In the much anticipated first matchup of the season for the 413 Elite faced off against the NY Hoop Dragons, in the final stretch of the season. The Elite took the win with a final score of 96 to 95 versus the Hoop Dragons. The game was held at the Springfield Boys & Girls Club on February 17, 2024.
In this close match, the 413 Elite led the majority of the game but edged the tough Hoop Dragons by 1 point at the end of the game. The first quarter would wrap up with the Elite leading the Hoop Dragons 25-12 in the first 12 minutes of play. The second quarter the Elite would score a total of 54 points and the Hoop Dragons would score a total of 41 points showing fight, with the Elite leading the way at halftime by 13 points. The third quarter both teams came out and the hoop dragons would go on to score a total of 68 points chipping away at the Elites lead, however the Elite would maintain their advantage by scoring a total of 71 going into the fourth quarter with a 3 point lead. The fourth quarter would be a battle with both teams hitting shots and at least 3 to 4 lead changes during. The game would be decided by a couple of free throws from the Elite, and they stood the test of time by hitting both shots to edge above their competitors in the fourth quarter to secure the victory.
The Springfield Stretching and Massage Therapy sponsored Player of the Game, was #12 Jerry “J-BUCKETS” Buchanon, who scored 23 points, snatched five steals, hit the boards with four rebounds and worked the court with three assists.
413 Elite had a few scorers in double figures for the game. Charles Jackson, who scored 20 points, followed by Mikey Pettway, who scored 16 points, followed by Reilly Miller, who scored 7 points, and Kevin McLaughlin who scored 6 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
The 413 Elite are looking forward to their final regular season home game on February 24, 2024 versus the 518 Ballers at the Springfield Boys and Girls Club on Carew St. The two teams met in competition once this season and the 413 Elite took home the win. The 413 Elite comes into this game ranked #15 in the country out of 100+ teams.
