July 17, 2023
By Morgan Wenger
Tournament Director

AK27 looked to be the dominant team in the Young Bucks division early on, as they scored a 30-7 win against tBt and followed that up with a 30-15 victory against Hair Jordan. Braylon Gamble used his crafty handle and smooth skills to lead the way with 15 points against tBt, while Marcus Council Jr added 11. Carter Hignight led tBt with four points in defeat. While Gamble and Council Jr were lighting up the nets from three-point land, Braylon Arnold cleaned things up inside in leading AK27 with 12 points in their win against Hair Jordan. Braxton Dawson knocked down two three pointers to lead Hair Jordan with six points.

While AK27 looked dominant early on, Average Joes were just as effective while somewhat flying under the radar. Average Joes defeated Hair Jordan 30-24 behind 14 points from Reggie Edwards and 12 points from Alex Meinen. Parker Reinhart scored seven points to lead a balanced attack for Hair Jordan. The next game had a similar feel as Average Joes pulled away for a 30-24 victory against tBt. Average Joes survived a great shooting performance from tBt’s Cade Leach to notch the win. Leach was on fire, knocking down six deep balls on his way to a game high 22 points. Alex Meinen continued to display his versatile offensive arsenal, scoring half of his team high 12 points from inside the arc and half of them from outside the arc.

The final pool play game in the Young Bucks division seemed like a sure bet to be a championship game preview. Marcus Council Jr put his stamp on this game early and often for AK27. Council Jr played strong defense while beating up Average Joes with his bruising drives to the basket. Average Joes countered by going inside to Reggie Edwards. Edwards used his superior size and length to score 14 points to lead Average Joes. In the end, it was not enough to overcome Council Jr and AK27. AK27 pulled away for a 30-23 win to earn the top seed on the bracket. Braylon Gamble added eight points for AK27, who were led by Marcus Council Jr’s 15 points in the game.

AK27's Braylon Gamble looks to attack tBt's Carter Hignight

Perhaps tiring as the day went on, AK27 got challenged in the semifinals by a suddenly surging tBt squad looking to avenge the 30-7 drubbing they took when the two teams played earlier in the tournament. Carter Hignight (10 points) used his skill and athleticism to attack the basket while Cade Leach (12 points, four three pointers) continued his hot shooting from long distance. This was a game that Braylon Gamble would not allow his team to lose though. Gamble had his handle, elusiveness, and strength on full display as he scored 16 points to lead his team to a 30-24 victory to advance to the championship game. Average Joes had their hands full on the other side of the bracket too, winning another close game against Hair Jordan 30-26. Alex Meinen could not be stopped in this game, scoring 14 points to lead Average Joes while teammate Reggie Edwards chipped in with eight points. As they had been doing all day, Hair Jordan used their prolific three-point shooting for most of their offensive output. Parker Reinhart knocked down four bombs to account for his team high 12 points, while Braxton Dawson splashed two long balls as part of his 10-point outing.

The championship game was hotly contested from the start. AK27 seemed to be more reliant on their outside shooting compared to earlier in the day. Braylon Gamble knocked down three from outside the arc to lead his team’s balanced attack with 11 points. Reggie Edwards had his way inside again for Average Joes. Not only did he score 12 points to lead his team, but he was a force on the defensive side of the ball as well. Braylon Arnold made some plays for AK27 as the game went on, adding eight points in a game that was tied several times after the teams reached the 20-point mark. With leading scorer Alex Meinen stymied by the defense of AK27 again, Jaxson Gasser (10 points) provided a huge offensive lift for Average Joes in the early stages of the game. Down the stretch, Average Joes went to Reggie Edwards on the block over and over again. The big man delivered. Edwards bullied his way to eight of his team’s last 10 points to secure an intense, hard fought 30-28 championship game victory for Average Joes.

Average Joes (Austin Gasser, Jaxson Gasser, Alex Meinen, Reggie Edwards)

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