INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — They were flying up and down the basketball court, scoring quickly and often, taking an early lead against their competitors. The crowd cheered each basket made. The Florida Comets Select, a team consisting of many local basketball players, were taking on the And1Live Streetball team at Vero Beach High School to raise money for the local organization.
The Florida Comets lost 92-113 to the And1Live team, the organization itself was a winner, raising funds to continue its programs.
The game remained fairly close throughout and up until the last minutes, it was unclear who would truly come out on top.
By the end of the first period, the Florida Comets were up 26-20, which surprised organizer Gwyneth Fournie.
She said the And1Live team has lost just three times in its career playing against other teams – mostly in metropolitan areas but the Florida Comets were determined to give the outsiders a run for their money and had been practicing for two months to prepare for the game.
“These guys have been working so hard,” Fournie said.
The Florida Comets is a non-profit group that works with youth in grades 2 through 10, providing basketball training, instruction and play in an effort to make them appealing to colleges for recruitment. Members of the Florida Comets are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and have a positive attitude.
“Our whole mission is to help kids to be scoutable,” Fournie said.
Sunday night’s game on the Vero Beach High School basketball court served as a fundraiser for the organization, which relies on grants and donations from the community. Organizers hoped to raise at least $10,000 in ticket sales to offset the cost of the event and have money left over to fund the program.
The amount raised was not immediately known but the gym, which can seat up to 2,000 spectators was nearly full.
During the second period, the two teams swapped the lead a few times but the And1Live team ended the half up 52 over the Florida Comets’ 43.
Johnny Poindexter and his son, Joshua, 11, came out to watch the game Sunday night because they both love basketball.
“I’ve been watching them so long,” Johnny said of the Florida Comets players. Joshua agreed that the Florida Comets were his favorite team.
Lisa Segroves brought her sons Robbie, 10, and Blaine, 8, to catch the basketball game because it was something for them to do on a Sunday night.
“We love sports,” she said, adding that the boys already play basketball within the Indian River County Recreation Department.
The boys agreed that their favorite team was the Florida Comets – being that they are local. For Robbie, his favorite part of the game is passing the ball and getting assists, while Blaine likes to shoot the ball and make the baskets.
Segroves is a graduate of Vero Beach High School, a school from where several of the Florida Comets Select players graduated. She said it was nice to be able to show support by cheering them on.
In the second half, A1Live widened their lead over the Florida Comets but the team worked hard to narrow the gap, making quick work up and down the court, blocking shots and getting the rebound.
As the buzzer sounded the end of the game, with a score of 92-113, the crowd leapt to its feet and cheered for both teams.
“For many of them, this was a dream come true,” Fournie said of the Florida Comets members playing against And1Live.
