FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Eric Oberman, Nike
(503) 671-4698
eric.oberman@nike.com
or
Brian Berger, Nike
(503) 228-7843
brianb@brianbergerpr.com

TEAM TEXAS WINS 6TH ANNUAL NIKE PEACH JAM
IN THRILLING FASHION
Boston’s BABC team falls in the finals of the 24-team high school tourney

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. (July 16, 2001) – Team Texas defeated Boston’s BABC team 57-55 in the Finals of the 6th Annual Nike Peach Jam. Reserve guard Ross DeRogatis came off the bench to nail the winning three pointer with three seconds left to lead his team to victory. Tournament M.V.P. Bracey Wright led 7-1 Texas with 17 points in the championship game and converted on two crucial free throws with 33 seconds to play.

Texas came back from a 33-24 halftime deficit to win their first Nike Peach Jam title. It was the first time in three appearances that Texas advanced out of pool play. Bryan Hopkins and Josh Washington of Team Texas netted 13 points each in the championship game. Torin Francis led BABC in a losing effort with 16 points and 13 rebounds while BABC guard Marshall Strickland chipped in 15 points.

The Nike Peach Jam is a 24-team tournament pitting the nation’s top boy’s high school travel teams against each other. The event was held at North Augusta’s Riverview Activity Center.

Nike also provided an Educational/Lifeskills component for this event, as they do with all of their major grassroots events. Nike provides student-athletes from across the nation with the chance to compete at the highest levels in the classroom and on the court. The mission of Nike’s Grassroots Basketball program is, “Providing opportunities for youth to fulfill their dreams – academically, socially and athletically.”

Previous Nike Peach Jam champions have included the Wisconsin Playground Warriors (2000), New York’s Riverside Church (1999 & 1996), the Houston Jaguars (1998) and the Illinois Warriors (1997).

Full tournament coverage including rosters, tournament brackets, stats and scores can be found at www.sportscombine.com.

NIKE, Inc., headquartered in Beaverton, Ore., markets its products in more than 100 countries and is the world's leading sports and fitness company.