On a last minute whim, the coaches for the CAVS 10U made the decision to take the team to the Spartans Spring Fever Tournament in Lawndale, California. Coming off a disappointing finish in Reno, it was decided to try and make a run at a local championship.

The weekend began early Saturday by facing off with the Inland Empire Rebels. Even though they experienced a little bit of a slow start, the CAVS were able to gain control of the game early with tough defense and offensive execution often scattering the Rebels defense and causing confusion. The end result was a 45-13 victory.

Next would be the Long Beach Sixers, a familiar foe from a recent trip to Palm Springs. The Sixers are a scrappy team that gave the young CAVS a challenge. Just like the game the two teams played in Palm Springs, this would be a physical game as the Sixers attempted to push the CAVS around. However, composure prevailed in this one. The CAVS defense buckled down in the second half of the game and took pride in protecting the paint and challenging shots. This made it very difficult for the Sixers to find any offensive success. Loose balls and turnovers were turned into fast break points. This young group would again come out on top by the score of 46-23.

The quest for a championship continued even earlier Sunday morning against Team High Rise, who seemed to be outmanned from the very beginning. The CAVS team defense was relentless and the offense clicked on every cylinder leading up to a final score of 59-2. We would need the same kind of effort to win a championship.

Sunday afternoon came and so did the championship game against SCA/Cal Hoops. SCA/Cal Hoops also had their way with the teams in their pool,winning their games by double digits. This would be a great test for both teams. This game would not disappoint! Both teams started off very aggressive. For most of the first half, the teams went back and forth like two heavyweights in a championship fight, going toe to toe and ended up with a halftime score of 27-27. A few adjustments and a friendly reminder of the importance of staying focused, playing hard and smart and the CAVS were back on the floor ready to go to work. The intensity picked up for both teams during an exciting second half. Tempers flared as one player for SCA/Cal Hoops was ejected for fighting late in the game. Again… the CAVS composure prevailed. We were able to get some big plays at both ends of the floor from a number of players when it counted most. This turned out to be a good decision by the coaching staff as the final seconds ticked off the clock to a 46-39 victory for the CAVS and a well deserved championship. Great finish for a short notice tournament!