By CLAY KALLAM | Contributor
If there were any doubts about Asha Thomas’s ability to shoot threes, they were laid to rest at the Elite Prospect Games at Contra Costa College Aug. 25.
Thomas, who will be a junior at Bishop O’Dowd this fall, hit six three-pointers en route to 19 points to top all scorers in the exhibition game matching many of the top players in Northern California. Of course, her team lost 76-54, but games such as these are seldom about winning and losing and more about having a good time and showing off a little.
Gabby Green, the 6-2 senior at St. Mary’s-Berkeley, led her team with 17 points, which was no surprise as Green is widely regarded as the top player in the area and is a serious candidate for the McDonald’s All-American Game next spring in Chicago. Green, however, has not chosen a college yet, unlike many of the seniors.
Simone Sheppard (El Camino-Sacramento this year, University of Nevada next) added 13 points for the winners. Desire Finnie (Berkeley High) had 12, and showed more outside range than she had in the past ““ plus a couple impressive blocked shots.
Kelli Hayes (Archbishop Mitty-San Jose/UCLA) had 12 points on the losing side, but displayed her all-around game (as she always does).
Bri Moore, who will be a junior at St. Mary’s-Stockton, arrived late, but showed off her athleticism and ability to get to the hoop once she took the court in the 50-minute running-clock game.
Though almost every player had her moments, and what follows is not a comprehensive list, here are some highlights:
Mikayla Cowling (St. Mary’s-Berkeley, 2014): The Cal-commit would roll along for a while, quietly doing her job, and then flash some serious athleticism and skill when the occasion demanded it.
Nadene Hart (Scotts Valley, 2014): Hart showed solid fundamentals and a high basketball IQ in her first introduction to many in attendance. The six-footer will lead a strong group of returners for Scotts Valley.
Loretta Kakala (Modesto Christian, 2017): The youngster battled inside with the veterans and more than held her own, displaying the ability to finish with both hands.
Kat Tudor (St. Mary’s Stockton, 2016): A pure shooter who, though right-handed, is very good going to her left. Her strength, however, is way-back-there range.
Jai Welch-Coleman (Berkeley, 2015): The diminutive guard showed an improved three-pointer as well as her usual ability to penetrate and find the open player.
There were also two other games played Saturday, one featuring younger high school players and another with middle schoolers. The event was sponsored by Passthaball, which covers girls’ basketball and specializes in mixtapes that can be seen at www.passthaball.tumblr.com, http://www.youtube.com/passthaball and http://www.youtube.com/ptbmixteam, and Project Basketball, which supplied coaches Tim Pierce and Kelvin Potts for the 4 p.m. game.