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Sibling Bond Powers Purple Dogs

Relefords Provide Spark For Boys And Girls

FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) - Look at a Fayetteville basketball roster, and one name sticks out more than the rest. That's because of how often it appears.

That name? Releford.

Brothers Isaiah and Tamaury start for the Purple Dogs, while Alonzo provides valuable minutes off the bench

"It’s kinda cool," laughs head coach Kyle Adams. "Sometimes, all three will even be on the court at once. They’re all different, they’re all really really good athletes, they’re all great young men."

For an extremely young Fayetteville team, three players with a lifetime of built in chemistry is a huge can only help.

His brother Alonzo agrees.

"When you’re out there with somebody you’ve always got that chemistry with, it’s real fun."

And Coach Adams thinks it's rubbed off a little on the rest of the team.

"They know exactly what each other’s thinking and doing, I just like how they communicate among themselves, and with our team as well, they’re all brothers now, they all like each other and have that bond"

Meanwhile Hatianna, the youngest of the bunch, is thriving for the Fayetteville girls. She plays with a style head coach Vic Rimmer calls "clever" and, at the same time, "tough" and bruising. He thinks he knows why.

"She’s a tough kid, and I think growing up with a house full of boys probably has helped that. I think that probably attributes to her no fear skill level on the court."

Brother Tamaury thinks that sounds about right.

"She’s been playing with boys her whole life, so she’s been getting better and better."

Hatianna, who even now spends her summers playing on the same travel team as the boys, agrees.

"They treat me like I’m a boy too, so I’m very rough, I’m very aggressive."

Off the floor, the sibling rivalry is real

"Sometimes we come in here and play one on one, and whoever wins get five dollars or something like that," admits Tamaury.

While both Isaiah and Tamuary claim to usually win these games, Alonzo is more judicious.

"Well it used to be our dad would always win," he laughs. "Now, we all have days where we get hot.

Hatianna says the competition even extends to stats in real games.

"We argue how many points we have, or how many rebounds, just who can get more than the others. We’re very competitive."

Come game time, the Purple Dogs have to be happy that they're all on the same team.

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