Kelvin Eafon of Desert Toyota drives past Truly Nolen's Rodney Smith in the championship game Saturday. Desert Toyota won 63-54.

james gregg / arizona daily star

Other articles by Casey Crowe:

Bryson siblings display a unique karate dedication Pima hall opens doors for Roemer, 11 others Cruz sails along in 1st rehab outing as Sidewinders win Raines maintains a sunny disposition River Cats batter Vasquez early, hold on for victory Season on the brink Wildcats' route to Omaha will go through Michigan Cats top ASU, await regional decision Cats triumph on Valenzuela's single in 11th ASU pummels Guilmet to win Pac-10 title

Engineering
SEARLES VALLEY MINERALS
PROCESS ENGINEER General
Border States Electric
Warehouse Associates Driver/Transportation
DRIVERS General
Dismas Charities
Security Monitor Mechanical
Pioneer Landscaping
Diesel Fleet Mechanics Administrative & Professional
ADMIN ASST
JEWISH FEDERATION OF SO AZ General
Wasatch Property Management
Maintenance Tech

Tucson Summer Pro League founder Corey Williams said he believes the "little things" reward his efforts each year.

As the TSPL finished its fourth season with the championship game at St. Gregory College Preparatory School on Saturday night, Williams described the state of the league after a summer of change and expansion.

"It's getting smoother each year, but every season we are trying to do things to make this league more popular, more interesting for the people that come out to watch," Williams said. "It's the little things that have kept this thing growing at this rate."

Little things like making the uniforms sharper by changing color schemes and design, and increasing the level of talent that was selected from open tryouts.

"It's those types of things, believe it or not, that help with image, and keep it fresh for the players and everyone in the stands," Williams said.

Williams also opened a new league to the north for the first time, kicking off the Phoenix Summer Pro League.

And it flourished in its inaugural season, drawing Suns star Amare Stoudemire, Indiana Pacers and former ASU forward Ike Diogu, Portland Trail Blazers and former UA standout center Channing Frye, and a wealth of players from the current ASU squad, among others.

In local championship action, the Desert Toyota crew, led by former UA basketball and football player Kelvin Eafon, toppled the Truly Nolen squad 63-54 to take the title before a standing-room only audience.

Truly Nolen was spearheaded by league MVP Masai Dean.

Eafon, who doubles as the personnel director for the TSPL, scored 10 points in dominating the flow of the game from the point guard spot. He was flanked by 23 points from shooting guard Donte Williams.

"I was playing behind Damon Stoudamire the two years I played (basketball) under Coach Olson, so the people here didn't get to see a lot of me on the court," Eafon said. "But I love playing for these people."

Anthony Michaels, who played high school ball at Amphitheater before moving on to Blinn College in Texas, and then a year at Pima, won the slam dunk contest for the second year.

Michaels' clinching dunk came on an alley-oop pass. After snatching the ball out of the air on the right side of the rim, Michaels floated under the hoop and wind-milled the ball from the left side through the net.

Beth Tobey, 64, who did not miss any of the action over the last two months, admitted she would like to see more UA players on the court, but also said the athleticism from the regulars was "phenomenal."

"I've been here for the whole thing and I don't know what I'm going to do with myself now that it's over," said Tobey, after missing a free throw during a halftime contest that would have netted Bob Dylan concert tickets. "I'm going to miss it."