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Team Final finishes 3-2 at 2016 Nike EYBL Peach Jam

07/09/2016, 2:45pm EDT
By Teddy Bailey

Teddy Bailey (@TheTeddyBailey)
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NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C-- Team Final, the area’s lone team on the Nike EYBL Circuit, entered Nike’s 2016 EYBL Peach Jam without one of its leaders in Westtown’s Cameron Reddish. The 2018 6-foot-7 guard was sidelined from the entire tournament with a sports hernia. With both the NY Rens (Hamidou Diallo) and Team CP3 (Wendell Carter Jr.) in its division, Team Final’s ability of advancing to the knockout round would rest on the shoulders of 2017 Reading star Lonnie Walker.

Despite holding a ten-point halftime lead in its first Peach Jam game against Boston-based BABC, Team Final fell victim to its opponent's’ fullcourt press in a 66-65 loss. BABC erased the double-digit deficit with ferocious defensive play and relentless outside shooting. 6-foot-4 guard Corey Romich splashed five 3-pointers to claw back into the game. Lonnie Walker was limited, scoring just 11 points on 5-of-13 shooting. A late turnover cost Final a chance at the win.

“It’s a big role,” Walker said of Reddish. “Not only do I have to play harder but I also have to step my game up. I have to distribute the ball, show my point guard skills. I can’t just be one dimensional. With Cam, it was a lot easier, passing to him and scoring. I’m not really a selfish player but my coaches are telling me that I have to shoot more and be more aggressive since he’s not around. He was definitely a big piece for us.”

Team Final was able to rebound against an injury-riddled Houston Hoops squad, who missed both Billy Preston and Jarred Vanderbilt for the entirety of the event. Although the Aaron Burt-coached squad was down early, Walker (26 points) and Russell (19 points) led the comeback in a must-win game to even their record at 1-1.

In its third game, Team Final followed up its first victory with a resounding 83-69 win over Kevin Knox and E1T1. Villanova commit Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree put together his best game of the tournament, tallying 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting and nine rebounds. Team Final slowed start yet again against E1T1, but a 52-31 second half gave the Philadelphia team a shot at advancing.

With both NY Rens and Team CP3 starting 3-0, Team Final was forced to win both of its remaining games in order to advance. The slow starts continued, as Wendell Carter Jr. and Team CP3 jumped out to an overpowering 24-8 lead within the first 13 minutes of the clash. Team Final still trailed by 12 at halftime, but Russell and Cosby-Roundtree established momentum that carried over. Long-range snipes from both Russell and Jordan Money trimmed the deficit to just 45-42 with 6:48 to play. Despite taking the lead with just over three minutes remaining on a Cosby-Roundtree putback, Team CP3 was able to eliminate Team Final with two quick baskets in the final minute.

In the final game of the tournament, Daron Russell poured in 33 points in a variety of ways  -- seven 3-pointers and multiple drives, to get past the Rens 67-66. While Hamidou Diallo did not play, Team Final ended Peach Jam on a solid note.

“So far, we’re playing great but we can play so much better,” Walker said Friday. “We’ve been starting these games off so slow, 12-0 run, 14-0 run that we’re down and we have to scramble. We have to figure out a way to start out fast, and that’s one of our flaws so far. Sometimes we’re just so lazy that we forget what we’re doing, like oh snap we’re down by 16, oh snap we’re down by 12.’ It kind of messes us up and makes it a harder game.”


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