AEBL championship matchup set
Brighter Days, ISO Yoga get strong second-half performances setting up a finals game
By Robert Alfonso Jr.
ATLANTA, Ga. – Postseason basketball is exactly what basketball fans in Georgia want to see.
Basketball fans attend the AEBL semifinals Saturday night at Kipp Collegiate in Atlanta. They were treated to big individual performances before the championship game was set.
Top-seeded Brighter Days will play 10th-seeded ISO Yoga for the 10th annual championship title at 6 pm this Sunday.
Both teams needed big performances and good runs in the second half to reach the finals.
ISO Yoga defeated TSF 94-89 in overtime.
Former NBA player Joe Johnson led the team to victory after a strong fourth quarter and overtime session. This former seven-time All-Star lived up to his nickname, ISO Joe. The veteran took the team on his shoulders late in the game and refused to lose. He finished with 25 points, 20 in the second half and overtime. Kyle Sturdivant chipped in with 14 points. James Banks and Jeremy Pargo poured in 12 points apiece.
TSF was led by NBA player Reggie Perry. The Thomasville, Georgia native registered a game-high 34 points. However, foul trouble and cold shooting held him nearly scoreless in the fourth quarter. Rob Baker finished with 17 points. Shelvin Mack added 16 points in elimination.
Brighter Days took advantage of its hot shooting to beat Atlanta’s Finest 127-116.
Leading the way for the top-seeded squad was Tyree Crump. The Georgia graduate was scoring the nets in the second half for a team-high 31 points. It didn’t matter where the Bainbridge, Georgia native shot it in the final 20 minutes of the game it was a bucket. He was one of four players in double figures. Paul Parks, who was hot from the field, finished with 25 points. Angelo had 20 points, while Jay Gort and Tadric Jackson added 18 points apiece.
Atl’s Finest made some runs but did not have enough firepower to get over the preverbal hump. Derek Sthilaire, formerly of Duluth High, finished with a game-high 34 points. Miguel Johnson and Lance Terry poured in 20 points apiece. AJ Farrar and Derrick Allen chipped in with 11 points apiece.
About the Author
Alfonso
Robert Alfonso Jr. is a graduate of Mount Sait Mary College. He has more than 20 years of journalism experience. Alfonso has helped build a basketball web brand in Georgia and has covered high school through college sports for publications in New York, North Carolina, and Georgia. His mission has always been to uplift the athletes who play sports providing them the exposure needed in this new media platform.