EVERETT — Kiante Woods talked the talk, and Sunday afternoon he walked the walk.
The confident and chatty Woods scored nine points, including the game-winning basket, to lead MUV Elite to a 20-15 victory over CPC MLT in the championship game of the Elite Division at the inaugural Everett 3on3 basketball tournament, which took place Saturday and Sunday on the streets of downtown Everett.
Woods, a Mariner High School graduate who’s played professionally in Mexico, showcased his ability to drive the lane and score acrobatically over taller defenders as MUV Elite pulled ahead midway through an intense championship encounter. Games were played to 20, with baskets counting for one point and long-range efforts counting for two.
“Thankfully I had guys who were willing to rock with me so we could get a good win,” Woods said. “We lost one game yesterday, but we ended up just playing hard and getting the dub.”
Fellow Wesco alums Daniel Gebremichael (Shorecrest, six points), Masamba Njadoe (Shorecrest, four points) and Steven Souza Jr. (Cascade, one point) rounded out the MUV Elite squad, which took home the $1,000 prize for claiming the championship. Souza, who was playing for the Seattle Mariners two months ago, nearly missed the championship game, which started earlier than scheduled, while attending his son’s Little League game. Souza arrived just as the game began, giving MUV Elite a much-needed substitute.
CPC MLT was led by Cascade graduate Brevin Brown and Glacier Peak grad Brendan Tetrault, who each scored six points, while Cascade grad D’Andre Bryant added three. CPC MLT took home $500 for finishing second.
The score was close throughout the first half of the game, and it was tied 12-12 when MUV Elite finally broke free. Gebremichael drained a 2-pointer off the check to give MUV Elite the lead, then Woods hit a 2 of his own to give MUV Elite a 16-12 advantage.
Then with the score 18-15, Woods made a nice feed to Njadoe to bring up game point, and he scored himself with a reaching right-handed layup over the outstretched arm of defender Tobyn Lawson to end it.
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