As students prepare themselves for the scorching hot summer break they got one last look at the best boys and girls high school basketball players from across the country at the 12^thannual Rumble in the TDot All-Canada Classic.

The fun filled event held at the Air Canada Centre for the third consecutive year was a relative success with nearly 2,000 fans in attendance. Along with the solid turnout there were a number of corporations and partners who expressed a great deal of interest in helping to support the annual affair in the coming years.

Likely grabbing their attention right off the bat was the highly competitive contest between the top high school girls in the nation. Though it looked to be a one sided game early with the West girls leading by 10 at halftime, a fourth quarter surge from the East squad led to a nail bitter finish with the West narrowly hanging on for the 71-70 victory. Taking home MVP honours was Lindsay Shotbolt who finished with a game-high 26 points and 16 rebounds in a dominating performance for the winning side.

With such a tight tilt between the girls the boys would have quite the task to match the ladies intensity.

In an All-Canada Classic first, the matchup between the boys would pit a collection of athletes who took their talents south of the border for their high school careers against some of the best home grown talent in a North versus South battle. Though it was expected to be a competitive affair with pride on the line for both sides the North team seemed to come out of the gate looking to make a statement and by the end of it their convincing 114-75 victory certainly did just that. Leading the way was the all-around effort of Columbia commit, Grant Mullins, who led all players with a game-high 16 points, eight assists and eight rebounds to claim the MVP, exemplifying why he’s considered by many as the top point guard prospect in the country.

Looking for some stats on either game? All the detailed information can be found hereas Pointstreak Sports Technologies provided a comprehensive box score for both games.

Along with the showcase games this year’s addition of the Rumble in the TDot also had its first celebrity game, bringing some of the leading members of the Toronto entertainment community together. The involvement of MTV’s Nicole Holness and Paul “The Intern” Lemieux added to the intrigue and support from the leading entertainment network looks to be in the events future.  Though the group of celebrities was beaten by a team of young student athletes it was a thrilling experience for those on both sides of the floor. Participants expressed a great deal of interest to be included in the festivities again and it should be a mainstay for the Rumble for years to come.

Though the events mandate is to highlight the bright basketball talent in this country it is also a vehicle to promote awareness for a worthy cause.

The Rumble in the TDot is proud to announce it raised $1000 in support of Sickle Cell research and was happy to present the cheque to All-Canada Classic alumni and future NBA draft pick Andrew Nicholson’s mother, Colmaleen Nicholson. The partnership to raise funds was a success and hopes to be a promising endeavour for both parties going forward.

With so much packed into a single day it’s hard not to start thinking about what will be in store for next year’s addition. Be sure to come out and take in the blossoming basketball talent and support a good cause.