LAS VEGAS – The final four-day stretch of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League 17-under division was running simultaneously as the Nike Tournament of Champions West event at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
But it turned out to be a significant showcase for a pair of California teams, who survived the Wild Wild West in terms of positioning for seeding for the upcoming Nike Nationals, scheduled for July 18-21 in Chicago.
Sports Academy Swish, coached by Etiwanda’s Stan Delus and Mater Dei’s Jody Wynn, and Why Not Premier – led by Rancho Christian’s Marlon Wells – each won five of six contests to both secure top eight overall seeds at Nike Nationals, along with Cal Stars, guided by Carondelet’s Kelly Sopak.
Sports Academy Swish had the most significant victory to conclude the regular season, producing a 74-67 victory against All Iowa Attack, led by 16 points from Etiwanda incoming junior guard Chasity Rice and 15 points from Sierra Canyon incoming senior guard Delaney White.
All Iowa Attack won its first 13 games of the 17U EYBL schedule, which began April 25, before suffering a 68-64 setback Sunday against Exodus of New York, followed by the loss to Sports Academy Swish.
White, a former Oak Park standout who transferred to Sierra Canyon this summer, tied the score at 65-65 on a 3-pointer with less than two minutes remaining.
Rice gave Sports Academy Swish a 68-65 advantage in the final 90 seconds on a 3-point field goal of her own, before Jhai Johnson of Oakland Tech, Stella Hoss from Mater Dei and White combined for six free throws to secure the win, the second in a row for the group following a 76-73 overtime loss Sunday against Team Durant from Maryland.
Johnson added 12 points and 10 rebounds, Sarah Aldeguer of Fairmont Prep contributed eight points, with Payton Montgomery from Sierra Canyon and Hoss scoring six points apiece for Sports Academy Swish.
Rice led Sports Academy Swish with 99 points in six contests in Las Vegas, with White adding 69 points, Aldeguer contributing 60 points and Johnson scoring 52 points.
Sports Academy Swish, which competed during the final stretch of the regular season without Jerzy Robinson of Sierra Canyon – participating in the FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup for the U.S. national team – and injured Mater Dei incoming senior Kaeli Wynn, finished 12-3 to secure second in the Victory Conference behind All Iowa Attack at 13-2.
Cal Stars, which split its six games in Las Vegas, matched Why Not Premier with an 11-4 record and earned the tiebreaker to take third in the Victory Conference.
Why Not Premier had an opportunity to win all six contests during the four-day schedule, instead it was both Exodus and Team Durant that achieved the feat to continue building momentum ahead of competing in Chicago.
Amalia Holguin, an incoming senior at Sage Hill, led Why Not Premier with 19 points against Exodus, with Aaliah Spaight from Bishop Gorman High in Las Vegas contributing 11 points and Cydnee Bryant of Corona Centennial adding eight points and seven rebounds.
Holguin had 125 combined points in six games for Why Not Premier, which had won eight in a row, before falling to Exodus. Spaight accumulated 89 points and Bryant had 58 points and 61 rebounds, including a 24-point, 15-rebound performance Sunday in a 74-37 triumph against Essence of Georgia.
Cal Stars concluded its regular season with a 67-48 loss Monday to Mokan Elite from Missouri.
Taylor Young from Crater High in Oregon led Cal Stars with 11 points, Brooklynn Haywood of Union High in Oregon added nine points and Mayenabasi Akpan from South Medford High in Oregon scored seven points.
Cal Stars split six games in Las Vegas to conclude the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League 17-under regular season with an 11-4 record in the Victory Conference | Photo courtesy of Cal Stars
Haywood led Cal Stars, which dropped three of its final four contests, with 73 combined points in Las Vegas, Young added 70 points and Akpan contributed 53 points.
San Ramon Valley teammates Carly Stern and Alyssa Rudd scored 38 and 33 points, respectively, during the four-day schedule for Cal Stars.
Cal Storm Team Taurasi, split its six games, including a 64-50 victory Monday against Midwest Elite Meanstreets from Illinois, and finished the regular season with a 4-11 record.
Audrey Bhesania from Sandra Day O’Connor in Arizona scored 15 points, Jacqueline Polk of Rialto had 14 points, incoming freshman Presley Uchikura from Charlotte Wood Middle School contributed 12 points, with Fairmont Prep teammates Mathis Dritz and Adyra Rajan adding eight and seven points, respectively.
Competition begins July 18 in Chicago with eight four-team pools, followed by bracket play, with the top two groups in each pairing qualifying for the Premier Division.