16u moves to 2-0 at Blue Chip 3 Stripe Invitational

Win moves Firecrackers to final four of their 16-team bracket

The 16u Maine Firecrackers quickly found themselves in a bad place in their second game at the Blue Chip USA Invitational in Manheim PA, down 7-0 to the storied Central New Jersey Cardinals. The Maine girls kept their composure, however, and turned to their ace. Emily Esposito answered the bell with two short jump shots to stop the bleeding before Jess Willerson hit a long two to make the score 9-6 New Jersey.

Next, the Downeast Duo of Sierra Tapley and Kelsey Shaw went to work. Tapley hit a 3, a pull up jump shot, a foul shot, and threaded the needle to Shaw for a Bernard King-like finish all in the span of 40 seconds to surge the Firecrackers ahead 14-11, forcing the Cardinals to switch to a 2:3 zone. One the ensuing possession Emily Esposito set up Brie Wajer for a college distance 3 and then threw a no-look backdoor bounce pass to Danasia Fennie, who exploded to finish just below the rim to the delight of her teammates and 30 division I and II coaches in attendance. When Willerson made a put-back on her own miss the score was 26-11. Two mid range jumpers by Shaw and a turnaround fading jump shot by Esposito completed a 31-9 run and a 33-11 halftime lead.

The Firecrackers tapped the brakes in the second half with a more disciplined offense and conservative defense. After two quick NJ baskets, Kelsey Shaw stemmed the comeback with alacrity on 2 quick scores and a power layup by Fennie courtesy of a Brie Wajer assist and the Firecrackers cruised to a 45-29 win.

Kelsey Shaw turned in another very strong performance with 12 points and 6 rebounds and showed why she is so coveted by college coaches. Willerson (11 points, 5 rebounds) also continued to impress with her physical play in the post and outside shooting touch while Esposito finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists while playing less than half the game as the Firecracker coaches attempted to rest her sprained ankle. Sierra Tapley showcased her all around game and tremendous handles. She finished with 6 points and 5 assists with no turnovers and along with Brie Wajer (3 pts, 3 steals, 4 assists). Not enough can be said about the play of Tapley, Wajer, and Birkel again in this game. Danasia Fennie finished with 4 points and 8 rebounds and Katie Butler (4 rebounds, 2 steals) did an outstanding job neutralizing the Cardinals large and physical post player.

This puts the Firecrackers into the final four of their 16 team bracket at 5:15 today on Court 25. Game 3 is against the PA Lady Running Rebels, who have produced many division 1 players over the past ten years.