The 2013 Western Conference Champion BORP Bay Cruisers. Photo courtesy of Loren Bohnett.

The BORP Bay Cruisers Varsity team went to Portland, Oregon on March 2 & 3 on a mission.  The team needed to win the Conference Championship in order to ensure a spot in the National Championship Tournament in April.  Entering the weekend, BORP was ranked #7 in the country and secured the top seed in the tournament.

The games were and hosted by the newly resurrected Portland Wheelblazers program. 

The first game pitted BORP against a younger Rancho team from Los Angeles.  Just a couple of years ago, Rancho was the team to beat, but now they are in a rebuilding phase and simply could not keep up with the Cruisers.  James Bohnett sliced through their defense at will, and Koda Inman-Ahlstrom and Chris Rodriguez nailed open shots when the defense collapsed.  Zach Penick, Christie Levine, and Cortney Outman opened the court up with relentless picking, and Rancho simply did not have an answer for BORP’s team speed.  Defensively it was like watching bees swarm, and the Cruisers denied vision and opportunity every time Rancho touched the ball.  By halftime, the game was clearly in hand.  BORP’s coaching staff decided that James should embrace a new challenge, and he was handed the board to coach the 2nd half, with support from the staff.

It was a great opportunity for him to see things from the coaches’ point of view, and the team followed his direction to the first victory of the day.  The highlight of the game was provided by Christie.  With less than 5 minutes left, BORP ran a play to get her an open shot from the left baseline.  After working on this for a while in practice it was her time to shine in a game.  Getting a screen from a teammate and a great pass from Koda, she reared back and launched her first basket in competition.  The look of shock and excitement on her face was priceless.  The team crushed Rancho 40-16.

Next up was Team St. Luke’s from Spokane, WA.  Always a great match-up, the Cruisers have not lost to St. Luke’s this season.  The pace of the game was great but neither team was able to pull away in the first half.  James got into foul trouble early, getting his 3rd foul on a questionable call with under 10 minutes left in the half.  On the very next possession he got his 4th foul on a ridiculous call at half court.  That sparked a technical foul from the bench, and cut the Cruisers’ lead to 2 points.

Then St. Luke’s star Josh Brewer must have felt left out so he decided to pick up his 3rd and 4th fouls to match James.

With both stars from their respective teams handcuffed with fouls, the tempo of the game changed.   Koda took control of the game and was able to find James and Chris with some excellent passing.  He scored 8 of his 20 points in the second half and added 6 more assists.  Chris balanced out the attack with 8 points and Zach pulled down some huge rebounds while protecting the paint.  Christie and Zach continued to set picks relentlessly to get their teammates open, and Cortney was amazing at talking her teammates through the switches and assignments.  The team pulled out a close win over Spokane, and against all odds, James managed to avoid fouling out of the game.

Action from the 2013 Western Conference Championship Tornament in Portland. Photo courtesy of Loren Bohnett.

That win put the team into the semi-finals against Phoenix.  Last year, Phoenix shocked the world by not only upsetting BORP in the semifinals, but also by winning the Conference Championship.

A tough team with tremendous speed and great court awareness, Phoenix faced a Cruisers squad that showed up especially focused and determined.  Koda set the tone immediately, hitting his first six shots on his way to 20 points in the first half.  James added 19 of his own, and William Luong and Chris added six more to the first half totals.  Christie, Cortney, and Zach continued to pick, seal, and defend tenaciously to open the court up for their teammates.  In the second half BORP ran a more controlled, patient style offense to work out some kinks.  Late in the game, Christie got around a screen and was able to get another basket to fall. 

With five minutes left, BORP’s speed line-up entered to run “the Great Wall of China”, where they seal off all the opponents in the back-court to give Cortney a chance to shoot.  It took a few tries to get the seals right, but finally James was able to get a great pass off to Cortney and she sank her first bucket in a game.  It was great seeing how hard this team works for each other so they can each shine.  The team went on to post a 71-41 victory to advance to the finals.

The finals would be a rematch of what is turning into a fantastic rivalry between two great teams.  Utah has a huge team, not only in the number of athletes they have, but the actual size of their players.  They are led by a 6’7″ center and have three other players over 6′.  Their team is bigger, faster, can shoot better, and almost all of them have very low level of impairment.  BORP kids, on the other hand, have heart.  There is no match for that and coming into the game BORP had beaten Utah three out of the last four times the teams faced off. 

The game was an instant classic.  Utah took an early 8-2 lead off a couple of missed BORP opportunities, but the Cruisers were getting great looks.  BORP realized that they were breaking down the Utah defense and finally got on track to come back and take the lead.  The lead changed constantly throughout the game and neither team was willing to fold.  Zach and Christie switched off and continued to pressure the big guy every inch of the court until he finally got so frustrated and tired that he asked his coach to take him out.  Still, even with him on the bench, BORP could not pull away.  With three minutes left, Utah had a 4-point lead and it was time to make a move.  James took control of the game and he and Koda combined for the final ten points to take the lead a one-point lead.  To win, Utah needed to inbound the ball, go the length of the court and score in just under 11 seconds.  On the inbound, Koda and William pressured the ball.  Zach, Chris, and James defended the big guy on the block and kept him from getting a good look at the bucket.  A pick came up to free the Utah guard and William and Koda fought through it and pressured the guard into throwing a pass before he was in a good position and James shot out and stole the pass with two seconds left to seal the victory.  It was an amazing game, with the Bay Cruisers pulling out a 51-50 win over Utah.

Final score: BORP 51, Utah 50. Photo courtesy of Loren Bohnett.

With that win, BORP became the 2012-2013 West Coast Conference Champions with a record of 13-2 on the year and advance to the National tournament for the first time in several years as a Varsity team.  It was an incredible TEAM accomplishment. As Coach Trooper Johnson said, “it is so incredible to see how this group of kids have come together to support each other, to make sacrifices for each other, and to work so hard to put their teammates in a position to shine.”  BORP’s picking line of Cortney, Christie, and Zach rarely get a chance to shoot (as Zach says, “I’m not programmed for that”) but they worked their butts off knowing that their individual efforts would lead to team success. 

The Championship trophy. Photo courtesy of Loren Bohnett.

Congratulations to the 2013 Western Conference Champs!  Next up, Nationals…

BORP hosted an amazing Junior Division Wheelchair Basketball tournament in Berkeley on January 12 -13.

Before a game at the 2013 Bay Area Invitational Jr. Wheelchair Basketball Tournament

The tournament started off with a fantastic reception for all the teams: Team Saint Lukes from Spokane, Washington; BORP’s Varsity and Varsity B-teams, the Utah Wrec ‘N’ Crew, the Portland Blazers, San Diego Prep, and BORP’s Prep team. District Attorney Nancy O’Malley and her husband John outdid themselves again and were incredible hosts for the event.  The teams enjoyed a terrific spread and were fueled-up and ready for the games to start.

Saturday started off with a bang.  Our announcers for the weekend made sure to give every athlete their moment in the spotlight, and brought a level of excitement and color to every moment of every game.  Many thanks go out to Steve Harwood, Bill Cosden, and Scott Butler for making each moment on the court larger than life.

Chris Rodriguez on a fast break

As the BORP Varsity team opened the tournament, there was a little nervous excitement in the air and BORP and Spokane both had trouble getting on the board.  Eventually the team calmed down and was able to pull away posting a 44-34 victory.  Chris Rodriguez led the team in scoring with 16 points followed by Koda Inman-Ahlstrom and James Bohnett with ten points each, and William Luong adding 8 more.  Christie Levine, Cortney Outman, and Zach Penick continued to be amazing role players, setting picks and doing all the dirty work to allow their teammates to score.

Members of the BORP Bay Cruisers Varsity team before a game

The Prep team had their first game of the season against San Diego.  San Diego has a super strong Prep squad, with most of their kids playing in their third or fourth year.  BORP’s Prep team is new with Garnet Silver-Hall, Amit, and Jesus plying in their first competitive basketball games.  Avery, Dallas, and Ernesto Cappuccio became the veterans overnight and the kids played their hearts out. It was clear that our kids were a little outmatched through the weekend, and lost all three games to San Diego.  There were some great moments during the Prep games and as these kids get more experience they will become stronger and stronger over the next couple of years.  Dallas made a couple of baskets for the team and Amit was able to start learning his new role as a point guard, and added a couple of baskets of his own.  The future looks much brighter for the Prep squad, and Richie, Sam, and Coach Laura will get them rolling.

BORP Prep squad prepares for tip-off

Utah was next on the list for the Varsity squad.  This is quickly becoming a heated rivalry between the teams, with BORP beating Utah in Salt Lake City, and then losing (badly) to them in Phoenix.  This was going to be the first of two games between the teams over the weekend and set the tone for the Conference Championship Tournament that will be held in March.

James Bohnett shares a laugh with an opponent

James Bohnett led the team in scoring, with 29 points, including 19 in the second half.  Koda added 19 points and Chris and William pitched in four and three points to add to the total and give the team a 55-40 win.  This was a HUGE victory and helped secure a top 15 ranking.  Once again, our role players (Cortney, Christie, and Zach) continued to grind the other team down and continue to be the key to the team’s success.

This year introduced a new Varsity “B” team.  This is an extension of the varsity team but allows BORP to focus playing time on the athletes that cannot travel for one reason or another and dedicate more playing time to some of the role players and younger kids.  It also lets the older players teach the newer kids their roles.  With Koda running the floor, it gave us an opportunity to see Amit play against older kids and help build confidence and gain experience.  Bradley Benz got to learn his role from Cortney and Christie, and Daniel Diana and Matthew Hatae got a chance to perform the things they have been working on in practice.  This also gave us a chance to have Sean Kelker come in and play in a real, competitive youth game and get a feel for the sport.

BORP pulled out a 19-13 victory against a new team from Portland, and it was awesome seeing so many new kids getting on the court.  It also really showed how much the Varsity team has improved over the past couple of years because they were in that very position of being the “new kids” not too long ago.

Coach Trooper Johnson discusses strategy with his team

Day one finished with a bang.  The party for the kids at the hotel, which included a DJ and what must of seemed like half a cow was described as simply “off the hook” and for most of the kids something that was talked about all day Sunday.  Thanks to Na’ama and Jennifer for setting that up, and thanks to Michael an Sylvia for the food.  The kids loved it.

Day two did not start off well for BORP.  The varsity “B” team was spanked by Portland in a game that simply had no flow to it.  Every shot that went up could not find it’s way into the basket, and it seemed like every time Portland shot the ball it found a way to go in.  Portland handed the team a 33-18 beating that was in all honesty not even as close as the score looked.

The final game of the day and the tournament was a rematch between BORP’s Varsity team and the Utah Wreck ‘N’ Crew.  Utah started off scoring on their first possession off the tip.  After the Bay Cruisers tied it up they were able to take a lead and never looked back.  Neither team wanted to give an inch, and both squads pressed for almost the entire game.  Zach was assigned the big guy from Utah, Marcus Brockman.  “Big” it is probably a slight understatement.  He is 6’10 and if he gets anywhere near the basket he is deadly.  Zach did an amazing job making the big guy work at both ends of the court tiring him out as much as possible and it threw the Utah team off their rhythm.

Zach and James defend Utah’s big guy, Marcus Brockman

Koda, William, and James pressured the guard line-up, and Chris picked up anyone that came through.  BORP was able to get a few turnovers and frustrate Utah, and started to slowly build a lead.  With only a few minutes left in the game, Utah made their run, pulling within four points.  James took control again with a two quick steals and conversions to get BORP back on track, and eventually the Bay Cruisers pulled away for a 58-49 victory.  This was a true team victory.  James led the team in scoring, but everyone contributed in some way.  “This game was one of the most exciting games I have ever been a part of” said Coach Johnson.

This victory was big.  It gave BORP a 3-1 record against Utah on the season and puts BORP in a position for a bid for the National Championship Tournament in KY with a 9-2 record overall.  This is something the varsity team has worked on for years and has not been able to reach.

Congratulations to all the kids that participated in the event.  You all were amazing!

See highlights from the BORP Bay Cruiser’s victory over Utah on BORP’s Vimeo page!

Hey BORP,

BORP’s varsity and prep wheelchair basketball teams are hosting a tournament in Berkeley this weekend. Saturday is at James Kenney Rec Center and Sunday is at the Berkeley Young Adult Project (BYAP). They will be playing teams from Salt Lake City, Portland, Spokane and San Diego.

If you can get out to cheer for them I know it would be appreciated and you’ll get to see some great hoops (and its free).

Flier with exact game schedule 2013 Tournament Schedule

Saturday 9-6
James Kenney
1720 8th Str. (cross street Virginia)
Berkeley

Sunday 9-4
BYAP
1730 Oregon Str. (near MLK Jr. Way and Ashby)
Berkeley

Go BORP!