LAS VEGAS – A pair of Northern California 16-under girls basketball teams captured titles in their respective brackets Monday at the Nike Tournament of Champions West at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada.
One group showcased the amazing depth of the Archbishop Mitty High program, as San Jose Cagers Blue secured a 42-37 victory against Meta Hoops Gold from Idaho in the final of the 16U High Roller division.
Another squad highlighted athletes from East Union, Manteca, Stockton St. Mary’s and Archbishop Riordan, as The Grind Team produced a 57-42 triumph against Team Walton of Washington in the championship game of the 16U All In bracket.
The Grind Team captured the 16U All In division title with a 57-42 victory against Team Walton of Washington at the Nike Tournament of Champions West in Las Vegas | Photo courtesy of Nike TOC
All In Elite National, representing Southern California, was the only 17-under team from the state to reach a final Monday, but suffered a 64-49 setback against Way to Win Gold from Washington in the 17U All In division championship.
Athletes participated in 14 divisions ranging from 13U to 17U at the four-day event that was showcased for the first time at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with each team playing six games, either in pool play or bracket competition.
San Jose Cagers Blue, coached by Sue Phillips of Archbishop Mitty, won all six games, with Monday’s final the only contest decided by five points or fewer.
Vibha Bangalore led San Jose Cagers Blue with 11 points, and another incoming junior guard Sydney Yu added eight points in the final.
Sofia Teresi, an incoming senior guard, had seven points, with incoming junior Megan Liu and incoming sophomore Rihanna Henderson both contributing six points apiece for San Jose Cagers Blue, which held a 22-16 halftime advantage against Meta Hoops Gold, which was led by incoming junior Brooklyn Gardiner of Borah High scoring 10 points.
Bangalore led San Jose Cagers Blue in scoring with 69 combined points in six games, with Henderson adding 60 points and Liu scoring 59 points during the event.
Nylah Dyson saved her best performance for her final showcase in Las Vegas, as the incoming senior guard at Archbishop Riordan had a game-high 35 points and hit seven 3-pointers to lead The Grind Team, which pulled away down the stretch from Team Walton after building a five-point halftime lead.
Dyson had 22 points, including five 3-pointers, following the opening 15-minute half.
Haven Stone of East Union and Taliyah Adams, another incoming sophomore at Stockton St. Mary’s, both contributed nine points in the final for The Grind Team, which rebounded from a 46-39 pool-play loss Saturday against Genesis Hoops G-Unit from Temecula to win its final three games and capture the championship.
Dyson opened the tournament Friday with 30 points in a 55-24 victory against Sparks Basketball Maui Black of Hawaii and finished as the leading scorer in the entire 16U All In division.
Stone scored 28 points in a 65-43 triumph Sunday against Finn Hoops of Idaho, with Dyson adding 21 points. Dyson also produced 26 points in a 56-50 win Sunday over In Motion.
All In Elite National had accumulated five impressive victories to reach the 17U All In bracket final, but Mia Brockmeyer of Way to Win Gold stepped up with a 26-point effort in the championship game, including six 3-pointers, as the incoming senior guard at Meadowdale High helped the group from Washington complete an unbeaten run in six contests in Las Vegas.
Jazmyne Shamburger, a homeschooled athlete from Bellflower, led All In Elite National with 13 points and incoming junior guard Alyssa So from Whitney added 12 points in the championship game.
Bailey Prewitt, an incoming senior guard at St. Monica, and So led All In Elite National with 60 points apiece during the four-day event. Layia King, an incoming senior guard at St. Mary’s Academy, contributed 53 combined points for All In Elite National.