June 6th - 7th Fairfax Stars Summer Spectacular
June 13th - 14th UVA Team Jamboree
July 6th - 8th Nike Tip Off on Tobacco Road
Raleigh, North Carolina
July 10th - 15th Nike Summer Showcase
Chicago, Illinois
July 22nd Fairfax Stars Shoot Out Exposure Event
July 25th - 27th U15 USJN National Championship
Washington, DC
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The Fairfax Stars U14 Girls Gold Elite Travel team went 1 - 1 on Monday on the final day of round-robin pool play competition, and finished 3 - 2 at the 2009 U15 Girls U. S. Junior Nationals National Championship tournament, played at a variety of venues in the Washington, DC area.
The Stars fell in a heartbreaker by two points to the Bay State Jaguars in their early game, and then returned and defeated the Florida Ice convincingly in the afternoon. In their final tournament of the 2009 travel basketball season, the Stars finished 3 - 2. That closed a July college exposure period journey that included tournaments in Raleigh, North Carolina ( 5 - 0, tournament championship ); Chicago, Illinois ( 4 - 2 ); and U. S. Junior Nationals ( 3 - 2 ), where they played in the U15 bracket of each tournament and finished 12 - 4 for the month.
For the season, the team finished with an overall record of 48 - 7, playing a significant majority of their games again U15 and U16 teams. Of their 7 losses, 5 were by a total of 11 points, including a terrific and exciting championship game at the 2009 Boo Williams Invitational.
Congratulations to an extremely talented rosted of student-athletes that worked hard and experienced an outstanding season as they enhanced their skills and knowledge of the game, while playing in front of many coaches from colleges and universities across America, developing life-long friendships, and having a blast doing it. Good luck ladies and GO STARS!
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U14 Girls Go 4 - 2 in U15 Bracket at 2009 Nike Tournament of Champions Summer Showcase Tournament in Chicago
The Fairfax Stars U14 Girls Gold Elite team traveled to Chicago on Friday, July 10th to participate in the summer largest exposure tournament, the 2009 Nike Tournament of Champions Summer Showcase, featuring 288 teams from across the United States and over 530 college coaches and assistants. They would play in the U15 bracket of the tournament.
In their opening game against the Michigan Crossover, the Stars had a slow start and fell behind by 5 points at halftime, 18 - 13. The Stars attempted to rally in the second half, however, even as the game went back and forth with never more than a 6 point differential, the Stars were unable to regain a lead and fell by just 2 points, 38 - 36. Katie McCormick scored 13 of her total 15 points in the second half to keep the Stars close.
On Sunday morning, the Stars were still attempting to adjust to the tournament demands and got off to a very slow start against the Indiana Nike Legit Family. With continuing efforts to find traction and rhythm in their game, the Stars were not successful and fell to 0 - 2 in pool play.
In their second game of the day, the Stars found their footing. With a renewed determination, they increased the intensity of their play, particularly on the defensive end of the court. With that focus, they took a 19 - 6 lead into halftime. With 11 players contributing to the scoring, led by Diana Logan ( 10 pts ) and Courtni Green ( 10 pts ), the Stars got their first win with a 44 - 19 victory over the Colorado Elite White.
With a win under their belt and colleges coaches ringing the court, the Stars brought a refreshed energy to the gym and to their game. They would meet the Team Ontario 15U that beat the Michigan team the day before. With passionate and trapping defense, the Stars established themselves early and took a 23 - 11 halftime lead. Behind balanced scoring, led by Courtni Green ( 11 pts ) a tremendous support from the entire roster, including terrific efforts by Alisha Mobley, Breyana Mason, Ashleigh Claybrooks, Sara Mead, CC Howard, Katie McCormick, Liz Wood, Diana Logan, Jasmine Mungo, Tamara Majette, and Logan Battle, the Stars improved their pool play record to 2 - 2 and back into the race.
On Monday afternoon, the Stars would take on the undefeated Minnesota Fury, looking to improve their position in the pool in advance of bracket play. Considered the underdog and with even more college coaches watching, the Stars rose to the occasion and brought even more intensity to the defensive end of the court. Their effort produced a 20 - 12 halftime lead and eager enthusiasm for the second half. With Courtni Green ( 14 pts ) and Katie McCormick ( 8 pts ) leading the scoring, and Ashleigh Claybrooks demonstrating her presence in the paint, the Stars went on to complete the upset by a final score of 43 - 24, and win their third in a row, improving to 3 - 2 and claiming 3rd place in their 6-team pool.
On Tuesday morning, the Stars would meet the DFW Elite Black in bracket play. With tenacity and conviction, the team would approach this game as an opportunity to leave an exclamation point to their Chicago effort. They play on the court sent a message early that they were ready to play as they ran out to a 22 - 9 halftime lead behind Breyana Mason's floor leadership and 6 first-half points. The game became increasingly physical and Stars Ashleigh Claybrooks and Jasmine Mungo rebounded the ball with tenacity and refused to be intimidated by the physical play.
Logan Battle ( 10 pts ); Katie McCormick ( 9 pts ); and Breyana Mason ( 8 pts ) led the scoring, and along with significant contributions from Liz Wood, Sara Mead, CC Howard, Diana Logan, Courtni Green, and Tamara Majette, the Stars claimed their 4th straight win, 54 - 32, and finished with an overall 4 - 2 record playing in the U15 bracket at the 2009 Nike Tourmament of Champions Summer Showcase tournament in Chicago, Illinois. Next up- 2009 U. S. Junior Nationals National Championship tournament in Washington, DC
Great job ladies...congratulations!
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U14 Girls Gold Elite Travel Team Goes 5 - 0, Wins U15 Bracket Championship at 2009 Nike Tipoff on Tobacco Road Tournament
The Fairfax Stars gathered at Carmichel Gymnasium on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina from July 6th - 8th to compete in the 2009 Nike Tipoff on Tobacco Road tournament where they would play in the U15 bracket. They were joined in Raleigh by the U16 Girls Gold Nike Elite Travel team; the U16 Girls Gold Elite Travel team; and the U15 Girls Gold Elite Travel team.
In their opening pool play round game against the Garner Flames, the Stars would take a 22 - 14 lead into halftime. They turned up the intensity in the second half and with balanced scoring, led by Liz Wood ( 12 pts ); Breyana Mason ( 10 pts ); and Logan Battle ( 10 pts ) and 10 players contributing points, they completed an impressive 61 - 23 victory.
In their second game, the Stars would take on the Carolina Allstars. With focused offense and defense, they would go into halftime with a 32 - 23 lead. The second half would once again produce great teamwork and tenacity, and with 10 players scoring again, led by Breyana Mason ( 12 pts ); Diana Logan ( 11 pts ); and Logan Battle ( 10 pts ) in double figures, the Stars would finish a 59 - 38 win to improve to 2 - 0 in pool play.
Their next game would be a cross-pool contest against the Wake Forest Wizards. In a tough, fast, and physical contest, the Stars would take a 5-point lead into halftime, 33 - 28. The second half would be more of the same, as the intensity ramped up deeper into the game. With 11 players contributing to the scoring total, led by Diana Logan ( 11 pts ) and Logan Battle ( 10 pts ), the Stars would earn a hard-fought 57 - 49 victory and move on to the tournament championship bracket.
In the semifinal game, the Stars would meet the Garner Road Bulldogs. After getting off to a strong start, they would head into halftime with a 32 - 19 lead. With terrific teamwork and more balanced scoring, Logan Battle ( 14 pts ); Courtni Green ( 13 pts ); Diana Logan ( 10 pts ); and Katie McCormick ( 9 pts ), and great contributions from Breyana Mason, Liz Wood, Alisha Mobley, Sara Mead, Ashleigh Claybrooks, CC Howard, Jasmine Mungo, and Tamara Majette, the Stars would complete a 57 - 39 victory and earn a spot in the tournament U15 bracket championship game.
The championship game would be a rematch as the Stars would again take on the Wake Forest Wizards, with the Wizards looking for revenge from the previous day. With a strong start, the Stars would run out to a 33 - 15 lead at halftime, with Liz Wood scoring 11 1st half points and Katie McCormick adding 10 1st half points, including two from long distance. The Wizards would make a run in the second half, but the Stars would not be denied and with a balanced attack, would complete a 60 - 48 victory to claim the tournament championship. Katie McCormick ( 16 pts ) would lead the scoring, with strong support from Liz Wood ( 14 pts ) and Diana Logan ( 13 pts ).
Congratulations to all of the players who played so well and earned the championship of their first college exposure tournament of the summer travel season. On to Chicago...
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RAFFLE WINNERS!
On Tuesday evening after practice, the drawing took place for the Fundraising Raffle...Congratulations to the following:
1st Prize- Audrey Williams- Chester, Virginia
Winner of two tickets to Redskins vs Eagles
2nd Prize- Miriam Novak- Winchester, Virginia
Winner of four tickets to Washington Nationals vs
San Diego Padres
Thank you to all of those that supported the team by purchasing raffle tickets.
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The Fairfax Stars U14 Girls Gold Elite Travel team headed to Charlottesville, Virginia on Saturday, June 13th to participate in the 2009 University of Virginia Team Jamboree. The Stars would play three U16 teams at the John Paul Jones arena on the campus of the University of Virginia.
In their opening game, the Stars would meet the very talented U16 Virgina Explosion. In an outstanding game that saw each team make terrific plays and enjoy slim leads throughout, the Stars took a 24 - 23 lead into halftime. The Stars battled through a series of tough plays to stay focused an in the game.
The second half was a continuation of tough, competitive basketball. The Stars took a 7-point lead, but the Explosion responded with a 9 - 0 run to reclaim the lead. The game would go back and forth until the Stars hit a driving layup late to take a 1-point lead with just seconds remaining. Following a missed shot, the Stars grabbed the rebound and a foul ensued. After making 1 out of 2 free throws, an outstanding defensive stand closed out the game and the Stars claimed an exciting two-point victory to start the day, 50 - 48.
In their second game, the Stars would meet the U16 Richmond Surge. After taking command early, the Stars would complete an impressive victory to earn their second win of the day. To close their day at UVA, the Stars would take on the U16 Maryland Lady Liberty in a rematch game from the quarterfinals of the Charm City National Invitational, a game the Stars won by a close 4 points.
In a contest of speed, intensity, and physical play, the two teams got after it right from the opening tip. Every time the Liberty wanted to engage in a running game, the Stars matched and exceeded the intensity and the athleticism. The Stars would take a 34 - 27 lead into halftime. The talent and depth of the Fairfax Stars began to make a difference in the second half as the entire roster got into the mix and made valuable contributions. The lead would continue to grow, and the Stars completed an impressive 69 - 43 victory to finish 3 - 0 on the day against U16 teams.
With those victories, the Stars improved to 36 - 3 on the season.
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Fairfax Stars Go 5 - 0 at 2009 Summer Spectacular Tournament
On Sunday, June 7th, the Fairfax Stars U14 Girls Gold Elite Travel team completed a 5 - 0 weekend with two wins over U16 teams. The Stars began the morning against the Lessons Learned U16's and ran out to a 27 - 9 halftime lead before completing the victory.
In their afternoon game, it would be a contest against the Fairfax Stars U16 Girls Gold Travel team, a team they had lost to by 2 points in overtime in the semifinals of the Charm City National Invitational Tournament a few weeks ago. The game was back and forth throughout and the U14's went into halftime with a slim 6-point lead.
That lead was quickly erased in the second half as the U16's came out on an 8 - 0 run. From that point, the teams exchanged baskets and each possession became more intense. With less than 2 minutes to play, the U14's had a 4-point lead and made their free throws down the stretch to come away with a 38 - 31 victory. Great job again by both teams. With the victory, the U14's improved to 33 - 3 on the season.
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The Fairfax Stars U14 Girls Gold Elite Travel team went 3 - 0 on Saturday in opening day play of the 2009 Fairfax Stars Summer Spectacular Girls Tournament. With all 13 players in uniform and available for action for the first time since March, the Stars opened against the U14 Albany Capitals from Albany, New York. After a close back and forth first half that ended with the Stars ahead, 27 - 19, they stepped up the defensive intensity to finish off a 61 - 32 victory.
Next up was the U15 Juniata Thunder in a back-to-back game. The Stars were ready and raced out to a comfortable halftime lead of 34 - 17 before completing the win.
In their 3rd game of the day, the Stars would meet the U15 Pennsylvania Pride. The Pride rushed out to a 7 - 0 lead and the Stars knew that they were in for a tough game. The Stars battled back to tie and took a hard-earned 24 - 18 lead into halftime. Each team made adjustments and the second half was a chess game with changing defenses and terrific offensive execution by both teams. The pace was fast and the intensity was high.
After the Stars raced out to a 10-point lead, the Pride fought back and regained the lead midway through the second half. It was back and forth as the crowd was becoming louder on each possession and the players responded, battling on every rebound and loose ball. The Stars went up three late in the game, but the Pride was not done. Attacking the basket, they scored and were fouled with just 7 seconds to play, cutting the lead to one with a chance to tie. The Stars rebounded the missed free throw and were immediately fouled.
After a missed front end of a one-and-one on their end and a Pride rebound, the Stars knocked a pass away and the buzzer sound ending a very exciting and competitive game, with the Fairfax Stars prevailing and claiming a tough 47 - 46 victory. With the win, the Stars improved to 31 - 3 on the season.
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The Stars traveled to Philadelphia on May 30th for the 20th Annual Philadelphia Belles Invitational Tournament. They opened against a U15 Philadelphia Belles team and began the day with a convincing 74 - 26 victory. Next they played the U15 Delco Extreme and earned a 53 - 13 win.
Playing back-to-back, the Stars would next take on the U14 Chester County Wizards, a top 10 AAU Nationals team. On one of the rare occasions in the season thus far, the Stars got off to a really slow start and fell behind quickly. The deficit grew to 15 points and the Stars went into halftime down 25 - 12. The second half showed a renewed energy and slowly the team fought its way back into the game.
Hitting a 3-pointer with just seconds to play, it looked like they had come all the way back to tie and send the game into a 3-minute overtime. After a Wizards timeout, a foul was called on the inbounds play with just 3 seconds to play in regulation. The Stars secured the missed shot rebound that the teams regrouped for the overtime session.
Although the Stars brought great energy to overtime, the Wizards made a couple of big plays and made their free throws down the stretch to come away with a 46 - 44 victory over the Fairfax Stars, only their 3rd loss of the season. The Stars will play next week in the Annual Fairfax Stars Summer Spectacular Tournament.
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Playing in the U16 Bracket, the Fairfax Stars went 3 - 1 and advanced to the semifinals of the 2009 Charm City National Invitational Tournament in Baltimore, Maryland. The Stars opened pool play against the Maryland U-Turn and cae away with with a 53 - 8 victory. Next up, the Stars played and defeated the New Jersey Storm, 50 - 19.
In the single elimination championship bracket, the Stars took on the New York Lady Liberty. In a tough, physical contest, the Stars came from behind to claim an exciting 42 - 38 win. In the semifinal round, the U14 Stars would take on the U16 Stars, looking to advance to the championship game.
The U14 girls fell behinid early and faced a 9-point halftime deficit, trailing 27 - 18. The U14's jumped back into it in the second half, and the game went back and forth until the 14's took a lead late in the second half. With just 3.7 seconds to play, the U16's hit two free throws to take a 53 - 51 lead and complete an exciting win to move on to the tournament championship game. Congrats to both teams on a great game.
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The team went 4 - 0 at the Virginia Magic Classic Tournament, May 9 - 10th. On Saturday, the Stars defeated the U15 Lady Hoop Booth and the U15 Maryland United Lady Ballers. On Sunday, the Stars got by the U15 Maryland Flames and in a rematch, again defeated the Maryland United Lady Ballers. The Stars will travel to Baltimore to participate in the Charm City Basketball National Invitational Tournament.
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The team traveled to Richmond, Virginia on Saturday, May 1st to participate in the Three Point Line Sports May Flowers Tournament. In their first game, they faced the U15 A Maryland Lady Stars and came away with a convincing 71 - 31 win. In their second game, they took on the host TPL U15 National team. In another total team effort, the Stars came away and finished their day with a 73 - 42 win.
Next weekend, the Stars will participate in the Virginia Magic Tournament at the George Mason University Field House.
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The team traveled to Howard County, Maryland on Sunday, April 26th to participate in the Columbia Ravens Invitational. They would be a bit short-handed with four players unable to go this weekend. They would open play against the U16 Baltimore Charm. After facing a 6-point halftime deficit, the Stars stepped up the defensive intensity in the second half and rallied for the 46 - 40 victory. Next up would be the U16 Metro Lady Stars. The Stars played with more energy and opened a double-digit halftime lead before turning it up in the second half and completing an impressive win.
In their final game of the day, the Stars would face off against the host U14 Columbia Ravens. With the inside and outside game finding the range, and the defense creating additional scoring opportunities, the Stars would complete a solid 3 - 0 performance and improve their overall season to date record to 17 - 1.
The Stars will travel to Richmond, Virginia next Saturday where they will compete in the May Flowers Tournament, hosted by Three Point Sports and played at the Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.
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The atmosphere was spirited, the venue was packed, the tenacity was intense, and the competition was fierce as the Fairfax Stars U14 Girls Gold Elite Travel team took on the Georgia Ice in the championship game of the U14 Girls Elite Bracket on Sunday morning at the 2009 Nike Girls Boo Williams Invitational tournament in Hampton, Virginia.
Playing in front of college coaches from top women's programs across America, including NCAA National Championship finalist Louisville, ACC Champs Maryland, Duke, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgetown, LSU, Texas A & M, James Madison, Virginia Commonwealth, and many more, the players from both teams played with intensity and determination.
After falling behind by as many as 10, the Stars battled back to get within two at halftime. In the second half, the Stars fell behind again, but continued to scrap and claw their way back into the game, and fought back to within two points with under 20 seconds to play. With no choice, but to foul, Georgia made their frees throws and held on for a 46 - 43 victory to claim the 2009 championship.
It was a great basketball game, and all due congratulations to the victors, but also a huge congratulations to the runner-ups...a team that has only been together for a few short weeks...but a team that came out and played strong throughout the tournament and battled all the way to final possession of the championship game.
The Stars earned their berth in the championship game by defeating the Carolina Force, 71 - 46, on Friday afternoon; the Alabama Roadrunners, 58 - 41, on Saturday morning; and an outstanding victory over the Michigan Crossover, 53 - 45, on Saturday evening.
The Stars improved to 14 - 1 on the season. Congratulations to the players and coaches on an outstanding effort and thank you to the parents, families, and friends of these talented student-athletes for your continuing support. GO STARS!
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With determination and commitment on both ends of the court, and an impressive display of teamwork on offense and defense, the Fairfax Stars U14 Girls Gold Elite Travel team continued their strong start to the 2009 season by going 5 - 0 at the 2009 Fairfax Stars Girls Tournament of Champions.
For the weekend, the Stars played three 15 year old teams and two 14 year old teams, averaging just over 66 points a game, and holding their opponents to just under 29 points per game.
On Saturday, the Stars defeated the U14 Philadelphia Belles and the U15 East Carolina Sting. On Sunday, the Stars defeated the U15 Loudoun Storm, the U14 Virginians, and the U15 PSPA to finish 5 - 0 for the tournament.
All 11 players that competed this weekend made significant contributions to the effort on a team that has only been together for three weeks. One player is injured and another was playing for her high school team this weekend at the inaugural National High School Invitational tournament.
Congratulations to Logan, Ashleigh, Courtni, CC, Diana, Tamara, Breyana, Katie, Sara, Alisha, and Liz on a great effort. Nesli...get well quick, and congratulations to Jasmine on her team earning the runner-up trophy at the NHSI.
The Stars will next play at the prestigious Nike Boo Williams Spring Invitational Tournament in Hampton, Virginia the weekend of April 17th - 19th.
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Following their opening tournament last weekend where they went 3 - 0, the Fairfax Stars U14 Girls Gold Elite Travel team took the court on Saturday, March 28th to participate in the Cardinal March Opener tournament, where they were to compete against three U16 teams.
The Stars opened play on Saturday with an impressive victory over the U16 Virginia Hurricanes. Next up would be the U16 Next Play, a team comprised of varsity players from across the region. In an exciting, back and forth game that was tied at halftime, the Stars came back from a 6-point deficit in the final two minutes to send the game into overtime, where they prevailed in a final score of 53 - 52. It was a total team effort that produced an improbable comeback and victory, and demonstrated a poise uncharacteristic of a newly formed team competing against older, more experienced players.
In their final game of the day, the Stars would take on the U16 Lessons Learned team. In another contest that remained close throughout, the Stars made key plays down the stretch and claimed another exciting victory, 51 - 50, to finish the day with three wins against U16 teams.
Next weekend, the Stars will compete in the Fairfax Stars Annual Tournament of Champions that in addition to great competition, will have the theme of "Think TOC Pink" in an effort to raise awareness for breast cancer research and treatment.
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The Fairfax Stars U14 Girls Gold Elite Travel team opened their 2009 season on Saturday, March 21st as they traveled to Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Maryland to participate in the Team Sol One Day Run tournament. When the day was over, the Stars, who only formed six days ago, finished 3 - 0 and began the journey of a new season.
The Stars opened play on Saturday morning against the host Team Sol U15 team, and in a tough, physical contest, completed a balanced effort leading to a 58 - 48 victory. 11 different players contributed to the scoring total. Immediately following, the Stars took on Hoop Magic. The Stars moved to 2 - 0 on the day with a 48 - 41 victory.
In their final game of the day, the Stars played Fencor, from the Philadelphia area of Pennsylvania. After getting out to an 11-point halftime margin, the Stars pulled away in the second half to finish off a strong 49 - 23 victory, to finish their opening day with a 3 - 0 record.
Congratulations to Logan, Ashleigh, Courtni, CC, Diana, Tamara, Breyana, Katie, Sara, Alisha, Jazmine, Nesli, and Liz on an outstanding effort. |
