Rising Stars capture AAU championship

View larger image Members of the Winchester Stars AAU sixth-grade girls basketball team pose with the trophy after winning the national championship Friday in Franklin, Tenn. The Stars beat Indiana’s Hoosier Elite-Roth, 34-32, for the title. Team members include (front row, from left) coach Tammi Green, Erika Reed, Paige Williamson, Megan Hicks, Makaela Kestner, coach Kevin Reed; (back row, from left) Ayanna Strother, Madison Green, Haile McDonald, Emily Carl and Hannah Snapp. Submitted photo View larger image The Winchester Rising Stars AAU girls sixth-grade basketball team gather around the trophy after winning the Division 2 national championship on Friday in Franklin, Tenn. Submitted photo

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The Winchester Rising Stars sixth-grade girls basketball team is bringing home one massive trophy after winning the Amateur Athletic Union national championship on Friday in Franklin, Tenn.

The Rising Stars knocked off Indiana's Hoosier Elite-Roth, 34-32, to finish the tournament unbeaten and take home the championship.

"These girls earned that trophy," said Kevin Reed, who coaches the team along with Tammi Green. "There was nothing easy about it."

The national championship is the third ever for the Rising Stars AAU program, and a third member of the Green family joined the national championship club. The Rising Stars' standout shooting guard, Madison Green, now equals older brother Erick and older sister Courtni in national titles. Madison Green is Tammi Green's daughter.

"[Madison] is just a special player," Reed said. "She just has a knack for making plays."

Led by the trio of Green, point guard Erika Reed (Kevin Reed's daughter) and front-court star Haile McDonald, the Rising Stars prevailed in a defensive struggled with the Hoosier Elite.

With the game tied at 28-all late, McDonald scored the go-ahead basket and drew a foul for a three-point play that put Winchester up for good.

"Haile was the MVP of this tournament," Reed said. "... We had the two best guards. A lot of teams had one really good guard, but we had two great ones. Really, everybody stepped up when it mattered most and contributed to this."