Tar Heels take title

Kevin Fults’ buzzer-beating game-winner provided a dramatic semifinal win for the Newport-Mesa National Junior Basketball All-Net seventh-grade boys’ team that captured the national tournament title Sunday.

Fults lay-in at the buzzer gave the Newport-Mesa Tar Heels a 40-39 win over the Irvine Bruins. The Tar Heels rallied from a five-point deficit against the Bruins to finish the season at 20-3.

In the final minutes, Riley Gaddis came up with a steal in a full-court press that led to an easy basket. Another steal by Fults led to foul shots by Cole Norris that cut the Irvine lead to one with seconds remaining. Norris and Gaddis then created another turnover which led to an assist under the basket as Fults scored on a tough lay-in at the buzzer.

In the championship game Sunday, the Tar Heels faced a tough Coyote Creek team that had won its regular-season title and made its way to the tournament from San Jose. It was a back-and-forth battle, but the Tar Heels came out on top, 52-45.

The Tar Heels led by seven at the half only to seed that lead disappear by the end of the third quarter. They rallied back in the final period with big shots from Gaddis (16 points, five steals), Fults (eight points, five rebounds), Norris (12 points, seven rebounds) and Brett Greenlee (three points, six rebounds). With just minutes remaining, the Tar Heels came up with a steal that they converted into a layup by Gaddis followed by a clutch shot from Logan Miller (four points, four steals), to open up a three-point lead.

Norris and Miller converted four of six free throws down the stretch to complete the championship win.

In pool play Saturday, the Tar Heels defeated the Irvine Mavericks, 51-20, Redlands Heat, 54-35, and Bakersfield Hawks, 56-27.

The Tar Heels, coached by Scott Stucki and Eric Fults, received key contributions throughout the tournament from Max Stanley, Grady Kimme, Charlie Evans and Hagen Truninger.

Max Kline was unavailable for the tournament.

— Reader submission