The England Basketball League season officially ended on Sunday in Sheffield with the 2010 Youth Final Fours - the playoff finals for U14, U16 and U18 leagues.

 

Held for the first time at the English Institute of Sport-Sheffield the Final Fours saw 24 teams playing 24 games over two days and three courts, with six winners being the end result.

 

There were several highlights throughout the weekend, but special congratulations must go to the Haringey Angels Basketball Club, who won all three female titles in Sheffield - a record achievement for the Youth Final Fours. The Angels have had one of the most successful seasons of any EBL club in 2009/10, winning both U18 and U16 Sureshot National Cups along with taking their regional U16 and U14 league titles. They finished runners-up in their regional U18 women's league, finishing on identical records with Sevenoaks but losing 2-1 in the head-to-head.  

 

 

 

Haringey's U14 girls gave the club their first trophy of the weekend after a big second half saw them defeat Sevenoaks Suns 73-51 in the playoff final. The Angels' Rochelle Milton was selected as the MVP for her stellar defensive work on the Suns' bigs, Cheridene Green and Charlie London.

 

The Southend Swifts captured third place after beating Cheshire Jets 79-66.

 

 

It was only fitting that the top two U16 boys teams from 09/10 met in the playoff final and this time it was the Milton Keynes Lions who came out on top, beating Manchester Magic 72-68. The teams also met in this season's U16 Sureshot Cup final, when Manchester won 80-64, but the Lions put an end to the Magic's unbeaten season in Sheffield behind Jordan Spencer's MVP performance.

 

The London Pioneers defeated Sheffield Junior Sharks in the third place playoff 79-74.

 

 

Haringey and Sevenoaks met again on Saturday, this time in the U18 Women's playoff final and the London club was successful a second time, winning 58-37. Six foot, three inch Jamila Thompson was awarded the game MVP for her play in the paint, both on defense and offense.

 

The Manchester Mystics, who were edged by Haringey in the semi final (one of the weekend's best games), defeated City of Birmingham Force 71-58 in the third place playoff.

 

  

Under 18 Women
Playoff Semi Final
T265	May 1 2010 12.00pm	Manchester Mystics	52	v	57	Haringey Angels
T266	May 1 2010 12.00pm	City of Birmingham Force	43	v	65	Sevenoaks Suns
3rd Place Playoff
T267	May 1 2010 4.15pm	Manchester Mystics	71	v	58	City of Birmingham Force
Playoff Final
T268	May 1 2010 4.30pm	Haringey Angels	58	v	37	Sevenoaks Suns
Under 16 Boys
Playoff Semi Final
U733	May 1 2010 10.00am	Manchester Magic	69	v	58	London Pioneers
U734	May 1 2010 10.00am	Sheffield Junior Sharks	55	v	82	Milton Keynes Lions
3rd Place Playoff
U735	May 1 2010 2.15pm	London Pioneers	79	v	74	Sheffield Junior Sharks
Playoff Final
U736	May 1 2010 2.30pm	Manchester Magic	68	v	72	Milton Keynes Lions
Under 14 Girls
Playoff Semi Final
XG282	May 1 2010 10.00am	Cheshire Jets	33	v	79	Haringey Angels
XG283	May 1 2010 12.00pm	Southend Swifts	48	v	63	Sevenoaks Suns
3rd Place Playoff
XG284	May 1 2010 2.15pm	Cheshire Jets	66	v	79	Southend Swifts
Playoff Final
XG285	May 1 2010 4.15pm	Haringey Angels	73	v	51	Sevenoaks Suns

 

 

 

A big second half for Lewis Halpin saw Cheshire Jets defeat the Manchester Magic 80-66 in the U14 boys' playoff final. Halpin was not 100% heading into the final and it was decided he would sit out the first half. However, seeing his team involved in a tight game in the third period he was subbed in and behind some voracious crowd support, Halpin, MVP Cameron McKay and their teammates produced a resounding second half to take the title.

 

Newham All-Star Sports Academy (NASSA) took third place after a big win over Ipswich Tomcats 77-48.

 

 

The Haringey Angels made it three for three on Sunday after defeating Eastside Eagles in the U16 girls'playoff final 57-42.

 

The Angels did meet a very tired Eagles team, who a couple of hours earlier won an overtime semi final against Manchester, but Haringey showed they are the top young women' club in the country as they won each of the four quarters. Jay-Ann Harriott, who also played for the U14 girls on Saturday, was the playoff final MVP.

 

Nottingham Wildcats won the third place playoff with a 43-40 win over Manchester.

 

 

Always one of the most anticipated games during the Final Fours, the U18 men's playoff final saw the Westminster Warriors outscore the Reading Rockets 103-91 as the London club took their first ever youth playoff title.

 

Despite a valiant fight-back from the Rockets in the second half, the Warriors jumped out and took control from the get-go, taking a 52-30 lead into the half. Some great perimeter shooting from the Rockets cut the gap to 15 at the end of the third and eventually 11, but it wasn't to be as MVP Ryan Martin and the Warriors took the final trophy of 2009/10.

 

The all-northern third place playoff saw Manchester Magic beat Sheffield Junior Sharks 65-60.  

 

 

Under 18 Men
Playoff Semi Final
S975	May 2 2010 12.00pm	Manchester Magic	65	v	78	Reading Rockets
S976	May 2 2010 12.00pm	Westminster Warriors	75	v	70	Sheffield Junior Sharks
3rd Place Playoff
S977	May 2 2010 4.15pm	Manchester Magic	65	v	60	Sheffield Junior Sharks
Playoff Final
S978	May 2 2010 4.30pm	Reading Rockets	91	v	103	Westminster Warriors
Under 16 Girls
Playoff Semi Final
V325	May 2 2010 10.00am	Manchester Mystics	50	v	51	Eastside Eagles
V326	May 2 2010 10.00am	Haringey Angels	68	v	48	Nottingham Wildcats
3rd Place Playoff
V327	May 2 2010 2.15pm	Manchester Mystics	40	v	43	Nottingham Wildcats
Playoff Final
V328	May 2 2010 2.30pm	Eastside Eagles	42	v	57	Haringey Angels
Under 14 Boys
Playoff Semi Final
XB563	May 2 2010 10.00am	Cheshire Jets	91	v	73	Ipswich Tomcats
XB564	May 2 2010 12.00pm	Newham All-Star Sports Academy	66	v	68	Manchester Magic
3rd Place Playoff
XB565	May 2 2010 2.15pm	Ipswich Tomcats	48	v	77	Newham All-Star Sports Academy
Playoff Final
XB566	May 2 2010 4.15pm	Cheshire Jets	80	v	66	Manchester Magic