ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Wyoming Area’s Dane Schutter and Old Forge’s Joe Macciocco each made major contributions Wednesday through Friday as the NEPA Elite Cooper 17U AAU boys basketball team made it to the semifinals of the 17U Casino division of The Hoop Group’s Atlantic City Jam Fest.
A field of 32 teams started in the bracket. NEPA Elite won three straight to make it to the final four teams where it lost Friday to the eventual champions.
NEPA Elite opened with a 75-28 rout of Hoop Life.
Macciocco, who earned all-state honors for his role in leading the Blue Devils back to the state Class 2A semifinals, scored a team-high 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting, including making all three of his 3-point tries. He also grabbed six rebounds, shared the team assist lead of four and made two steals.
Schutter scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. He also had three assists and two steals.
NEPA Elite defeated Role Model Elite, 58-35, and Philly Ballhawks, 71-59, Thursday.
Schutter had 10 points and nine rebounds against Role Model while Macciocco had a team-high six assists.
Schutter had his second double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Philly. Macciocco again had six assists, this time to share the team lead.
SMM-1 from New Castle, Del. defeated NEPA Elite, 65-44, in the semifinals.
Schutter’s basket gave NEPA Elite a 27-21 lead late in the half, but SMM-1 scored 12 of the next 14 points to take the lead for good. Schutter finished with 10 points.
Macciocco had five points in the first half.
With Schutter and Mason Fedor from Abington Heights controlling the inside and Macciocco running the offense, the NEPA Elite Cooper team went 7-2 in two events during a seven-day stretch. The team kept going and headed for Spooky Nook Sports in Manheim to play in another Hoop Group event Saturday and Sunday.
At Spooky Nook Wednesday through Friday, Daniella Ranieli from Pittston Area helped the NEPA Elite Clark 17U girls team go 4-1 and win the 2023 Division Pool A championship of the Select Events Basketball East Coast Summer Showcase.
Ranieli played in the last three games, scoring 12 points.
