July 26, 2008

America's best rez-ball teams

Reservation players get exposureA passion that runs deep on reservations comes together Saturday at US Airways Center where the country's top high school Indian teams meet.

The sixth Native American Basketball Invitational, an NCAA sanctioned event, concludes with the girls championship game at 5 p.m., followed by the boys final at about 6:30.

Forty-eight boys teams and 32 girls teams from across the United States and Canada competed all week.

Basketball is as much a religion as it is an escape for people on reservations.

"Rez" ball got its name from the relentless, full-throttle games among athletes who try to outrun their opponents.

It's exciting and the support is great.

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