Justice Shoats made sure the NEPA Elite Coyle 17U boys got off to a fast start Saturday in the Hoop Group’s Southern Jam Fest in Hampton, Va.
Shoats scored 24 points, 12 in each half, when the Coyle team won the first of its two night games, 65-55, over New Haven Heat-Doc in a 17U Platinum Division losers’ bracket game.
Five players chipped in between five and eight points in support of the high-scoring effort by Shoats.
Matthew Prociak and Naquan Hollman scored eight points each.
Austin Finarelli scored all seven of his points and Arvel Chandler all five of his in the first half when NEPA Elite opened a 40-23 lead.
Ethan Meuser also finished with five points.
Shoats and Prociak are from Holy Redeemer. Hollman is from Wilkes-Barre Area, Finarelli from Dallas, Chandler from Scranton and Meuser from Wyoming Seminary/The Hill School.
The Coyle team dropped its second game of the night, 50-35, to the New Jersey Roadrunners.
The NEPA Elite Van Zelst 16U team also went 1-1 Saturday at the Southern Jam Fest.
The Van Zelst team defeated the Virginia Playmakers, 61-48, in a 16U Platinum Division losers’ bracket game, then lost to District Basketball Club Red, 66-40.
The NEPA Elite (Joyce) 15U team lost both its games.
Starting its tournament in the 15U Platinum Division championship bracket, the Joyce team fell to New Jersey Legacy EYBL, 67-51. It then lost a losers’ bracket game, 71-43, to Team Spartans National HGSL.
The Coyle and Van Zelst teams both finished 1-2 at the tournament. The 15U team continues Sunday.
NEPA Elite’s other two boys teams are playing in the Hoop Group’s Pocono Jam Fest, which began Saturday and concludes Sunday.
The NEPA Elite Wignot 17U team split its games, opening with a 39-32 victory over Chester County Storm-Kelly before falling to Team Pennsylvania Yancey, 48-35, in the 17U Gold Pool A.
The NEPA Elite Miller 16U team lost twice in 16U Gold bracket play. It fell to Jungle Athletics, 57-48, and Total Skills, 53-36.
