The Alternative Press

PATERSON, NJ - Playing against some of the top competition in the country, four teams from the Paterson-based New Jersey Sparks AAU girls program finished with a combined 14-9 record in the recent Battle in the Boro tournament in Murfreesboro, Tn.

 

The Sparks' 16-and-under elite team reached the tournament semifinals on Saturday, before being ousted in a 55-50 loss to a squad from Georgia. Meanwhile, the 13-and-under team finished 4-2 and knocked off a Tennessee team that had been rated in the top 10 in the country, according to Sparks' founder and president Shane Gerald.

 

"We're really please with the performance of all our teams in this tournament,'' said Gerald. '"They did really well.''

 

For the elite 16s' squad Saturday's semifinal defeat wrapped up a grueling three-state, four-tournament, 21-game stretch over 12 days. Coach Keith Gilcrist of Paterson said his girls went 4-0 in a Rucker Showcase in New York City, then went 4-1 in the Run for the Roses tournament in Lexington, Ky, won the Real Deal in the Ville tournament in Nashville, Tn, and then finished 5-2 in the Murfreesboro tournament, where they beat teams from Arizona, Georgia, Alabama and Ohio.

 

Paterson's Kylla Champagne, who's entering her senior year at Kennedy High where she helped the Lady Knight on a championship run in last year's state tournament, was the top-rebounder for the Sparks' 16-and-under elite squad.

 

"She's got a verbal commitment to play at Manhattan College,'' said Gerald. "But after the way she played in these tournaments, I think some bigger schools are going to be looking at her.''

 

"Her stock definitely went up,'' said Gilcrest.

 

Tieana Muldrow of East Orange was the 16 under elite team's high scorer, while Rebecca Sparks from Teaneck lead the team in assists. Other standouts mentioned by Gilcrest were Africa Williams of Brooklyn, Jakelle King-Gilchrist of Teaneck, Paterson's Shakir Negron, who plays at Immaculate Conception in Lodi, Robin Perkins from Trenton Catholic, Myisha Hines-Allen from Montclair, Imani Tilford from White Plains, NY, and Paterson's Kiana Briggs, who plays at Passaic Tech. Paterson's Nylaysha Lewis from Kennedy High was injured and couldn't play.

 

The 13s' strong performance was a good sign for the Eastside Lady Ghosts who are looking to rebound from a difficult season last year. Three key guards on the Sparks team that finished 4-2 - Kayla Diaz, Sierra Gerald and Nia Adams - are all incoming freshmen at Eastside. Each of the guards averaged about nine points and had numerous assists, said Gerald, the coach of the 13 under team and father of Sierra.

 

Six-foot forward Taylor Brown of Teaneck was the high scorer for the 13, with about 18 points a game. The team lost its first two games of the tournament, each by one point at the buzzer, to squads from Cincinnati and Oklahoma City, but rebounded by winning its next four in a row, Gerald said.

 

The 14s went 2-3 in Murfressboro, but were 3-2 in Lexington, said their coach, Terrill Yancey of Paterson. Paterson's Kirona Morton, who plays at Passaic Tech,was a force inside for the Sparks, according to her coach. She averaged about eight points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in the tournaments. Desirelle Salas, the point guard at Eastside, was the Spark assist leader, Paterson's Ebony Gilchrist, who plays at Paramus Catholic was the three-point shooter and Rebecca Rabiero from Midland park was the high scorer, Yancey said.

 

The regular 16-and-under team finished 3-2 in Tennessee this weekend, said Coach Quinton Carter of Paterson. Its top players were Dominique Ward from Trenton, Ashley Burroughs from Parsippany and Ashunae Durant from Irvington.