USA's Finest battle mexico’s champions in final basketball tournament saturday
An international battle will conclude Saturday as Mexico’s two national youth championship basketball teams take on the finest youth teams in Maricopa County. Team AZ, the boys’ national champions from Salvation Army, will participate in the final tournament games to be held August 4, at Central High School, 4525 North Central Avenue in Phoenix.
"The first championship game, held August 2, was riveting with Team AZ slightly edging out a win,” said Mary Rose Wilcox, District 5 Supervisor and Chairperson of the Arizona Mexico Commission Ad Hoc Sports Committee. “I know Saturday’s game will be equally exciting.”
The girls’ championship game will be held at 4 p.m. and the boys’ championship game is slated for 5 p.m. An awards banquet will conclude the tournament 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Central High Gym.
The Mexico boys’ championship team comes from Chihuahua, Mexico and the girls’ team comes from Tijuana Mexico. In May, both Mexico teams competed in a national competition in Puebla, Mexico and won the Olimpida National in the 15-16 age category. The Olimpida National is a Mexican national tournament. Also competing in the boys’ tournament this weekend will be Hermosillo, Mexico who placed third in the Puebla tournament.
Tournament sponsors include Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury, Phoenix Union High School and Ranch Markets.
“This basketball event is the continuation of the Arizona Mexico Commission's effort to institutionalize cultural and sports exchanges that promote healthy and culturally enriched lifestyles between Arizona and the state of Sonora, Mexico,” Wilcox said.