Youth basketball championships: A1 Awards & Promotions dominates title game

Published 5:58 pm Saturday, February 25, 2017

A1 Awards and Promotions scored the first five points of Saturday’s championship game against Fitness Unlimited. The girls never looked back as they rolled to a 20-5 win, earning them the title in the 7-10 girls division.

Tanaeja White slashes to the basket in Saturday’s title game.

Tanaeja White slashes to the basket in Saturday’s title game.

Tanaeja White’s free throw was the only point scored in the first quarter. She helped A1 build a 5-0 lead before Avery Thomas’ 2-for-2 trip to the charity stripe put Fitness Unlimited on the board.

White responded quickly. She had a block on the defensive end, swiping the ball and grabbing it out of the air, before turning it into a fast-break basket. Her layup produced a 7-3 lead at halftime after Thomas notched another free throw late in the second.

Avery Thomas is chased by Zariyah Gorham and Briyanati Scott as she tries to get a basket on the fastbreak.

Avery Thomas is chased by Zariyah Gorham and Briyanati Scott as she tries to get a basket on the fastbreak.

A1 got two more baskets in the third quarter before Thomas’ mid-range make gave Fitness Unlimited its first field goal of the game. Still, A1 was able to build a 13-5 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Zariyah Gorham’s presence inside helped A1 on the boards. It also helped stifle Fitness Unlimited’s offense while her team’s offense shut the door with seven unanswered points in the fourth quarter.