lead changes, and 5 of the 6 in uniform for Outwork scored in the first three minutes as they raced out to a 14-9 lead on a Rebecca Townes (Our Lady of Lourdes 2018) basket. They pushed the lead to 6 on a Chloe Chaffin (Kingston 2018; Fordham commit) basket, and Townes scored 4 more points late in the quarter to help counter a fantastic early effort by Next Big Thing's Julie Ford (Cooperstown 2018; Albany commit). Townes & Chaffin had 7 each in the first 10 minutes for Outwork, giving them a 23-20 edge over NBT and Ford's 11 points. It was Logan Thayne (Hoosick Falls 2020) who picked up the slack in the 2nd for NBT, as she scored 10 points in the frame and helped anchor a strong defensive effort that held Outwork to 2/15 shooting and 6 points in the quarter, helping NBT gain their largest lead at 37-29 at the half following an 11-0 run.

Outwork turned up the defensive intensity in the 3rd quarter, and it showed as they held NBT to an uncharacteristic single digit quarter (8 points) on 3/13 shooting. However, they suffered some offensive woes of their own in the period, with the exception of Chaffin. After scoring 10 in the 1st half, she contributed 7 of their 11 points in the 3rd quarter, with a late bucket trimming their deficit to 45-40 heading into the 4th. Erin Fox (Millbrook 2020) started the 4th with a basket to knock it down to 3, but Renna Poulin (Tamarac 2019) responded with a three - her 2nd of the game - to bump NBT's lead back to 6. A Ford basket gave NBT a 6 point lead once more at 51-45, but that's when Outwork made their last big push. Brianna Rozzi (Highland 2019), who made several huge plays in Outwork's 2016 championship victory, started it off with two points off a Townes feed. Sam McKenna (Millbrook 2019) followed it with a basket, and after Ford scored her 18th point of the game, Rozzi canned a three off a Chaffin feed to cut Outwork's deficit to 53-52. The two connected once more, with Rozzi connecting to give Outwork their first lead since the 2nd quarter at 54-53. NBT responded with a Thayne basket - her first of the 2nd half - off a Stephanie Jankovic (Averill Park 2018) feed to take the lead again. Up 1 in the waning moments, McKenna jumped a passing lane and took it the other way, getting fouled on the ensuing layup. She split a pair of free throws to tie it up, and after Outwork got a stop on the defensive end, it set the table for the final play. With NBT pressing and 15 seconds left on the clock, Chaffin got the inbounds pass and took it the length of the court, kicking out to Rozzi at the right wing. Rozzi's shot fell just short, and Chaffin was able to win the ensuing scramble for the rebound - her 10th of the game. After securing the ball, she took one dribble left and avoided the length of NBT's forwards and put home a left-handed reverse layup with 5 seconds on the clock to give Outwork a 57-55 lead. NBT turned it over on the ensuing out-of-bounds play, with McKenna once again jumping a passing lane, to seal Outwork's victory.

Chaffin saved one of her best EST performances for last. In her 42nd game over three years, a journey that has taken her to the finals all three times and in the winner's circle twice, the EST leader in games played and total points led the way with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Rozzi, also a champion in both of her years in EST, made huge plays once again to seal the deal and had 12 points (5/8 FG) and 5 rebounds. McKenna added 8 points, and high school teammate Fox added 7 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Townes, the only other player besides Chaffin to make the finals all three years and be a multi-year champion, had 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in the victory. Madison Burke (Kingston 2019) only had 2 points, but her value in the game could not be overlooked as she played a great floor game as a point guard to take pressure off players like Rozzi & Chaffin. For Next Big Thing, the posts were dominant from start to finish and it showed in the stats. The 6'2" Ford and 6'1" Thayne each had double-doubles against an athletic, but smaller Outwork squad. Ford had 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals, and Thayne had 16 points & 15 rebounds. Each shot over 50% from the field. Madison Graber (Schalmont 2018) added 10 points for NBT, and Poulin had 6. Jankovic was held to 2 points, but she made her presence felt with 6 rebounds, a game high 5 assists, and 3 steals from the guard spot.

Outwork (8-4): Chloe Chaffin 21, Brianna Rozzi 12, Erin Fox 7, Rebecca Townes 7, Madison Burke 2, Sam McKenna 8. Totals: 22-8-57.

Next Big Thing (10-2): Julie Ford 18, Madison Graber 10, Stephanie Jankovic 2, Renna Poulin 6, Anna Jankovic 1, Maggie Schuermann 2, Logan Thayne 16. Totals: 24-4-55.

Field Goals: Outwork 22/58 (Chaffin 9/24, Rozzi 5/8, Fox 2/9, Townes 2/5, Burke 1/4, McKenna 3/8), Next Big Thing 24/63 (Doody 0/3, Ford 8/15, Graber 4/9, S. Jankovic 1/7, Poulin 2/4, A. Jankovic 0/4, Schuermann 1/2, Thayne 8/14, S. Phillips 0/5).

3-Point Field Goals: Outwork 5/17 (Rozzi 2/4, Chaffin 2/5, McKenna 1/6, Fox 0/1, Townes 0/1), Next Big Thing 3/18 (Poulin 2/2, Ford 1/3, Schuermann 0/1, Doody 0/2, Thayne 0/2, S. Phillips 0/2, Graber 0/3, A. Jankovic 0/3).

Free Throws: Outwork 8/15 (Townes 3/4, Fox 3/6, Chaffin 1/2, McKenna 1/3), Next Big Thing 4/12 (Graber 2/3, Ford 1/4, A. Jankovic 1/4, Thayne 0/1).

Rebounds: Outwork 31 (Chaffin 10), Next Big Thing 44 (Thayne 15).

Assists: Outwork 10 (Fox, Townes 3), Next Big Thing 13 (S. Jankovic 5).

(4) Next Level 67, (2) Rising Stars 53

The consolation game of the 3rd annual EST summer league had every bit of the firepower of the game going on next door, but lacked the drama of its counterpart. Next Level went on an unprecedented hot streak to start the game and found itself up by a large margin early, and although Rising Stars continued to show effort and chip away, it felt much like their semifinal game as Next Level always had the answer.

The area of court behind the arc was friendly to Next Level from the tip. It started with a three from Allison Moreau (Sauquoit Valley 2019) on a Grace Heeps (Northfield Mount Hermon (MA) 2019) feed, and then Moreau paid it forward and found Sophie Tougas (Brewster Academy (NH) 2020) for a three. Rising Stars got on the board with a Dolly Cairns (Saratoga Springs 2020) trey, but Next Level reeled off a quick 11-0 run - 9 coming from deep - and Jackie Piddock (South Jefferson 2022) started & ended the run with threes to give Next Level a quick 20-7 edge. Jackie's older sister, Abby Piddock (South Jefferson 2020), scored 5 quick points late in the quarter to give her squad a 26-11 lead through 10 minutes. Next Level shot a remarkable 7/8 from three-point range in the 1st quarter alone. They didn't have the same success in the 2nd, but Rising Stars found it tough to climb from such a hole, even with some firepower of their own. Cairns knocked down back-to-back threes early in the 2nd to cut their deficit to 10, but Tougas and Piddock answered with baskets and Aubrey Halloran (Albany 2018) joined the party with a pair of baskets to extend the lead back to 15. A quick 8-0 spurt from Rising Stars - 4 points apiece from Grace Mahar (Mount Anthony Union (VT) 2020) and Sarah Mattfeld (Catholic Central 2021) - brought their deficit down to 38-31, but Heeps found Tougas on consecutive possessions to bump Next Level's lead back to 12. Tougas returned the favor, finding Heeps for a three to make it 48-34, and after Mattfeld connected on her 3rd field goal of the quarter, Heeps found Tougas for her 3rd three of the game to make it 51-36. Late in the quarter, Kylie Sisto (Shenendehowa 2018) got in on the act, assisting a Halloran three and scoring herself to make it 56-38 after 3 quarters. Rising Stars would get no closer than 14 in the 4th, as Heeps kept them at bay with 4 points & 2 assists in the frame.

Tougas, who had just received a scholarship offer from Rhode Island earlier in the day after her announcement pertaining to her prep move and reclassification, had a team high 17 points for Next Level and added 5 rebounds & 2 assists. In the final game of the summer for Heeps, a 5'11" guard with 16 Division I offers, she finally grabbed her elusive first EST triple-double that she had been close to numerous times. She finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists, and Grace also added a pair of blocks. Jackie Piddock added 10 points and 5 rebounds, and Abby Piddock had 9 points & 6 rebounds. For Rising Stars, Cairns had a fantastic game of her own to cap a great season, dropping a game high 18 points and adding 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Cat Almeida (Shenendehowa 2019) had one of her strongest games of the summer, finishing with 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Grace Mahar & Sarah Mattfeld each had 10 points, and Mattfeld added 5 rebounds.

Next Level (7-5): Kylie Sisto 6, Grace Heeps 11, Allison Moreau 5, Belle Kranbuhl 2, Abby Piddock 9, Sophie Tougas 17, Jackie Piddock 10, Aubrey Halloran 7. Totals: 27-2-67.

Rising Stars (7-5): Giuliana Pritchard 4, Cat Almeida 11, Dolly Cairns 18, Grace Mahar 10, Sarah Mattfeld 10. Totals: 22-4-53.

Field Goals: Next Level 27/79 (Sisto 3/9, Heeps 4/15, Moreau 2/9, Kranbuhl 1/7, A. Piddock 3/6, Tougas 7/16, J. Piddock 4/6, Halloran 3/11), Rising Stars 22/57 (Palleschi 0/3, Pritchard 1/9, Almeida 5/8, Ryan 0/3, Cairns 6/13, Mahar 5/11, Mattfeld 5/12).

3-Point Field Goals: Next Level 11/29 (Tougas 3/8, A. Piddock 2/2, J. Piddock 2/3, Heeps 2/7, Halloran 1/1, Moreau 1/5, Sisto 0/3), Rising Stars 5/16 (Cairns 4/7, Almeida 1/1, Palleschi 0/1, Ryan 0/1, Mahar 0/1, Pritchard 0/2, Mattfeld 0/3).

Free Throws: Next Level 2/6 (Heeps 1/2, A. Piddock 1/2, Moreau 0/1, Kranbuhl 0/1), Rising Stars 4/14 (Pritchard 2/2, Cairns 2/3, Mattfeld 0/2, Mahar 0/7).

Rebounds: Next Level 49 (Heeps 11), Rising Stars 37 (Almeida 8).

Assists: Next Level 19 (Heeps 10), Rising Stars 14 (Cairns 5).