Joined by team owner Ernesia Wright, professional basketball players Alexis Prince, Khadijiah Cave, Aliyah Collier, and Dominique Wilson repped their new Wooter Apparel custom-made uniforms as the Georgia Soul took home the championship at the inaugural 360 Hoops Invitational 3X3 Tournament at DME Sports Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida.
The Georgia Soul got back to business on the court this summer by doing what they do best: winning basketball games.
Thanks to some big time buckets from Alexis Prince and key rebounds from Khadijiah Cave, the Georgia Soul claimed the Elite Bracket championship at the inaugural 360 Hoops Invitational 3X3 Tournament at DME Sports Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida.
Sporting their new customized uniforms for the 2020 WPBA season by Wooter Apparel, Prince (Baylor, Turkey) and Cave (Baylor, Israel) competed alongside Aliyah Collier (Clemson, Portugal) and Dominique Wilson (North Carolina State, Israel) to capture the championship. Competitors from across all age groups — from elementary school up to top collegiate and professional players — vied for the titles in various brackets in the unique 360 Hoops format, three-on-three play on a three-basket, three-team circular court.
Along with boasting professional experience from the WNBA, Israel, Turkey, Portugal, and Switzerland, members of the Georgia Soul are preparing for the upcoming basketball season overseas with former Clemson standout Aliyah Collier already signed to play in Finland.
In the women’s final, Alexis Prince scored a game-high 19 points, grabbed five rebounds and handed out six assists, while Cave pitched in 16 points and finished with a game-high 10 boards as Georgia Soul defeated DMT, 54-25.
“The ladies being able to play in 360 Hoops inaugural invitational was phenomenal. With everything going on in the world the girls were still able to do something they love after being away from competitive basketball for a few months,” said Georgia Soul team owner, Ernesia Wright.
“DME Sports Academy took the necessary safety precautions to ensure measures were in place to help create exposure for the girls and the organization. We are grateful for the opportunity that was extended to us from Ontavious McCullough, owner of the Orlando Boom!”
The Women’s and Men’s Elite Bracket title games for the tournament were featured on a tape-delayed national TV broadcast, including iInnovative camera angles and technology (360 VR) that were incorporated. The format, in which three teams compete at a time on the 30-foot diameter circular court, featuring a single stanchion with three regulation baskets facing away in each direction and where players can score for their teams in any of the three baskets, produced some highlights not possible in standard basketball.
“We weren’t sure what to expect in our first tournament, but it exceeded everything we could have hoped for,” said Shane Brey, Co-Founder, 360 Hoops.
“All of the elements of the game were on display, and we will look back at the tapes, learn which things worked well and which we can tweak to be even better. We are thankful to these tremendous athletes, from the youngest kids right up to the Elite men and women for their efforts all week.”
The Georgia Soul are very familiar with coming together to play championship basketball. Just two years after winning a Women’s Blue Chip Basketball League title and suspending operations, the organization was set to make a return for the debut of the inaugural WPBA 2020 campaign before the Coronavirus pandemic hit. Now the Soul have shifted their focus to conducting individual and team workouts, while looking for opportunities to get back on the floor and shine.
“Georgia Soul (and the Crosstown team for the Men’s division) will forever be the first 360 Hoops champions, and we can’t be prouder to award them the titles, along with the other bracket winners,” said Brey.