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Brentwood Press - DiscoveryBayPress_05.09.08 - Index

4B | THEPRESS.NET SPORTS MAY 9, 2008
Dominant defense keys Fusion title
by Avi Burk
Staff Writer
The West Coast Fusion AAU girls basketball
team rode a wave of defensive pressure to the recent
Surf City Slam Tournament championship
in Santa Cruz, knocking off several of Northern
California’s top teams.
The Fusion, comprised of seventh and eighth
graders, routed the Stockton Mavericks in their
first game of the tournament, coasting to a 39-26
win after building a 25-8 halftime lead. The team’s
defensive effort keyed the win, as Kai Butler led the
team with five steals and Andrea Poggi and Aminah
Flaggs each made four swipes to lead the team,
which amassed 18 steals in the contest. Nicole Mass
led the team in scoring with 11 and Kai and Aminah
chipped in nine and seven points, respectively.
The team got its second consecutive doubledigit
win with a 43-30 victory over the Petaluma T-
Girls in the second round. It was the team’s defensive
effort that once again carried the day. Adriana
Lopez and Desiree Herron came off the bench to
spark the defense, and the team got seven players
into the scoring column. Andrea led the offensive
attack with 12 points, and Aminah and Kai scored
11 and eight in her wake. Brea Moore hit the glass
hard for the Fusion, leading the team with eight big
rebounds, and Jasmine Forsberg was right behind
her with six boards of her own.
Although the Fusion got off to a slow start in
its championship showdown with the Watsonville
Flames, it finished the first half on a 6-0 run and
took a 17-12 lead into the locker room at the break.
The Flames, however, bounced back in the second
half and reclaimed the lead, 31-28, with just eight
minutes left to play.
The Fusion once again rallied around staunch
defense, holding the Flames to just seven points in
the game’s final eight minutes, causing turnovers
that fueled the offense and led to a 21-point outburst
to close the game and seal the win, 49-38.
Nicole put up a double-double in the title game,
scoring 17 points and pulling down 12 rebounds.
Kai also played a great game for the Fusion, posting
16 points and six rebounds, and Alyssa Pato
West Coast Fusion
players were all smiles
after storming their way
to the Surf City Slam
Tournament title in Santa
Cruz, winning each of
their three games by
double digits. In the
front row, from left,
are Alyssa Pato, Andrea
Poggi, Kai Butler and
Adriana Lopez; back row:
head coach Karla Allen,
Brea Moore, Aminah
Flaggs, Jasmine Forsberg,
Desiree Herron, Nicole
Mass and coach Larry
Pato. Not pictured are
coaches Darryl Flaggs
and Aja Dotson.
Photo by Larry Pato
scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds of her
own.
Nicole and Kai each finished the three-game
tournament with 32 points, tying for the team lead,
Aminah netted 22 points and Andrea and Alyssa
scored 20 apiece. Nicole also led the team in rebounding,
averaging eight per game, followed by
Kai, Brea and Jasmine, who each pulled 16 boards
in the tournament. Andrea and Alyssa tied for the
team lead in assists with 11 each.
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