Notes and video highlights from the 14th playing of the popular East Bay girls basketball tourney.
Editor’s Note: Our coverage of the West Coast Jamboree began in our Jan. 9 Digital Weekly. That includes a review of the Platinum Division. View that coverage here. Meanwhile, here are notes from the rest of the divisions.
DIAMOND DIVISION
Despite playing without Nevada-bound star Mariah Williams, who was out with an MCL sprain, Vanden-Fairfield was the only Northern California team to win a top bracket after the Vikings handily beat former state champion Narbonne-Harbor City, 62-28 in the No. 2 bracket’s title game.
Chantell Greer, a 5-foot-10 junior that is starting to garner some college interest, was named the Dave “Scoop” Jackson MVP winner after finishing with eight points and 15 rebounds against Narbonne. Joining her on the All-Tournament team were freshman guard Julia Blackshell-Fair and junior Kayla Blair. Blackshell-Fair was also named the Jim Capoot Award winner for the Diamond Division.
To get to the championship game the Vikings dispatched state power Brea Olinda-Brea 47-37, and Nevada power Bishop Manogue-Reno 61-35.
“The only place we can play powerhouse teams from Southern California and Nevada at our level of competition is at the Jamboree, and its right in our back yard,” said Vanden 10-year head coach Allison Johnson, who has brought her team to the tournament all 10 years and won a division in the 2006-2007 season.
“My mentor and college coach at Solano JC, Kim Gervasoni, brought her team down from Redmond, Washington and they got to play in an appropriate division for them,” continued Johnson. “They got their first two wins of the season and she got to take her girls to see San Francisco. This is what’s so great about the Jamboree. There’s somewhere to play for every level of competition and things for the girls to do while they’re there.”
According to co-Tournament Director and founder Jackson, whom the MVP awards are named after, Johnson’s words are music to his ears.
There were 24 teams in the three elite divisions, but 76 teams competed in 10 other divisions.
“That’s exactly why we started this tournament, to be the tournament for all girls at every level of competition,” said Jackson, who is retiring from helping manage the Jamboree to become President of the 501c3 non-profit formed to oversee the tournament three years ago.
GOLD DIVISION
Southern California swept two of the top three Divisions as Palisades-Pacific Palisades won the Gold Division in its first-ever Jamboree appearance, 54-48 over Monterey Trail-Elk Grove.
Monterey Trail beat Modesto Christian 53-50 and Scotts Valley 69-63 to advance to the title game versus Palisades. The Mustangs placed three girls on the All-Tournament team led by Hawaii-bound guard Jasmine Redmon. She was joined by senior Cheyenne Marigny and junior Tiara Webb.
OTHER DIVISIONS
Winners in the non-elite divisions were San Lorenzo in the Agate Division at Cornerstone Christian in Antioch. The Rebels were 50-37 winners over Edison-Stockton in the title game.
Corcoran won the Amethyst Division with a 46-32 championship game victory over Tennyson-Hayward at Ygnacio Valley High in Concord. Also at Ygnacio Valley, Sheldon-Sacramento was the Coral Division champion after a 52-48 title game win over Windsor.
Host Valley Christian-Dublin lost a heart-breaker in the Emerald Division title game, 57-54 to Skyline-Sammamish (WA.)
Host Alhambra-Martinez defeated neighboring Concord 55-50 in the Jade Division championship.
The Onyx Division at Cornerstone Christian was won by St. Helena in a 50-36 victory over Mt. Diablo-Concord.
Bentley-Lafayette was the only team to go 3-0 in the round-robin Pearl Division held at College Park of Pleasant Hill.
Enochs-Modesto won the Ruby Division at Las Positas College with a 51-45 victory over the local girls of Granada-Livermore.
The Sapphire Division at Valley Christian was won by McClatchy-Sacramento with a 69-48 victory over Clayton Valley-Concord.
Host College Park-Pleasant Hill was edged 47-42 in the Turquoise Division title game by Rosemont-Sacramento.
Cal-Hi Sports Girls of Summer sophomore standout Irene “Gracie” Colaivalu from Rosemont was named divisional MVP after registering a triple-double 28 points, 15 rebounds and 10 steals (5 assists) in the win over College Park. She also had a triple-double 23 points, 13 rebounds and 10 steals (7 assists) in an opening round 44-42 victory over Buhach Colony-Atwater. Her worst game of the tournament was a double-double 13 points and 11 rebounds with nine steals and five assists in a 47-44 victory over University-San Francisco.
— Harold Abend
