ATAP Elite, a travel basketball team based out of Swainsboro, traveled to North Augusta, South Carolina for the KB SPORTS Who’s B.E.S.T. Invitational just a few days ago. The squad, mostly comprised of local girls, came up just shy of a tournament win. They finished in the Final 4 with a 3-1 record at the end of the weekend.
Coach Jonquin McKinney’s team was one of four who competed in the high school girls division. He says the experience was “great” and the girls “definitely got better.”
In route to the 3-1 tournament finish, ATAP Elite beat Troy Miles by a score of 38-35. The team also beat Southern Queens twice, once by a score of 48-25 and again by a score of 53-27. ATAP Elite’s one loss came at the hands of Lady Elite, who edged the team 41-38 to end their run on March 21.
Competing on ATAP Elite are Taniya Williams, Hannah Howard, Tonia Ricks, Serah Kelly, and Jamie Smith, all of Swainsboro; Bree Wimberly of David Emanuel Academy; Kayla Tanner and Bree Tanner, both of East Laurens; and Kaley Carnell and Brylie Ray, both of Bulloch Academy.
With the most recent tournament, ATAP Elite resumed play for the first time since 2019. Two years ago, the group won its first tournament in Columbia, South Carolina and is looking to build on that this year.
ATAP Elite will next travel to Atlanta this weekend for another KB SPORTS tournament, March Madness.