Hoopfest elite roundup: Hub Northwest’s quest for 7th straight title remains alive, Empire Fitness ready to repeat

Before noon had struck on Saturday, Hub Northwest made one thing clear in the men’s 6-foot and over division at Hoopfest: Some things may never change.

Looking to extend its streak to seven consecutive championships, Hub Northwest dispatched Seven Cedars to move on to face Cage on Sunday morning. Last summer, Hub Northwest set a Hoopfest record with a sixth consecutive title, so the quartet is looking to build on its number.

The team is made up of former Gonzaga player Mike Hart, former Eastern players Parker Kelly and Marc Axton, and Northwest Nazarene and Northwest Christian standout Robert Lippman.

The club that fell short to Hub Northwest in last year’s title game, Mammas Boys, also remains alive to challenge the reigning champions.

The team, consisting of Austin Shelton, Aubrey Shelton, Ben Shelton and Kaleb Shelton-Johnson, beat Freak Elite to advance to take on AGP Elite on Sunday.

Another potential challenger is also still in the hunt. Big Juicy, which operated in the 6-foot and under division last summer, handled Perseverance on Saturday, moving on to square off with Purpose Driven on Sunday. Big Juicy, with Dominick Oliveri, Ethan Boag, Matt Ellis and Jason Scully, were runners-up in both 2022 and 2023.

Oliveri played at Lewis and Clark High from 2014-2016 before continuing his career at Western Washington and the University of Victoria, which is where Scully also played. Ellis competed professionally in Canada, and Boag finished his college career at Victoria.

In the men’s 6-foot and under division, reigning champion BE BALL FOR LIFE is also ready to repeat. The team – returner Maurice Thomas and newcomers Dominique McClendon, Markieth Brown and Michael Hannan – defeated Aces In the Pocket to advance to take on Dough Boy on Sunday morning.

BE BALL FOR LIFE includes a mishmash of players from a previous team, BBFORLIFE AMOTKAN, which included McClendon and Brown last year. BBFORLIFE AMOTKAN folded after last year’s Hoopfest.

On the women’s side, another reigning champion is on target for a second consecutive title. Empire Fitness, with former Gonzaga players Jazmine Redmon, Jessie Loera and Shannon Reader, as well as former Saint Joseph’s player Ciara Andrews, topped Blockitlikeitshot to move on to Sunday’s action.

Redmon is from Spokane, Loera from Moses Lake and Reader from Lake Oswego, Oregon.

There will be a new coed elite champion. Sibling Rivalry, which has changed names over the years, fell in Saturday’s first round and lost in its first loser’s bracket game. That puts the group (former 2020 Idaho Gatorade Player of the Year in basketball and football Austin Bolt, his brother and fellow Borah (Boise) grad Aidan, and Alyssa and Alex Jimenez, also from Borah) in Sunday’s consolation game.

In the driver’s seat of that bracket are Baden Elite and Ballin Like Magic, which will square off at 8 a.m. Sunday.