PHOTO BY BOB ROCHE
Shoemaker’s Riley Zukas tries to dribble around the outstretched arms of Matty Laurino.
Lynn’s best and brightest young student-athletes took to the court one last time on Saturday for the Lynn Elementary Basketball Tournament All-Star Games. The event, now in its third year, also includes free throw competitions, an Around the World contest for the girls and a 3-point shootout for the boys. The preliminary rounds of each contest pit players from their respective squads against each other, with the winner from each team going head-to-head in the final round. The girls’ Around the World competition was up first, and the first trophy of the day was awarded to Tracy’s Nasla Pujols, representing the West Lynn squad. The West was able to make it a clean sweep when Ford’s Teanna Nguon took the girls’ free throw contest. In the boys’ free throw, Lynn Woods‘ Brady Warren was able to break the West Lynn streak by taking home the trophy. Warren’s East Lynn teammate, Jessie Ofurie (Hood School) won the 3-point shootout.
The girls’ All-Star Game had East Lynn taking on the West in a contest that went right down to the wire. After an offense-filled first half, defense took over in the second. The two well-rounded teams played with intensity and determination. East Lynn trailed by two points going into the final minute, and made some great plays to try and send the game into an extra frame, but in the end, West Lynn was able to hold on for the 21-19 victory. Lincoln-Thomson‘s Jaivalize Soto had a game-high eight points for West Lynn and was named the team’s MVP. Pujols added four points in the win. Callahan’s Azzure Heing, Cobbet’s Vanessa So and Sewell-Anderson’s Abby Holloway had a basket apiece for the West. Sisson’s Yvanna Masse was named the MVP for the East behind her team-high six points. Masse’s Sisson teammate, Kylie Mills, chipped in with four points. Lynn Woods’ Brynn Bullock, Aborn’s Eliza Correnti and Shoemaker’s Allie Fritz were also among the scorers for East Lynn.
The boys’ game saw the highly talented West Lynn squad (they had four returning all-stars from last year) break out to an early lead that they never gave up, as they prevailed, 58-39. Washington’s Rafael Zayas scored a game-high 17 points, including three 3-pointers, and was awarded West Lynn MVP honors. Cobbet’s Jonelle Aguerro and Sewell-Anderson’s David Brown had nine points each for the West, with Tracy’s Lionel Rivera (last year’s West Lynn MVP) chipping in six. East Lynn was paced by MVP Marquis L’Italien‘s 10 points. His Lynn Woods teammate Brady Warren added nine for the East. Brickett’s Kyle Bradely Kamendis and Sisson’s Manny Soto added four points apiece.