Team Africa finished second, losing to US West 70-61 in the final game on Sunday at the second edition of the Junior NBA Global Championship held in Orlando, Florida.
The Africa team emerged champions of the International Pool beating Canada 80-46 for the second year in a row, but could not defeat the US West team in the Global Championship final. It was double honours for the USA as U.S. Central defeated Canada 72-35 in the girls division.
The Central girls team, from Kansas City, finished the week with a 7-0 record, to win their second consecutive title. The West boys team, from Los Angeles, went 2-1 in pool play before winning three straight games in bracket play, including victories over the Northwest, Central and the previously undefeated Southeast, to advance to the Global Championship final.
West guard Tyler Rolison recorded a team-high 21 points and 12 rebounds, and Quinton Webb, Issac Martinez and Taj DeGourville combined for 39 points in the win over Africa.
At the end of the tourney, Team Africa’s Marouf Moumine won the award for the second consecutive year in the Boys category and Breya Cunningham of US West won it in the Girls category.
The Respect award went to S’mya Nichols (Central Team) in the Girls category, while Amani Hansberry (Mid-Atlantic) won in the Boys category.
Teamwork Award went to Caidence Amartey (Canada) in the Girls Category, and Isaiah Collier, (Southeast) in the boys division. The Community Award went to Giovanna Da Silva (Latin America) while Emiliano Trevino of Mexico won it in the boy’s category.
The global youth basketball tournament took place from Aug. 6-11 and featured 32 of the top 13- and 14-year-old boys and girls’ teams from around the world. Overall, 15,000 players from 75 countries participated across Jr. NBA Global Championship regional competitions.
