2002 ARC Nationals
Las Vegas, July 26-Aug. 1
(Click on link for results, photos)
Dragons 39, Hoop Ridaz 19
Oregon Triple Threat 38, Dragons 27
Dragons 54, MCD 31
Tracy Tornados 42, Dragons 34
More Vegas Photos
LAS VEGAS, July 29 - (Back, l to r) Lauren Sanchez,
Tracy Hua, Karen Ucol, (front, l to r), Joann Ucol, Kayce
Kirihara, Rachel Houser and Caitlyn Faidley take some
shopping time at the Venetian.
LAS VEGAS, July 27 - Rachel Houser (21), Tracy Hua
and Joann Ucol (2) make sure there's no way the Hoop
Ridaz are getting the ball inside.
LAS VEGAS, July 27 - Elisa Gablehouse shows her form
at the free throw line.
LAS VEGAS, July 27 - Juan Ucol gets a good shot of the
Dragon huddle.
LAS VEGAS, July 26 - Tracy Hua (left) on her birthday
with Sassia Nelson.
LAS VEGAS, July 28 - The Dragons meet up with
Mrs. Arizona at The Orleans Hotel.
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 1 - Rachel Houser, nicknamed "Crash"
for her active play, in a more sedate moment checking
out the white tiger at the Mirage.
LAS VEGAS, July 31 - Lauren Sanchez and Sassia
Nelson dig in at breakfast.
LAS VEGAS, July 29 - It's about 110 degrees, but the
Dragons are in the championship bracket and Coach
Glenn, Rebecca Sexton, Tracy Hua, Caitlyn Faidley, Elisa
Gablehouse and Karen Ucol are happy to pose.
LAS VEGAS, July 29 - The Dragon family is happy about
a second 20-point victory.
LAS VEGAS, July 31 - Florangela Davila, Rebecca Sexton,
Karen Davis and Gary Sexton take in the 8th Grade
championship game.
LAS VEGAS, July 31 - The Port Angeles Fire took 2nd.
LAS VEGAS, July 31 - Jamar and Jarvis Jordan were the
best scorekeepers - bar none.
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Dragons 39, Hoop Ridaz 19
LAS VEGAS, July 27 - The action got furious underneath
against the Hoop Ridaz.
LAS VEGAS, July 27, 2002 - Behind ferocious defense and great outside shooting, the Dragons got off to a rousing start in the tournament.
The Dragon offensive effort got kick-started when Joann Ucol knocked down the first of five Dragon three-pointers and Tracy Hua entered the game firing.
Tracy, who had 17 points on six-for-nine shooting, hit one three-pointer in the first half and a pair in the second. Caitlyn Faidley added a three-pointer as the Dragons waltzed to 25 points in a 16-minute, running clock second half.
The Dragon defense, meanwhile, allowed just two second-half field goals to the Bay Area team.
Scoring: Tracy 17, Rachel 6, Caitlyn 5, Joann 4, Sassia 3, Karen and Georgia 2.
Shooting: Dragons 14/44 (31.8%), Hoop Ridaz 7/30 (23.3%).
Halftime: Dragons 14, Hoop Ridaz 10.
LAS VEGAS, July 27 - Sassia Nelson negotiates the
Hoop Ridaz defense.
LAS VEGAS, July 27 - Caitlyn Faidley is congratulated
by Tracy Hua (5) after dropping a free throw.
LAS VEGAS, July 27 - Joann Ucol prepares to block out.
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Oregon Triple Threat 38, Dragons 27
LAS VEGAS, July 28 - Sassia Nelson (10) is on the ball
against Oregon Triple Threat.
LAS VEGAS, July 27 - It was the third time, in the third different city, that these two teams met, and for the third time it was a donnybrook.
Alas, but the third time still wasn't a charm for the Dragons against Oregon Triple Threat.
In a game that essentially decided the winner of the ARC National Pool B championship, the Triple Threat showed their mettle at the beginning and end.
The Dragons had a hard time locating the basket early, falling behind 11-2 without benefit of a field goal. However, after Rachel Houser finally delivered the first Dragon basket, the flood gates open. Tracy Hua, Joann Ucol, and Elisa Gablehouse followed suit, and Caitlyn Faidley and Sassia Nelson added free throws, as the Dragons pounced back with a 10-2 run that closed the gap to 13-12.
Triple Threat closed the half with a crushing put-back off their own missed free throw, but Elisa got the Dragons going in the second half where they had left off in the first. It was still a tight game when Kayce Kirihara stuck a three-pointer midway through the second half for a 22-21 score. Oregon immediately responded with a 10-zip run that put the game out of reach.
The Oregon Triple Threat previously beat the Dragons at the buzzer in Tigard, Ore., and later by five in Seattle.
Scoring: Rachel 7, Elisa and Kayce 6, Caitlyn and Sassia 3, Tracy 2.
Shooting: Dragons 7/34 (20.6%), Triple Threat 14/50 (28.0%).
Halftime: Triple Threat 15, Dragons 12.
LAS VEGAS, July 28 - The Dragons and Oregon Triple
Threat get ready to tip it off.
LAS VEGAS, July 28 - Joann Ucol (2), Elisa Gablehouse
(4) and Tracy Hua (5) are off to the races.
LAS VEGAS, July 28 - Caitlyn Faidley prepares for a free
throw against Oregon Triple Threat as teammate Elisa
Gablehouse (4) observes.
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Dragons 54, MCD 31
LAS VEGAS, July 29 - The Dragons battle with MCD for
the ball inside.
LAS VEGAS, July 29 - The Dragon defense, prominent throughout the week, made a huge, early statement that awakened the Dragon offense with a vengeance.
The Dragons forced a mind-boggling 18 turnovers from the Inglewood, Calif., team in the first half. The miscues limited MCD to just nine first-half shots.
The victory improved the Dragons' record to 2-1, good for second in their pool. The top two teams in each pool advanced into the championship bracket.
Caitlyn Faidley then exploded for 10 points, including a pair of three-pointers, as the Dragons went on a 14-6 rampage to hike their advantage to 22-8.
MCD took advantage when the Dragons took off the fullcourt pressure, but Tracy Hua helped keep her team afloat with 10 points and the Dragons hit 11 of 12 free throws down the stretch. Sassia Nelson led the foul line parade with five free throws during the final minutes.
The Dragon pressure forced 29 MCD turnovers in all.
Scoring: Caitlyn 14, Tracy 12, Joann and Rachel 8, Sassia 5, Kayce 3, Georgia and Rebecca 2.
Shooting: Dragons 17/56 (30.4%), MCD 12/29 (41.3%).
Halftime: Dragons 27, MCD 10.
LAS VEGAS, July 29 - Lauren Sanchez, Karen Ucol and
Rebecca Sexton mix it up with MCD.
LAS VEGAS, July 29 - Rebecca Sexton (24) and Lauren
Sanchez (23) watch as teammate Kayce Kirihara (3)
shoots a free throw. The Dragons made 11 of 12 foul
shots down the stretch.
LAS VEGAS, July 29 - Tracy Hua, Elisa Gablehouse,
Caitlyn Faidley and Georgia Gier execute an underneath
inbounds against MCD.
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Tracy Tornados 42, Dragons 34
LAS VEGAS, July 30 - Rebecca Sexton (11) and Rachel
Houser brace for a rebound against the Tornados.
LAS VEGAS, July 30 - For the first time in the tournament, the Dragons let down their guard and allowed the Tornados from Tracy, Calif., a hot start.
By the time the Dragon defense kicked in, allowing the Tornados just 3-of-22 shooting (13.6 percent) in the second half, it was too late.
However, the Dragons didn't go down without firing several big shots. Tracy Hua and Caitlyn Faidley combined for five three-pointers and were nearly the whole show as the Dragons struggled to find an inside game.
The Dragons managed one stirring run, getting a double-digit deficit down to six, but ran out of gas and lost control having to foul down the stretch.
Tracy closed a stellar tournament with her second 17-point outing. Caitlyn had her second double-digit scoring game of the tournament.
Scoring: Tracy 17, Caitlyn 11, Kayce, Rachel and Rebecca 2.
Shooting: Dragons 13/40 (32.5%), Tornados 17/48 (35.4%).
Halftime: Tornados 28, Dragons 13.
LAS VEGAS, July 30 - Sassia Nelson surveys the Tracy
(Calif.) Tornado defense.
LAS VEGAS, July 30 - Rachel Houser fends off the
Tornado defense.
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