3x3 Edmonton Challenger 2022 - Finals Day Recap
Eight elite 3x3 teams were left on the second day of action in the Edmonton Challenger, a field that was to be narrowed down as they all looked to stand above all else and claim first prize in what has been a high-quality tournament.
All Canadian teams had fallen by the wayside but there was still plenty to keep onlookers interested, as some of the best 3x3 teams out there were left to battle it out in a full day of basketball with no margin for error - a loss here and the tournament will be over. With the stakes so high everyone produced the best basketball they could and made a for a lively conclusion to the Edmonton Challenger.
Antwerp looked to be running away with it, leading Merksem by nine - only for their compatriots to close the gap down to two within two minutes. Thibaut Vervoot held his nerve and hit one from the stripe and one from outside to win the game for Antwerp by a final score of 21-17.
Similarly Vienna opened against Amsterdam with a 6-0 run but the Dutch were quick to make up the difference. Amsterdam kept it close each time Vienna attempted to break away but late heroics from Stefan Stojacic - finishing with fourteen - sealed the win for Vienna, by the same score as the first quarter final.
Led by Alex Vialaret on offence, Paris made short work of Chicago; limiting the Americans' time in possession and playing higher-percentage offence the Parisians breezed into the semi finals with a 21-9 victory. The all-American tie between Princeton and NY Harlem was far less one-sided.
Kidani Brutus' outside shooting gave NY Harlem and early lead which grew to five until Princeton quickly closed the gap. No sooner had NY Harlem restored their five-point lead, Princeton hit seven in a row and held their opponents scoreless in the last minute to ensure they would move on to the semi finals.
With two of the most domineering teams in Edmonton, the Antwerp-Vienna semi final looked to be one of the most competitive, but did not go according to plan. While the teams started out evenly matched Vienna soon surged into the lead with five two-pointers in a row. Antwerp looked uncharacteristically lost and ultimately helpless when faced with Filip Kramer in the paint, hitting three points in a row to complete the routing of favourites Antwerp, winning by ten.
Paris had the lead to begin with and twice Princeton equaled the score line before hitting five in a row to lead for the first time. The Parisians responded with a scoring run of their own to tie the scores, before Isaiah Wilkerson put Princeton back in front and then scored from beyond the arc to send the Americans to the final in Edmonton.
This meant it would be Vienna and Princeton who would face off for the Edmonton Challenger title. It was Princeton who put the first points on the board but Vienna were quick to level proceedings, with Filip Kramer then scoring six unanswered to put the Austrians in front. Kareem Maddox and Canyon Barry kept it tight as Vienna tried to increase their lead and then put up five in a row to go within two of victory.
Kramer once again put Vienna in front by a point and in the final seconds Isaiah Wilkerson tied the scores at twenty, sending the final to overtime. The hero there would be Kramer, drawing a foul and keeping his composure from the line to win the tournament for Vienna.
Stefan Stojacic and Paris' Alex Vialaret shared top scorer honours, followed by fellow Viennese Kramer - also the leading rebounder in Edmonton - and Princeton's Wilkerson. Canada will soon become a familiar destination for Vienna as victory here guarantees them a place in the Montreal Masters in September.
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