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Raleigh's Fabulous Seventies may have won the war, but Charlotte's Queen Bees won the battle.
Though the Queen Bees lost to their longtime nemesis in the championship of the State Senior Games basketball tournament last weekend, they beat the Fabulous Seventies in an earlier round - their first victory over the Raleigh team in the Bees' 12-year history.
The Queen Bees, a team for 70- to 74-year-olds, was one of three Charlotte senior teams competing in separate divisions in the senior women's basketball state tournament at East Carolina on Oct. 22-23. Just as the Queen Bees did, the Charlettes (80-and-up) and Honey Bees (60- to 64-year-olds) also won silver medals, marking the first time all three teams finished as high as second place.
"I think that was really good," said Hattie Stutts, 77-year old member of the Charlettes. "Because when you run into competition like that and play people that are that talented, it makes you feel real good that you can still do that."
The Charlettes and the Queen Bees won silver last year, but the Honey Bees did not reach the medal round. All three teams practice together at Dilworth Recreation Center and Myers Park Baptist Church.
Senior women's basketball is run by and includes teams around the state. It's played three-on-three in two, 10-minute halves. They play half-court and make-it, take-it: If your team makes a bucket, it gets the ball back on the next possession.
"We go for the fun of it," Stutts said. "We play hard and we try to win, but we're just so lucky to be able at our age to get up and play ball. I really feel fortunate, myself being in pretty good health."
The core of the Queen Bees has played together since 1998. The top two finishers in the state tournament qualify for the national tournament and, when they played in younger age groups, the Queen Bees placed second nationally in 1999 and third in 2001.
Led in scoring by player-coach Gail Eppley and Betty Davis, both from Charlotte, the Queen Bees won three games on the first day. One win was 27-20 over the Fabulous Seventies. The win was keyed by the double-teaming of the Fabulous Seventies' post player, who stands 6 feet 1 inches tall - six inches taller than the Queen Bees' tallest player, Mary Evans of Charlotte.
After a championship bracket first round win over the Red Foxes, the Queen Bees succumbed to the Fabulous Seventies, 33-22. The Fabulous Seventies' hot outside shooting countered the Queen Bees' double-teaming in the post.
The Honey Bees overcame some adversity to win their silver medal. Top scorer Linda Camp recently injured her hand and couldn't play in the tournament.
Just like the Queen Bees, the Honey Bees - all from Charlotte - had problems with an old foe. The High Point Silver Spirits, who have played together since junior high, according to Honey Bees' captain Dolores Lee, beat the Bees in pool play and in the championship game. The Spirits finished third nationally in August.
The Charlettes finished second in their division by virtue of there being only two teams overall. They were swept in a best-of-three series against the Hoopers of Clinton.
The three teams will continue to practice twice a week and pick up single games and tournaments throughout the year.
