Grind Region Finals: 17U Quarterfinals roundup

<table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fcfbca;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%;"><em><b>→Tulsa Hawks 74, JEB Elite 54</b></em></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>The Hawks accrued an 11-point lead mid-way through the first half, but a couple auspicious triples from [player_tooltip player_id="1015828" first="Kole" last="Johnson"] and Jayce Daniels helped to keep JEB in striking distance of its in-state foe. However, the Hawks made another push in the opening minutes of the second half to land, again a double-digit lead ahead of JEB, benefitting on stark defense from the their interior, a sharp triple from [player_tooltip player_id="958390" first="Anthony" last="Allen"], and contributions from a group of Hawks.</p> <p>After that, JEB never recovered fully as the Hawks amassed a staggering lead late.</p> <p>The Hawks are scheduled to play Texas Swish in the semifinal game at 12:20 at Drive Nation.</p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fcfbca;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%;"><em><b>→Texas Swish 63, AAO Flight 58</b></em></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Swish certainly made a theatrical moment out of it.</p> <p>The Texarkansan showdown started in a defensive stalemate, with either team struggling to find footing above the other. At the end of the half, Swish and AAO tied at 22 points. AAO found an edge in the second half, though, as back-to-back buckets from Will Liddell and Josh Stewart gave it a 40-31 lead that forced Swish to retire a timeout. About halfway into the second half, Swish clawed its way back to within 3 of AAO, where but it was the Arkansan team, again, that captured a strong lead minutes later. Though Swish was able to bring itself back into striking distance multiple times, it was AAO that kept its edge and busted Swish’s press habitually until the final 90 seconds of play, when Swish’s comeback came to fruition.</p> <p>Trailing by 3, A bucket from Terrance Warren, who finished the match with a game-high 18 points, tied the game at 58 before a reverse from Pierre Gordon on the following possession gave Swish the 2-point lead with under one minute to play. After that, AAO had a couple looks at the basket, but it never fully recovered.</p> <p>Swish will play the Tulsa Hawks in the semifinal game at 12:20 at Drive Nation.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/mckinnisbryce/status/1421853286475444234?s=21</p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fcfbca;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%;"><b><em>→P.L.U.T.O. Prospects 51, 816 Hoops 49</em></b></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>Trading leads for long stretches of the game, P.L.U.T.O. and 816 engaged in the closest of the four quarterfinal games, in which it rarely felt like one team had the edge. P.L.U.T.O. gathered a tight lead late in the game, which it never surrendered.</p> <p>Trailing by four, an Emmanuel Byrd trail and return brought 816 within 2 points with under 20 seconds to play. Moments later, 816 had another opportunity to score at the rim that didn’t connect as P.L.U.T.O. Prospects escaped with the win.</p> <p>P.L.U.T.O. is set to play the Fresno Flyers in the semifinal game at 12:20 at Drive Nation.</p> <table style="width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; background-color: #fcfbca;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%;"><em><b>→Fresno Flyers 60, Houston TTG 48</b></em></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>The Flyers and their Texan foe opened the game in a neck-and-neck deadlock, with either team struggling to find an edge over the other. Fresno acquired a 5-point lead late in the first half, which it carried into the mid-way break. However, after the half-time break, Fresno Flyers gradually accrued a lead, forcing Houston into an eventually irredeemable deficit as the Flyers came away with the win.</p> <p>The Flyers will play P.L.U.T.O. Prospects for the semifinal game at 12:20 p.m. at Drive Nation.</p>