Julian Sensley will savor this one.
Sensley was named the MVP of the 37th College Summer League championship game on Saturday night, when he scored 27 points for Wealth Strategy Partners in an 88-78 defeat of top-seeded Central Medical Clinic before a crowd of about 750 at Maryknoll.
In three playoff games, the former University of Hawaii standout averaged 29.3 points. Wealth Strategy, 5-5 in the regular season for the No. 3 seed, had to go through the top two seeds, Central Medical and Solar Universe, to win the title.
"It was crazy. It just came together at the right moment," said Sensley, who turns 31 next week. "No one really thought we were going to get this far, let alone win it. So for us to do it and accomplish this is huge for us. It shows the young guys that even when your backs are against the wall, you can overcome. … It’s bragging rights."
Wealth Strategy, the one team in the league without any current University of Hawaii players on its roster, got hustle plays from Quentin Leathers, William Broadus, Waly Coulibaly and Pi’i Minns to build a double-digit second-half lead and keep it. Broadus and Coulibaly combined for 38 points.
It was Sensley’s second summer league title, and first since he was a UH player (2003-06). Sensley has since bounced around the globe on various professional teams.
"When you look at it on paper, it was a long time ago," he said. "These guys definitely make me feel old, even though I’m still young at heart. That’s what I love about it, to be able to come home and stay in shape. Meet the new guys here at the University of Hawaii, or HPU or Chaminade."
Sensley often went head-to-head against another ex-UH veteran with pro experience, CMC’s top player Bill Amis. Amis, who was consistently the best player on the league’s best regular-season team, could not rally his team from a six-point halftime deficit.
Amis scored 21 for CMC, while Kyle Pape had 23 and UH sophomore point guard Quincy Smith put in 20.
"It was tough," Smith said. "We weren’t getting stops, they were getting offensive rebounds. At the other end we were just turning the ball over too much."
Wealth Strategy, coached by Marco Johnson, built a 10-point lead early in the second half and never allowed the gap to shrink to less than six.
Amis completed an and-1 to get the gap to 71-64 with 7:19 remaining. But Sensley answered with a 3 to get it back to double-digits.
COLLEGE SUMER LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Saturday at Maryknoll
Wealth Strategy Partners 88,
Central Medical Clinic 78
Leading scorers–WSP: Julian Sensley 27, William Broadus 20, Waly Coulibaly 18. CMC: Kyle Pape 23, Bill Amis 21, Quincy Smith 20.
ALL-LEAGUE TEAM
Aaron Valdes, Grantco Pacific
Kyle Pape, Central Medical
Negus Webster-Chan, Solar Universe
Bill Amis, Central Medical
Leon Ballard, Clark Hatch
Kaunaoa McGee, Clark Hatch
Kawika Lyons, Wealth Strategy
Jeff Greer, National Fire
Brandon Spearman, Solar Universe
Julian Sensley, Wealth Strategy
Waly Coulibaly, Wealth Strategy
Zane Johnson, Solar Universe
Garrett Nevels, National Fire
MOST OUTSTANDING PLAYER
Aaron Valdes
