CHANDLER, Ariz.—Next to winning a state title, laying claim to a Nike Tournament of Champions crown can provide legitimacy and credibility like nothing else. No other event provides the same caliber and depth of talent in a high school setting. After three days and 126 games, 11 different division champions head home with TOC bragging rights to add to their holiday cheer.
As always, the spotlight was brightest on the Joe Smith Division with all eight participants finding their way into virtually every national ranking or listing at one spot or another. Ultimately when the smoke had cleared two southern California teams were left to do battle for all the marbles in the event’s final game. The Monarchs of Mater Dei rode the coattails of 2015 standout Katie Lou Samuelson to a huge and seemingly insurmountable lead only to see the trademark defense of Coach Carl Buggs Long Beach Poly squad kick in over the final two periods to make even the most comfortable fans nervous. At the buzzer Mater Dei had held on to claim the title once again by a 47 – 38 margin. It’s a safe bet Kevin Kiernan and his staff will address the multitude of turnovers and second shot opportunities that saw a 20 point lead become a two possession game down the stretch.
The defending champions from Santa Ana delivered a brutal blow right out of the gate to the Jackrabbits by holding them scoreless until the 3:26 mark of the first period. The lead was 14 -2 after one and had grown to a 31 – 12 margin at the half. Poly had no answers for the multitalented Samuelson who chalked up 15 of her game high 17 points before the break. The third period saw the lead shrink but only by a single point over the course of the quarter. Entering the fourth leading 41 – 23, the wheels nearly came off for the usually disciplined Mater Dei players as they struggled with the intensity and aggressiveness of the Jackrabbits defensive attack and relentless effort on the offensive boards. A 15 -6 run over the final eight moments should serve as a reminder that Poly has plenty of firepower of their own and will be adding 6-2 Lajahna Drummer before the teams possibly have the opportunity to face each other once again come tournament time. As mentioned earlier Samuelson had 17 in the win while junior point guard Andee Velasco added 12 and sophomore Jayde Woods chipped in 11. Poly got 14 from freshman Danae Miller, 9 of which came in the third that helped steady the ship.
Blue Division
The Blue Division had plenty of clout and recognition in their bracket as well including several ranked programs among the various polls. While the Smith Division final was an all California affair, the Blue surrendered one spot in Saturday’s finals to the New Yorkers of Nazareth Regional in Brooklyn. Big mistake as the east coast crew led by Bianca Cuevas grabbed hold of the opportunity and pulled out an overtime win in one of the most competitive games of the event. A 13 – 8 effort in the extra period made the final margin 63 – 58 and capped a three game run of single digit wins for the Kingsmen.
Nazareth jumped out of the gate quickly and held a 17 – 7 lead after the first period and had forced Windward coach Vanessa Nygard to utilize two early time outs. Turning the ball over seven times in the second period saw the lead for Nazareth disappear by way of a 20 – 5 run with the Wildcats taking a 27 – 22 lead at the half. The third period saw Windward forward Kristen Simon dominate the paint and help hold a slim 40 – 37 lead entering the fourth. Both teams battled back and fourth down the stretch with Nazareth holding a two point margin until junior Emily Surloff tied things on a put back with just six seconds remaining in regulation. Following a time out Cuevas mishandled the ball and had to force a prayer that was off the mark and set the stage for the overtime period.
Both teams traded threes to open the OT but a three by senior Jen Fay and back to back turnovers by Windward put Nazareth in the driver’s seat. Running a considerable amount of time off the clock they forced the procession of fouls to begin but still couldn’t put away Windward quite yet. With 35 seconds left it remained just a two point lead but the trips to the line began to add up giving Nazareth the 63 – 58 win.
All Tournament Squads Smith / Blue Divisions
Smith Division
Ayanna Clark 6-1 Freshman Long Beach Poly
Mikayla Cowling 6-1 Senior St. Mary’s College (California)
Justine Hall 5-10 Senior Regis Jesuit (Purdue)
Charise Holloway 5-10 Senior St. Mary’s Stockton (Arizona)
Jayde Woods 5-11 Sophomore Mater Dei
Most Valuable Player
Katie Lou Samuelson 6-3 Junior Mater Dei
Blue Division
Yazmine Belk 6-3 Senior Nazareth Regional (VCU)
Jordin Canada 5-6 Senior Windward (UCLA)
Kynzie Fort 5-8 Senior Etiwanda (Oregon)
Tynice Martin 5-10 Junior Southwest Dekalb
Natalie Romeo 5-7 Senior Carondelet (Nebraska)
Most Valuable Player
Bianca Cuevas 5-6 Senior Nazareth Regional (South Carolina)
Miramonte trailed by 6 after one period but used a 23-10 run in the second to hold a 35 – 28 edge at the half. They added five more to the lead in each of the last two periods to post a 73 -56 win. Sabrina Ionescu led the way with 23 while Uriah Howard added 17 and Breanna Alford 10. Ultra impressive freshmen Michaela Onyenwere had 23 in the loss for Grandview.
White Division
An all Arizona final saw Desert Vista lead from start to finish but constantly looking over their shoulder at a persistent Dobson team. The Thunder led by nine after one and when the final buzzer sounded the margin was still the same gap. Senior Emily Wolph led Desert Vista with 16 while eye catching junior post Kristine Anigwe contributed 11. Dobson got 15 from junior Monay Mariscal and 11 from senior Samiyah Leith.
Gray Division
Highlands Ranch held a single point advantage on Archbishop Wood at the half and extended the margin to two by the end of the game surviving 49 – 47. Sophomore point guard Symone Starks put 19 on the board while senior Emily Childress added 13 more in the win. Archbishop Wood was paced by seniors Laura Trisch and Catey Mcfadden with nine points each.
Other Division Championship Match-ups
John Anderson Division
Chaminade College Prep vs Rock Canyon
Black Division
Chandler vs South Mountain
Green Division
Horizon Christian Academy vs Cherry Creek
Purple Division
Bradshaw Christian vs Marlborough
Red Division
Castle View vs Marcos de Niza
