Will Marion, Ryan Nealon and Oliver Almonte all scored in double figures in Saturday’s third-round game, lifting the NEPA Elite 17U Coyle boys team over Team New England HGSL, 57-49, in a 17U Platinum Steelers winners’ bracket game at The Hoop Group’s Pittsburgh Jam Fest.
The win advanced the Coyle team into the quarterfinals of the 40-team bracket where it lost late Saturday as the second day of the three-day event was wrapping up at the Lawrence Convention Center.
Brad Wanamaker Elite HGSL downed the Coyle team, 55-47, to reach the semifinals.
The Coyle team is 2-1 in bracket play in Pittsburgh and also lost in a Hoop Group Showcase League game before the bracket started. It is 4-4 on the season against a demanding early schedule that included hosting last week’s KYDA Invitational.
Marion and Nealon are Abington Heights teammates. Almonte is from Scranton High School.
The other NEPA Elite boys teams combined to go 1-5 in losers’ bracket games Saturday with all but one of the losses coming by single digits.
The 16U Tillery team had the win, its second of the weekend when it defeated Global Squad UAA 2026, 59-56, in a 16U Platinum Division game. It had also lost to PA Hoops Academy HGSL, 51-49, earlier in the day. The team finished the Pittsburgh Jam Fest 2-2.
The 17U Frank team lost to Pittsburgh Pioneer Elite, 54-47, and Washington Warriors Prospects, 60-52, in 17U Platinum Bridge Division games.
The 15U Dempsey team fell to BCRI HGSL, 70-47, an Ohio Buckets HGSL, 71-64, in 15U Platinum Division games. The team completed the weekend 1-3 with its second-round winners’ bracket loss coming by two points Friday.