Friday 8/12 – Championship

Purpose vs Philly Hoop Group

The top 2 teams in the Chosen League meet for the Championship.

Purpose has been rolling through the tournament, winning every game by double digits. How would they respond in a close contest?

Philly Hoop Group has been playing well also. They are coming off a comeback victory over SPUGY, in a game that was very tight down the stretch. However they did struggle to close out the game from the free throw line. Free Throws Matter!

Key Matchups

Point Guards – Carryn Easley, Purpose vs Kaylin Bethea, PHG.

Carryn is a pure PG. She understands the balance of involving her teammates and when to look to score. Defensively she is dangerous making plays on the ball. 

Kaylin brings the poise to the situation for PHG. She senses moments and is unafraid to take big shots. Her efficiency with her dribbles gets her to spaces on the floor in which she can make plays. 

The Glue Kids – Olivia Jones, Purpose vs Olivia Snead, PHG

Both players can score but how they impact the game outside of scoring is huge.  Although they didn’t guard each other often, it would come down to how many winning plays they could make for their team. When your team needed it most – Who could get the big rebound, steal, take a charge, or finish free throws?

Turning Points

This was the best game of the League. It was filled with multiple lead changes throughout.  Each team showed their depth as players stepped up. 

PHG threw the first punch in the 1st half. Trailing 6-8 they went on a 9-0 run highlighted by #11 Aleah Snead 3FG and back to back layups by #12 Haylee Adamski. PHG led 15-8.

Purpose responded with a 14-2 run to close the first half. During the run it solid defense, made free throws, and #10 Carryn Easley & #33 Rhian Stokes stealing the ball and #23 Amber Howard finishing in transition. Halftime Purpose led 22-17.

Start of the 2nd half was big for PHG. #12 Haylee Adamski 3FG capped a run as they regained the lead 26-25. Teams exchanged baskets and the game was tied at 34 with 8:30 remaining.  

Tied at 38, Purpose #0 Olivia Jones made her impression on the game. Consecutive possessions went like this – She got a steal that led to a bucket. On the next trip down she took a charge. Next trip on offense she scored a tough bucket in the paint.  Smoke cleared and Purpose was up 42-38 and went on to a 47-43 victory.

Standouts:

#0 Olivia Jones, Purpose – The Chosen MVP earned it the hard way. She embraced her role and consistently did the dirty work for her team. Defending bigger players, setting screens, rebounding, scoring in the paint and making free throws.  Don’t get it twisted she has GAME. She can shoot, pass, and dribble and can play anywhere on the floor. But that winning mentality makes her different.

#33 Rhian Stokes, Purpose – The smooth guard scored a game high 14 points. She put herself in position to finish plays in transition. Made an impact defensively with several steals. 

#12 Haylee Adamski, PHG – Led her team with 12 points. Her buckets were the loud type! She made multiple shots that tied the game or gave her team the lead. 

#35 Deja Evans, PHG – Interior defense can get overlooked. She did a great job being in the right spots, challenging shots, and fighting for rebounds. She made it extremely tough for the Purpose to score around the basket.