Pounding The Pavement Sampling Hoopfest A La Carte Street Tour Uncovers Wide World Of Tales
Spanning the streets to give a constant variety of basketball … the thrill of victory … and the agony of defeat … the human drama of athletic competition … this is The Spokesman-Review’s tour of Hoopfest 2000.
The dawning of the second decade of the world’s largest 3-on-3 street basketball tournament seemed like a perfect time to check out the competition, not the commotion.
There are 346 courts in downtown Spokane, supposedly to accommodate 21,337 players on 5,425 teams.
We didn’t count everybody on Saturday, but it seemed as if we bumped into every body as one person tried to cover at least one game in the 10 categories Hoopfest uses to kind of divide the teams.
And we tried to hit all four corners of the Hoopfest compass, from the Arena parking lot to way-over-there, a block south of the Opera House, to just outside the Review Tower to someplace thataway.
We blindly picked one game from youth (grades 3-8), high school and adult (numerous age and size categories) brackets for male, female and coed.
And for those out there who have missed the spirit of Hoopfest or don’t appreciate it, there are three other categories: Special Olympics, wheelchairs and united, which mixes the developmentally disabled with their friends. We combined those for one more game.
And, then the lone wolf - stop, that was the name of one of the teams.
The solitary figure tried to soldier on to 10 far-flung courts despite playing (poorly) two games (see you in the consolation bracket) and hoping (but failing) to see family members participate in five games (made one).
Fortunately, Saturday was mostly overcast with occasional breezes, wreaking havoc with outside shots. Mild temperatures were perfect for the blacktop warriors, if not sun worshippers.
All that was reflected in the late first-day injury count: 48 head injuries, 49 arm or elbow, 79 hand and finger, 77 knee or leg, 116 ankle or foot, 149 blisters, cuts or abrasions, 0 dehydration and 46 others. The most serious injury was reported to be a separated shoulder.
So, with apologies to ABC-TV Wide World of Sports and Jim McKay’s famous introduction, let the show begin.
First Community Bank 20, Cardiac Spazz 2
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Court: 233, Network Design and Management
Age group: Female adult 30-34
Summary: T.C. Theofelis played at Highline Community College, Wendi Tibbs and Michelle Hillesland at the University of Puget Sound and Melanie Bakala at Pacific Lutheran. They play in a couple of rec leagues in Sumner and Olympia.
Lani DeLong noticed: “Wrong name (Cardiac Spa in program). Wrong age category … I’m 54. But we’re having fun.”
The nurses from the Valley Hospital cardiac intensive care unit tied the game at 1 before the team with real players reeled off 14 straight points. It was mostly a layup drill and a number of offensive rebounds for Theofelis, who had at least eight baskets.
“We’re not a hacking team,” Theofelis said. “We’re not that aggressive. I’m glad they’re coming out here. You’re never too old to start playing.”
Big Wheeler 20, Jared and the Herrings 10
Time: 10 a.m.
Court: 15, 97 Player Shirt
Age group: Unified
Summary: Tim Cox has played on a United team with Jim Leighton, 56, and Joey Wheeler, 37, for years and has probably not scored more than two baskets a year (what do you expect from a soccer coach at North Central?).
Trailing 8-7, the Wheels took control as Leighton used his size inside and little Joey hit short shots, including a hook he was really proud of.
Actually, Cox insists Wheeler and Leighton score the points. They don’t mind shooting and they’re good. “Last year was the most competitive event I’ve ever been in,” Cox said. “We lost our first game but made the finals.”
Money Men Roy 20, Too Old n Slow To Win 19
Time: 11 a.m.
Court: 329, WSU Cougar Mania #2
Age group: Male Adult over 6-feet, under 30
Summary: The Kentwood High School teammates pulled it out when Ryan McDaniel hit a 2 from the top of the key. The Money Men had built a 12-7 lead with McDaniel, who plays at Bellevue Community College, controlling the inside.
Then Curtis Kingsolver of Tacoma, who joined a Spokane team, and Tim Ayers got hot from the outside as Too Old N Slow surged to a 17-15 lead. Kingsolver hit a baseline turnaround to make it 18-16 and a free throw to make it 19-17.
Tony Pacheco made a free throw and Too Old went too cold before McDaniel’s winner.
“In high school, I had a couple of buzzer-beaters,” McDaniel said, who had about 10 points.
Little Saints 20, Funky Monkeys 12
Time: 11:30
Court: 220, 105.7 The Peak #3
Age group: Coed adult over 6-feet, under 25
Summary: Luke Grauke and Shane Hulbert dominated the inside as the Saints finished the game with a 12-6 run. Nikki Scheibe, who put together the team of Logos graduates in Moscow, started the run before Hulbert scored three straight to break the game open.
“I hadn’t done (coed) yet, but I’ve been playing here five years,” Scheibe said. The short-handed Monkeys from Chewelah were forced to go for 2s and Michelle Kinley, who is headed for Eastern Oregon University, had most of those. The Kinley family was short-handed because father Les recently broke an ankle in a logging accident and his sub was coaching a daughter. Chris Kinley broke his ankle two years ago practicing for his first Hoopfest. Josh Kinley is a wrestler.
Little Zags 18, Mini Slugs 11
Time: Noon
Court: 27, Aurora Consulting Group
Age group: Female Youth, Grade 4
Summary: Briana Kerley got hot, scoring five points in an 8-1 run that produced an 8-2 lead. She finished with half the points for the Zags. She also had two key blocked shots and a steal.
Kerley is a basketball veteran of three years with her teammates from All-Saints School in Spokane. Molly McClure said, “We all cheer for the Zags.” Teammate Elyse Graf added, “And they’re big and we’re puny.”
Graf hit consecutive shots to make it 11-3 when Kerley rotated out. Sarah Manix capped the scoring for the Zags.
Aven Hallman had all but four of the Slugs’ points. The Slugs, from North Spokane, were playing together for the first time.
Tarheels Scheller 20, Marchand 15
Time: 1:30
Court: 131, Motion Auto Supply
Age group: Coed High School, Grade 10
Summary: There has to be some ‘tude in a high school coed game and Marcus Scheller provided it. He also had enough game to carry his North Pines classmates and Tarheels down the stretch, scoring the final three hoops. Scheller took no prisoners, which got him into a stare-down with Travis Marchand before the scorekeeper stepped in.
“It’s no big deal,” said teammate Tessa Freeman, who hit two key buckets to stretch a 15-12 lead to five. “He apologizes… . (Coed) is something new. I like it better, it’s more aggressive.”
Marchand couldn’t hit consistently from the outside, but Kayla Truscott of Coulee Dam kept her team close with a couple big shots, including a 2 that made it 17-14.
“I wanted to have fun this year,” Truscott said. “Girls get really catty. (Boys) treat us equal.”
Raindogs 20, Libby Teen Center 10
Time: 2:00
Court: 199, Arm & Hammer Detergent
Age group: Male High School, Grade 12
Summary: There was actually a splash of rain for the ‘Dogs, who rode Mullan High starters Derik Stanley and Jean Hegbloom for a 16-5 lead. Tim Luse scored first for Libby, but Stanley scored the next seven points. It was 10-5 when the Raindogs reeled off six straight with Josh Elliott and Andy Elwood, rookies on six-year vet Stanley’s team, joining in the scoring.
“This is the first year playing with my own age,” Stanley said. “It’s just competition. I love to play basketball. … Playing basketball is good for everybody.”
Lakers 20, Rimrockers 17
Time: 4:00
Court: 99, Crowley Commercial Real Estate
Age group: Male Youth, Grade 7
Summary: Alex Germanovich got hot from the outside to rally the Lakers in the battle of Spokane teams.
Austin Lewis and Kenny Prather drove for layups to propel the Rimrockers to 7-3 and 9-6 leads. They were up 12-11 before Germanovich scored five straight for a 16-11 lead.
“I always start off slow but then I click. I start shooting pretty good,” the Glover-bound lefty said. “I knew we were going to win. We were giving them points. Then we didn’t let them shoot.”
The Rimrockers got within 18-17 before Josh Stamper and David Garrett hit free throws to close it out.
Hot Stuff 12, Laughing Hyenas 1
Time: 4:30
Court: 19, MSC/Premera Blue Cross #4
Age group: Coed Youth, Grades 5-6
Summary: Well, it had to happen sometime in a day. Court monitor Jay Riley asked Laughing Hyenas coach Steve Christilaw to leave. At least the coach was quietly chipping and not screaming when his team was down 10-1, though he insisted on keeping the conversation running well after the game.
The Priest River team didn’t light it up on offense but its defense shut down the Finch Elementary trio.
It was obvious by the celebration when Vanessa Halls scored the Hyenas’ lone point that offense was a precious commodity.
The Hot Stuff offense was balanced between Shanna and Jessica Willig, Tabitha Clark and J.P. Ramsey.
Lone Wolves 11, Ski Queens 9
Time: 5 p.m.
Court: 156 Graphic Results
Age group: Female High School, Grade 12
Summary: Only an ice-cold start kept this game from being great. Leah Simpson hit back-to-back 2s to pull the Queens into a 9-9 tie. Then Raynee St. Pierre and Mary St. Pierre scored for the Wolves and time quietly ran out.
The Wolves, out of Grand Coulee, Omak and Inchelium and together for the first time, slowly inched ahead with a balanced offense before Lisa Acord got the Oroville team started, setting up Simpson’s quick 2s.
“I wasn’t worried,” Raynee St. Pierre said. “I play them in school ball all the time.”
When she scored the game-winner, she crashed hard to the street.
“It was more my fault,” she said. “She pushed me, but I fell wrong. I have a real bad Achilles’ and a broken heel.”
A seven-time veteran, she wasn’t about to let an injury keep her away. “I just do it for fun and all the people,” she said.
We couldn’t agree more, about the fun and the people, though a taxi might help.