Le basket-ball en Ardmore

Friday was a school day for some AAU basketball players in Ardmore, but that didn’t keep them from spending a couple of hours in the afternoon at the H.F.V. Wilson Community Center.

Not when they had a chance to take on talent from across the pond.

Dennis Teague, an Ardmore native, brought a team of high school-aged players from Saint-Sebastien, France, to Oklahoma for 10 days to experience American culture and play basketball.

“It’s my preseason for my team,” said Teague, a missionary in the town that’s about a 4-hour drive from Paris. “I want them to see normal Americans. Our image of Americans is what we see on TV — it’s Hollywood.”

The French club, simply called Saint-Sebastien, also spent five days at Hillsdale Free Will Baptist Church in Moore and gave their opponents an image that they can play with anyone. Saint-Sebastien beat a local summer-league team twice and defeated the Hillsdale women’s team in three close scrimmages.

“We didn’t know what we were getting into,” said Teague, whose team plays a 22-game schedule from September to April.

It wasn’t a church mission that brought the team to Oklahoma; it was a love of the game. They raised money through a rummage sale and selling muguet (moo-GAY) flowers to make the trip.

But the trip was still more than just basketball.

They experienced American college life by staying at Hillsdale and also touring the University of Oklahoma. They also did sightseeing and even got to swim.

“I enjoyed it; it was cool,” said Simon Vincent, 17, a Saint-Sebastien player who speaks little English. “It’s easy to meet people in America.”

Justin Teague, 16, Dennis’ son, added: “In France, it’s not easy to talk if they don’t know you.” He and his father usually come to America every two years.

Four families from Teague’s Ardmore church home, Marantha Free Will Baptist Church, housed the club team the other five days, including Doug and Elizabeth Blackwell, Jimmy and Nora Howell and Ray and Johnna Laird. Church member Larry Greathouse, who along with his wife Kelly also were hosts, helped organize the scrimmage with friend and Ballerz coach James Fagan.

“I don’t see any difference in their game from ours,” Fagan said of the Saint-Sebastien club, “(except that) they play more team ball.”

Fagan’s son Michael, a senior at Plainview, couldn’t see much difference either.

“I know they watch a lot of NBA over there,” Michael Fagan said. “They’re very constructive at it. Their coach keeps them very disciplined.”

For all four 8-minute periods, Saint-Sebastien and the Ballerz made it an interesting scrimmage. The Ballerz led 18-17 after the first and 40-31 after the second, but the teams reset the score for the second half, and the Ardmore team came out on top again, 28-21.

Like the Ballerz, Saint-Sebastien is blessed with height in the form of 6-foot-8 Charles Anthony Chauvanaud, the center. Fagan and his Plainview teammate, Gary Inglett, who range in height from 6-2 to 6-6, ruled the inside for the Ballerz.

Inglett made a slam late in the scrimmage that even drew an applause from the Saint-Sebastien bench, emphatically putting back a missed jumper. It’s a slam the young Frenchmen get to see often when they watch their fellow countrymen like Tony Parker and Mickael Pietrus in the NBA.

“They’re proud to have players in the NBA,” Dennis Teague said. “For these guys, it helps them know they can play.”

And they played in America — Ardmore, Okla., to be exact.

I.C. Murrell
221-6527