The Genies 13s dropped the championship game to the Arizona Premier at the 2006 NJB Arizona Sun Hoops Tournament, but it was their incredible, almost unbelievable comeback victory just hours earlier in the semifinals that will be talked about for years to come. Playing minus two starters and with just six girls total, the Genies were in serious foul trouble entering the fourth quarter against the Arizona Tru-Ballers at the Salvation Army in Phoenix, Sunday, June 18. Four of the Genies six players had four fouls and the team trailed by 14 points. One minute into the final quarter the Genies Shana Davis picked up foul number five and the team was reduced to just five eligible players. At the five minute mark, Kelsi Haugo was whistled for her fifth foul and the Genies began playing four-on-five. Then, with three minutes remaining and the gutsy, but outmanned Genies trailing by eight, Alyssa Heeman picked up her final foul and the Genies were down to three players. Three minutes to go, trailing by eight and playing three against five. The three remaining players: Tara Rickenbach, Tori Sheaffer and Cara Bomar, were exhausted but determined. The Genies played a 2-1 full court zone press, but with Rickenbach also saddled with four fouls, it was left to Sheaffer and Bomar to chase the ball and foul whenever possible. Each time the Tru-Ballers scored or the ball went out of bounds, the Genies had the Herculean task of inbounding the ball to the two on-court players who were being guarded by five defenders. Simply advancing the ball up court was a monumental challenge as well. Nevertheless, and against all odds, the Genies were able to cut the deficit to five points with 20 seconds remaining and trailed 58-53. There, Rickenbach (who finished with a career-high 20 points) drove the lane and when swarmed by three defenders, kicked the ball out to Bomar who nailed a three-pointer to close the gap to two with 15 seconds left. The Genies called their final timeout and set up the 2-1 press with plans to foul immediately. However, with the crowd screaming and Genies defenders desperately sprinting to the ball, the Tru-Ballers turned the ball over before a foul could be committed, and with ten seconds left the Genies had the ball side-out in the front court immediately in front of their bench. Bomar’s lob entry pass to Sheaffer in the post brought a mob of Tru-Baller defenders, but Sheaffer somehow managed to again kick the ball out to Bomar well beyond the arc, who with two defenders diving at her, buried another three-pointer with five seconds to play. The Tru-Ballers frantically pushed the ball up the court but their desperation three-point attempt just past half-court at the buzzer was off the mark as Genies players and fans stormed the court in a wild celebration worthy of a National Championship. Final score: Genies 59, Tru-Ballers 58. For shear improbability, this victory will be hard to top. In earlier tournament action the Genies had defeated the Shiprock (NM) Lady Rebels (56-28) behind the 22-point, 15-rebound effort of Sheaffer; and the Phoenix Phenoms (44-21) behind Heeman’s 15-point performance. The Genies 13s 3-1 tournament mark moves their overall 2006 record to 31-17 as they prepare for next month’s AAU DII Nationals in Nashville. The Genies 11s had the misfortune of being placed in a pool with the eventual two tournament finalists and were unable to advance to the championship brackets. Three Genies posted double-digit scoring totals (Cortnee Walton, 12; Candice Bomar, 11; and Tessa Smith, 10) in a one-sided opening round 45-15 victory over the Lady AZ Silver Streaks. Then, despite a 21-point outburst from Smith, the Genies dropped a hard-fought 43-37 decision to the Arizona Lady Hoopers. In their final Saturday contest, the Genies came out on the short end of a 48-29 score against California’s NJB Elite squad, with Alex Nicholls posting a team-high nine points. However, the Genies got back on the winning track in Sunday’s consolation championship with a 49-40 win over the Hoop Angels to finish 5th overall. The final victory was marked by a Genies club record scoring performance by Smith, who posted 25 points. With their 2-2 tournament record the Genies finish the year with an overall mark of 28-20.
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