North Girls & Boys Grab Basketball Wins
The North boys and girls all-star basketball teams completed a sweep in the annual All-Star Sports Week competition played at the Alabama State Unviersity Acadome.
Boys: North 76, South 72 (OT)
William Powell, a 6-foot-5 forward from Huntsville High School, scored 15 points and Mountain Brook 6-foot guard Mario Stramaglia added 14 as the North All-Stars downed the South 76-72 in overtime Wednesday night at Alabama State University’s Acadome. It marked the ninth straight win for the North in the All-Star Sports Week boys basketball competition dating back to 2003.
The North holds a 12-3 lead in the All-Star Sports Week competition that began in 1997. The North is also 43-25 in the series that actually began in 1953 and continued annually until 1985 when the North-South series was interrupted until 1997 when the Alabama High School Athletic Association and its coaches’ arm, the Alabama High School Athletic Directors & Coaches Association, started All-Star Sports Week in 1997.
The North, coached by Mark Newton of Lauderdale County and Greg Van Horn of Indian Springs, led by eight in the fourth quarter before the South rallied to take the lead 70-68 on a short jumper by Billy Ingram of Sumter County with 51 seconds left in the period. Stramaglia went to the foul line with 42 seconds remaining and made both free throws to tie the game at 70-70 for the North.
The South missed a chance to win when Murphy’s Romoane Eager rebounded a missed North shot with nine seconds left. His shot missed at the other end and teammate Kerry Mitchell of Selma rebounded with a second left. His put back hit the rim to send the game into overtime.
South MVP Billy Ingram of Sumter County led all scorers with 17 points. Brandon Grant of Baker scored 16 with 12 coming on four 3-pointers. Kerry Mitchell of Selma added 11 and 6-6 forward Wendell Snow of Central-Hayneville had a game-high 11 rebounds.
Powell was 6-of-9 from the field with six rebounds and scored a key bucket in overtime to put the North ahead 75-72 with 39 seconds left to seal the win. The North, just 11-of-25 at the foul line on the night, outscored the South 6-2 in the overtime. Stramaglia was 3-of-6 on 3-point tries and 3-of-4 at the foul line.
LaJuan Doss of Pickens County added eight points for the North while Nigel Whatley of Wenonah, Baryn Houston of Vestavia Hills and Michael Gilmore of Erwin, added seven each.
The South, which out-rebounded the North 55-43, was coached by Timothy Waller of Murphy and Tommy Tisdale of Keith.
Girls: North 79, South 41
The North increased its lead in the All-Star Sports Week girls basketball competition to 13-2 with a fast start Wednesday night en route to a 79-41 victory at Alabama State University’s Acadome.
Jumping out to a quick 17-2 lead, he North stars led 26-9 after one quarter and 49-25 by intermission. North team MVP Jasmine Jones of Bob Jones High School poured in 22 points on a 10-of-15 shooting effort from the field and also had seven rebounds.
Kendra Watts of Fairfield chipped in 10 points, Chelsee Black of Bessemer City had nine points and Tierra Jones of Bob Jones added seven points and a team-high eight rebounds. Red Bay’s Hannah Sharp also had three assists and Jasmine Jones also had four steals.
South MVP Alexis Horton of Andalusia led her squad with 12 points. Leah Brundidge of T.R. Miller and Jasmine Lee Flomaton also had six each. Lee also had seven rebounds.
Coaching the South were Melissa White of Enterprise and Carolyn Wright of Central-Phenix City. Larry Strain of Woodland and Paul Wilson of Danville coached the North.