Team Huddle garners American Pharoah crown

By Bob Corwin

In part 1 of our report on the 2019 Battle in the Boro, Justify (rising seniors or younger) was featured. In part 2 the 2021 American Pharoah (rising juniors or younger) Division is discussed.

We are in horse country

This year all divisions in the Battle in the Boro were named after Triple Crown winning horses. For those of you unfamiliar, the task entails the rare feat of winning the three premier races (Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes) for three-year-old horse. In our four reports, the top division in each age group is discussed

Picking up the action in the final...

2021 American Pharoah: Team Huddle – Cousy (Berlin, Ohio) 60-53 Team Nard Celtics Gold (Atlanta, Georgia)

This match-up pitted the more structured Team Huddle – Cousy versus Team Nard Celtics Gold which tends to favor a more up and down game.

Team Nard opened in a zone but quickly went man as Team Huddle hit three triples’ in the first three minutes building an 11-point lead early in the first half. Team Nard’s defensive switch paid dividends going out at half only trailing 31-29.

Team Huddle started the second half quickly hitting multiple 3’s and built a double-digit lead. Forcing turnovers in the last five minutes, Team Nard cut the lead to seven (the final margin).

Team Huddle was led by division MVP Zoe Miller (Bowling Green commit) with 23 points scoring in and out of the key, also hitting the boards hard. All-tournament selectee Morgan Yoder finished with 17 points for Team Huddle. Nya Valentine led Team Nard Gold with 16 points.

Special thanks to Cristy McKinney (who contributed to the above narrative and supervised all-tournament selections for the America Pharoah Division) and Darby Maggard (who served on the all-tournament selections committee concentrating on the American Pharoah Division).

Players below are listed alphabetically with height, position, graduation year and club team with home town in parenthesis.  The criteria for selection was performance at the event in conjunction with success of the team. Congratulations to all selected!

2019 Battle in the Boro
2021 - American Pharoah
All-Tournament Team

Catherine Cunningham, 5-11, shooting guard, 2021, I-90 Elite - Wright (Syracuse, New York)

Melannie Daley, 5-10, point guard, 2021, Empire State Basketball Club ’21 Nick (Hastings on Hudson, New York)

Jalisa Dunlap, 5-10, shooting guard, 2021, Team Nard Celtics Gold (Stockbridge, Georgia)

Mackenzie Egger, 5-10, point guard, 2021, Michigan Mystics Blackout (Mount Pleasant, Michigan)

Mason Jones, 5-10, shooting guard, 2021, DC Queens-WTX (Panhandle, Texas)

Alexia Lindsey, 5-8, forward, 2021, BWSL Webb 10th (Virginia Beach, Virginia)

Alexis Markowski, 6-3, power forward, 2021, Nebraska Lasers National Gold (Lincoln, Nebraska)

Aizhanique Mayo, 5-8, point guard, 2022, Bria Holmes Elite 16U (Bridgeport, Connecticut)

Zoe Miller, 6-1, power forward, 2021, Team Huddle – Cousy (Berlin, Ohio) MVP

Kaitlin Peterson, 5-7, guard, 2021, FBC Bouncenation Jay (Eufaula, Alabama)

Shyanne Sellers, 6-2, guard, 2021, SMAC Lady Ballers (Aurora, Ohio)

Naomi Smith, 5-9, point guard, 2021, Oklahoma Swish 2021/2022 Blue (Lawton, Oklahoma)

Jaiden Thomas, 5-9, shooting guard, 2022, Arkansas Dazzlers (Conway, Arkansas)

Nya Valentine, 5-3, point guard, 2021, Team Nard Celtics Gold (Mobile, Alabama)

Sacha Washington, 6-1, power forward, 2021, FBC Hoopstars Brown (Lilburn, Georgia)

Morgan Yoder, 5-7, point guard, 2021, Team Huddle – Cousy (Berlin, Ohio)