Lauren Charlton hit a 3-pointer in every game when JB Hoops went 4-1 in pool play to advance to elimination bracket competition for the first time in program history at the USJN 17U Junior Nationals.
Charlton, a 15-year-old from Dallas, started as a forward/center for Dallas in her freshman high school season. The 6-footer played on the wing for the AAU team, based out of Backcourt Hoops in Scranton, showing off her shooting range.
JB Hoops won its last three pool games in the tournament played at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md.
Charlton hit one of her 3-pointers in a 13-point streak in the first quarter of the opening 53-44 win over Maryland Pride from Baltimore. She had two steals in a come-from-behind, 52-50 win over Nike CyFair Shooters from Houston. When JB Hoops defeated Connecticut Northstars from Hartford, 48-31, Charlton had five rebounds to contribute to a 38-17 domination on the boards.
After JB Hoops lost a tiebreaker and finished second in Pool GG, it was eliminated by The Future, from nearby Washington, D.C., 55-41, in the Silver Consolation Division quarterfinals. Only one-third of the tournament’s teams advanced to elimination play.
