Clovis West girls basketball team gets NFL experience, stays unbeaten with ENG Sports title at Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational

There is still an upcoming trip for the Clovis West High girls basketball team to compete at elevation in the Denver East Holiday Ball in Colorado, but the Golden Eagles remained in rarefied air Monday at the Tampa Bay Christmas Invitational.

Alexis Swillis had 25 points, including 14 in the second half, to earn division MVP on her 18th birthday as Clovis West pulled away after holding a four-point halftime lead to produce a 66-48 victory against Neumann-Goretti from Pennsylvania in the ENG Sports Division at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus in Wesley Chapel, Fla.

Clovis West (15-0), which already won the Tundra Bracket title Dec. 23 at the Capitol City Classic in Oregon, completed the second leg of its national tournament tour by defeating Florida programs Somerset Prep and Palm Bay on Friday and Saturday before knocking off Neumann-Goretti (6-2) in the final.

The Golden Eagles also took advantage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers competing at home Sunday against their NFC South rival Carolina Panthers and secured tickets to watch quarterback Baker Mayfield pass for 359 yards and five touchdowns in a 48-14 victory (see featured image).

Clovis West girls basketball | Photo courtesy of Clovis West

Clovis West is among 17 girls basketball teams in California to enter the new year without a loss entering Thursday’s opening-round matchup against Democracy Prep Agassi Campus of Nevada (8-1) in Denver.

Swillis, a UNLV signee, scored 11 points in the first half to contribute to Clovis West’s 29-25 advantage at the break.

Mahloni Warren hit a pair of 3-point field goals in the third quarter, with Ramie Chatman and Josline Martinez also contributing 3-pointers for the Golden Eagles, who extended their lead to 46-35 entering the fourth.

Warren had five 3-pointers and finished with 15 points, with Chatman contributing 10 points and Keegan Medeiros adding seven points for Clovis West, which also received four points from all-tournament selection Riley Walls.

Swillis had nine points in the final quarter, with Warren adding two more 3-point field goals, as the Golden Eagles continued to stretch their lead against the smaller Neumann-Goretti lineup.

Carryn Easley led Neumann-Goretti, which defeated Florida programs American Heritage and Cardinal Mooney to reach Monday’s final, with 16 points. Reginna Baker added 13 points and Amya Scott contributed 10 points for the Saints.

South Fayette (Pennsylvania) 54, Folsom 53: The Bulldogs arrived in Florida unbeaten in their first seven games, but suffered back-to-back losses in the Siesta Key Beach Division, including a heartbreaking setback Monday to South Fayette from Pennsylvania (9-1) in the third-place contest.

Folsom (8-2), which had senior guard Sophia Mindermann earn all-tournament recognition, produced an 84-40 victory Friday against New Smyrna Beach of Florida to extend its winning streak to eight in a row, before Grandview Prep from Florida prevailed by a 64-56 margin Saturday in the semifinals.