Hall County Special Olympics basketball team wins national tournament

The Hall County Special Olympics basketball team is officially a national champion.

The co-ed team, made up of nine young men and one young woman from various Hall County High Schools, defeated a team from North Carolina Thursday at the Special Olympics USA Tournament in Seattle.

The final score was 29-23, a game that Chante McNeal, the mother of Morgan, the only girl on the team, broadcast live on Facebook.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Good job guys! Good job! Y'all did a great job!" McNeal can be heard yelling on the video feed.

"Y'all played great!"

It was the team's first ever trip to the national tournament, and coming away with the gold medal was a dream come true, according to Scott Crain, Special Olympics Coordinator Scott Crain.

"The arena was filled with cheers and tears of joy as the final buzzer sounded," Crain wrote in a text message following Thursday's win. "So proud of all the team! They played like true champions!"

The Special Olympics USA Tournament games were played at the University of Washington.

The team competes earlier in the week. (Photo submitted by Scott Crain)

Morgan McNeal plays in one of the games earlier in the week at the University of Washington in Seattle. (Photo submitted by Scott Crain)

The scoreboard reflects the Hall County victory at Special Olympics USA. (Photo submitted by Scott Crain)

More action from the first of the week. (Photo submitted by Scott Crain)

Morgan McNeal (center) sheds a few tears after a hard-fought championship game on Thursday. (Photo submitted by Scott Crain)

The Hall County Special Olympics Basketball Team wins gold on their very first trip to the Special Olympics USA tournament. (Photo submitted by Scott Crain)

The Hall County team upset North Carolina, the number one seed in the tournament. (Photo submitted by Scott Crain)

http://accesswdun.com/article/2018/7/689088/hall-county-special-olympics-basketball-team-wins-national-tournament