The Encinitas All-Net Panthers 6th-grade basketball team opened their season this weekend by winning the Tip-Off Classic tournament in Orange County. The Panthers, led by coach Brian Lucewicz, defeated the Monrovia Mountaineers black squad, 54-40, at Irvine High School to finish the two-day tournament undefeated and win the Silver Division championship.
The tournament, jointly sponsored by National Junior Basketball and the San Gabriel Valley Basketball Club, featured competitive teams from throughout Southern California and as far away as Las Vegas. Most of the teams, including the Panthers, are from National Junior Basketball's All-Net program, the competitive wing of NJB.
