Area hoops start strong

From staff reports


Published: July 16, 2008

Playing in two tournaments in six days this past week took a toll on Lynchburg Hoops, which traveled from Myrtle Beach, S.C., to Morgantown, W.Va., on Sunday between the two showcases.

The team of area college prospects coached by Buddy Mason, got off to an auspicious start last Thursday at the 64-team Dick’s Sporting Goods Big Shots Tournament in Myrtle Beach, beating the Carolina Raptors 52-50 after holding the 18th-ranked team in the United States to 18 points in the first half.

Carlisle’s Darius Echols led the Hoops with 16 points, Roanoke Catholic’s 6-foot-8 center Domas Rinksalis added 12 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Tautuydas “T.K.” Kairys, a 6-5 Lithuanian wing out of Cape Fear Academy in Wilmington, N.C., played a great all-around game.

That game was the highlight of the tournament for Lynchburg, however, as it then lost to the North Carolina Gaters of Greensboro, the state’s top team ranked No. 11 in the nation with five NCAA Division I prospects.

Lynchburg led 19-14 at the half before Rinksalis got into foul trouble in the fourth quarter and the Gaters held the ball for the final five minutes of a 40-33 win.

On Saturday morning, the Hoops got 19 points from Kairys, 14 from Echols and another 12-point, 14-rebound effort from Rinksalis in a 67-49 win over East Coast Fusion to advance to Sunday’s consolation final.

Facing the Chris Paul All-Stars out of South Carolina and Georgia, they struggled from the start, trailing 17-0 11 minutes into the first quarter. Quinten Watkins of Carlisle had five steals and Echols added four to help the Hoops get back into the game, cutting the deficit to six with eight minutes to go before suffering a 53-39 setback.

The team left by van Sunday afternoon, and drove eight hours to Morgantown, arriving 40 minutes before its first game in the 328-team Hoop Group Harley Davidson International.

“It was a very, very tough tournament,” Mason said after Lynchburg opened with an 80-60 loss to the Derrick Smith All-Stars from Louisville, Ky. “Those kids shot the lights out. They were really organized.”

Clarry scored 16 points, Echols added 12 and Rinksalis finished with 12 rebounds and three blocked shots in defeat.

The Hoops avenged their loss to the N.C. Gaters, 60-56 in the second game, led by Clarry (16 points), Echols (14) and Rinksalis (12). Carlisle’s Sydnor Trent blocked five shots in one quarter and grabbed eight rebounds.

Lynchburg was eliminated with Monday’s 52-43 loss to the North Carolina Fire after Clarry sprained his ankle in the opening minute. “If we lose him, we’re going to be between a rock and a hard place,” Mason said.

Clarry scored 14 points and Matt Powell hit three 3-pointers to pace the Hoops, who fly out of Dulles Airport to Las Vegas on Monday for the 364-team Main Event International AAU National Championships. After five days of competition there, they will take travel to play in the Duel in the Desert, a Jimmy V Cancer tournament featuring 48 of the top teams in the country.