CHICAGO, Ill.—An advantage of being one of the first in the building for most events is the opportunity to see which players are first in the gym and how they get ready to play. It’s no coincidence that the first of the 2016 McDonald’s All-Americans on the floor in the United Center Wednesday evening ended up leading her team to an exciting overtime win. For good measure she also took home the John R. Wooden Most Valuable Player hardware as well as the Jack Daly Sportsmanship Award. As the only uncommitted senior on either roster, folks have been anxiously looking for a statement from Sabrina Ionescu of Miramonte, California. While she didn’t make one regarding her collegiate future, she certainly made one for the present. The 5-10 combo guard was dominant in the second half of play posting 17 of her 25 points and combining with backcourt teammate Destiny Slocum to control the extra period and lead the West squad to a 97 – 88 win in the 15th edition of the McDonald’s All-American game.
The West led by a single point after one period but stumbled in the second quarter going into the locker room trailing 48 – 38. Amber Ramirez of San Antonio, Texas lit things up from long range for the East finishing the first half with 14 points that included a 4 for 6 slate from behind the arch. Ionescu paced the West in the first two quarters with eight points but was just 3 for 9 from the floor. The third period was an 18 all stalemate with the East maintaining their 10 point cushion at 66 – 56.
A 30 – 20 fourth period knotted things up with Slocum getting a good, but short, look off the drive at the buzzer that had the East holding their breath. It may as well have gone in as the West ripped off an 11 – 2 overtime run to claim bragging rights in the nation’s highest regarded post season contest.
In the win Ionescu had a double – double of 25 points and 10 rebounds as well as a stellar 7 – 14 effort from three point range. Dynamic Jackie Young (Princeton, Indiana) had a double – double as well posting 15 points and 10 boards of her own as well as a glistening 7 for 13 shooting night. Slocum and Leanna Odom (West Hills, California) added 10 each while Lauren Cox (Flower Mound, Texas) and Nadia Fingall (Fort Walton Beach, Florida) both pulled down 10 rebounds apiece. Fingall just missed being a third double – double finishing with nine points. Ramirez added seven more in the second half to finish with 21 in the loss. Erin Boley (Elizabethtown, Kentucky) had 13, while Ciera Johnson (Duncanville, Texas) 12, Aaliyah Wilson 11 and Joyner Holmes (Cedar Hill, Texas) 10 all posted double digits.
The West dominated the boards 79 – 56 but the East forced them into 19 turnovers while committing just 13 of their own. Both teams relied on the three. The East was 11 of 37 for 29.7 percent while the West knocked down 9 of their 25 attempts at 36 percent.
Both teams played one player short. Alecia Sutton (St. Louis, Missouri) is recovering from February ACL surgery and Anna Wilson (Bellevue, Washington) took an inadvertent shot to the head during Tuesday morning’s practice and wisely sat out as a precautionary measure.
The announcement was made that the 2017 McDonald’s All-American Game will once again return to Chicago and the United Center with an option to possibly return in 2018 as well.
Below are links to Blue Star Media’s initial McDonald’s roster announcement as well as images from practices earlier this week.
Announcement
http://www.bluestarmedia.org/2016-mcdonalds-all-american-selections/
Monday’s practice
http://www.bluestarmedia.org/15th-annual-mcdonalds-american-events-underway/
To wrap up our coverage we offer up an action image and stats for each of the 22 players taking the floor Wednesday night in Chicago.
