The Mandeville Crush took third place in the 2010 International 12-year olds Biddy Basketball Tournament held last Friday-Wednesday in the Fritchie Park Gym.

The tournament featured 24 teams. Twenty-two came from local area and different parts of the country, including Indiana, Kansas and Pennsylvania.

There was also an international flavor to the event as two teams came from Helsinki, Finland. They had two coaches Niko Nyholm and Pekka Hartikainen, leading both teams.

Mandeville’s Stephen Hammond shoots on the run, while being guarded by Patterson’s Carnelius Pollard (15) during the semifinals of 2010 International 12-year olds Biddy Basketball Tournament Wednesday at Fritchie Park’s Gym. (Staff Photo by Chris Kinkaid)

Nyholm, who has been coaching Biddy basketball for five years and has been in the area before, said it’s a great experience for coaches and players. If they face each other, Nyholm coaches the White Team and Hartikainen guides the Blue Team.

“We have a good chance to meet the local players and the local families. This is unbelievable for us,” Nyholm said.

When asked about the difference in the game here compared to Finland, Nyholm said it’s quicker and you are not allowed to play zone defense.

“The tempo is much higher here because players are faster, physical and stronger than Finland’s,” Nyholm said. “The other big difference is that in Finland, the basketball association doesn’t allow us to play zone under 12-year olds, so they have to always play man-to-man defense.”

Playing under the different rules here, Nyholm said they mixed up their defenses.

The Finland Blue team won three games, while the white squad posted one win.

The 24 Finland players stayed at families’ houses, two each. They came in Thursday night and left Wednesday morning.

“Finland’s been coming to Biddy basketball tournaments for 31 years,” tournament director Ricky Suprean said. “This adds a little more pizzazz to it. They come in and they’re not well prepared because they don’t get to play a game before they come. But you could see each game how much better they get.”

Tournament director Suprean said things went real well with the event.

“The tournament ran as smooth as can be,” Suprean said. “Once again, the city of Slidell stepped up and everybody that we called came forward to help us. The SYBA (Slidell Youth Basketball Association) board was great. Some of the people whose kids played years ago were great.”

He also said it was an incredible job by the host families for the Finland players.

Suprean also said the games were officiated well.

Six local players were named all-Americans. Mandeville had three, including Hunter Dugas, David Durand and Stephen Hammond. Madisonville, the Slidell Hotshots and the Slidell Blackhawks all had one.

Ryan O’Krepki was selected for Madisonville, while Matthew Thomas made it for the Hotshots, while Chris Parker got it for the Blackhawks.

JPRD Westbank 12-year olds’ Jeremy Treaudo was named Mr. Biddy.

For the games, each contest featured four six-minute quarters and 10 participants per team had to play one full quarter.

Locally, Mandeville lost in the semifinals 42-40 to Patterson as Nehemiah Augustus hit the game-winning shot with six-seconds left.

They had a chance to win or tie in the closing moments, but the Crush missed a long 3-pointer that was short. An alert Mandeville player caught the airball, but his subsequent follow up was no good.

The Crush led 32-25 after three quarters as David Durand hit a layup to end the third.

Patterson got hot to begin the fourth, scoring the first five points.

The teams traded baskets and it was 34-32 with 4:44 left in an up-tempo game.

Then Patterson hit a free throw, followed by a 3-pointer to go up 36-34. Mandeville tied it at 36-36.

A technical foul free throw game Patterson a 37-36 edge with 2:16 remaining. The Crush regained the lead with David Durand’s two free throws.

Later in the quarter, Mandeville led 40-38, but Patterson’s Augustus was fouled. He was good on two from the line, tying the game at 40-40 with fewer than 30-seconds left.

Mandeville missed a shot, then had another blocked.

Following a timeout, Augustus hit the game-winner. Mandeville was unable to come out ahead or send it to overtime.

In the finals, Patterson had to beat JPRD West twice in the finals, while JPRD had to win just once.

Patterson got down 32-16 at halftime and eventually suffered a 62-29 loss as JPRD West was crowned the AA champion.

In the single A title game, Wichita, Kan., got a 46-42 victory over JPRD 11s.

Teams were placed in single A or double A by how they did in bracket play.

Mandeville went 5-3.

The started with a 39-25 victory over Wichita last Saturday.

Durand led the Crush with seven points, while Hunter Bastion along with Daniel Hollander had five each.

Also on Saturday, they lost to Plymouth, Pa., 39-37. Bastion logged 12, while Hammond posted eight.

On Sunday, the Crush went 1-1. They lost to Patterson 47-41.

Dugas tallied 12, while Hammond scored eight.

They also defeated St. John’s 39-32.

Dugas and Hammond had eight apiece, while Carlo Graffeo posted six.

On Monday, the topped New Orleans 36-34.

Hammond logged 12 and Dugas posted nine.

The captured two victories on Tuesday. The Crush defeated Donaldsonville 38-27 as Bastion scored nine and Dugas along with Durand had seven.

They also beat Plymouth 37-33.

Dugas and Hammond each tallied 11.

The Slidell Hotshots went 1-3.

On Saturday, they had a 1-1 mark. The first one was a 57-42 defeat from St. John’s.

Thomas posted 14, while Devon Williams had seven, KJ Hopskins had six and Ashon Cook finished with five.

Also on Saturday, they defeated Plaquemines 47-40.

Hopkins tallied 17, while Thomas totaled 10 and Jones added six.

On Sunday, the suffered a 43-39 loss to Donaldsonville.

Hopkins had a big game with 24, followed by six each from Thomas and Kain Mitchell.

On Monday, Slidell suffered a 54-31 loss to St. John’s.

Hopkins led the Hotshots with 12.

The Slidell Blackhawks posted a 1-4 record. They lost to Plaquemine 36-33 on Monday.

Their victory was over the JPRD 11s 40-33.

Byron Simon posted 12 points, while Ryghe Lyons and Xavian McKay each had eight.

Also, the Blackhawks were edged 36-33 by Plaquemine.

Simon scored 17 points.

Slidell suffered a 29-21 loss against Thibodaux.

Lyons and Simon each finished with six.

On Sunday, they were defeated by St. John’s 38-28.

Byron Simon and Blake Way scored eight each

On Tuesday, they had a 60-43 loss to Wichita.

Chris Parker had 17, while Shane Bolner posted six.

Madisonville played just two games, losing both.

They started with a 33-15 setback to Plaquemine. Derek Drago scored nine.

On Monday, Madisonville suffered a 35-32 loss to JPRD East 11s.

Drago posted nine, while Griffin Hakenios had eight.