HAYWARD, CA – It was a fine day of girls’ basketball at Chabot College as 16 teams took the floor in the Elite Showcase. This article covers the first four.
Clovis West survives gritty game with McClatchy
Clovis West preserved their perfect record thanks largely to Ari Sanders, who swatted away a final shot attempt and had several critical plays in the last two minutes in the Golden Eagles’ 38-37 defeat of McClatchy.
Both teams engaged in a physical, unrelenting battle from the start. Clovis West (9-0) twice had a lead of five, but the Lions (4-2) continued to come back, creating five ties and taking a 32-31 advantage with three minutes to go.
“McClatchy has tremendous talent,” Clovis West coach Craig Campbell said. “It was a good, gritty hard-fought game for us. We got out of our game a lot due to their defensive pressure.”
Sanders scored with two minutes to go and 30 seconds later assisted a Champney Pulliam three-pointer to make it 36-34 Clovis West. That was quickly answered by Imani Felix, then Sanders’ put-back gave the Golden Eagles back the lead. She rebounded a miss by Nia Lowery, but a travel on the ensuing possession gave the Lions’ back the ball for a final chance. Mia Waki received the ball on the wing and launched a long-distance jumper that Sanders flew in and deflected, with the rebound going to Clovis West as time expired.
“At the beginning I’m a little nervous but once the moment hits me, I start going in excited and keep revving up the intensity,” Sanders said about close late-game situations.
Maddie Campbell scored 13 and Sanders had 11 points and seven rebounds for Clovis West, while Lowery and Felix had nine points each for the Lions.
“We came in prepared for the press,” McClatchy coach Jeff Ota commented. “We could have attacked more after we break it. Overall we did a great job. It’s a tough environment. This will be a confidence booster that we can compete against the top teams.”
California Shocks Valley Christian At Buzzer
Claire Hinds nailed a three-pointer as time expired, lifting California past Valley Christian 62-60. The Grizzlies’ Audrey Moulton and the Warriors’ Nyah Willis were locked in a spectacular back-and-forth matchup, scoring 27 and 23 points respectively and doing seemingly everything else on the floor both offensively and defensively. Jadyn Patterson added 16 and Kelly Seymour 11 for Valley Christian (3-3), while Erica Adams chipped in 10 for California (5-1).
Valley Christian led 47-42 after the third quarter, but with 6:24 to go in the game the Grizzlies snatched a one-point lead. Trailing 59-56 with 45 seconds to go, Moulton missed a three and Willis was fouled after getting the rebound. She made one of two, and when Adams couldn’t strike from downtown Willis got the rebound again. But the ball was knocked loose, and Kelly Tumlin sank a trey to make it 60-59. After two missed free throws on the other end, Adams drove up the floor, drew a double-team, and found a wide-open Hinds on the wing for the game-winner.
“[In the second half] we stepped on the gas pedal, and demanded the ball,” Adams said.
Moulton described her offensive mindset this way: “I know they jump on the three, so get a pump fake and drive in and before they collapse on the layup, pull up real fast.”
Clovis North wraps up East Bay swing with two straight wins
After falling behind in the first quarter 17-12, Clovis North outplayed Heritage and came away with a 59-49 win. Savannah Tucker led the way with 23 points and five rebounds, Grace Webb scored 19, and Rowan Hein had a great fourth quarter to power the Broncos (6-1). Abby Muse had 21 points, 13 rebounds, and seven blocks for Heritage (3-1), while Jordan Sweeney tallied nien points and six assists.
“They get one shot,” Clovis North coach Heather Long said. “That was our goal. Our kids did a wonderful job executing the game plan.”
“We had 21 turnovers tonight, 13 missed layups, and we shot 4-for-10 from the free throw line,” Heritage coach Rob Ocon stated. “That’s not our team.”
The Patriots enjoyed a 20-12 advantage partway into the second, but the Broncos responded with a 14-4 push to end the quarter. Tucker sank her only three of the game to open the fourth, giving Clovis North a 43-36 advantage, and a 6-0 run in the middle of the final period gave the Broncos a double-digit lead. Hein had four points, four rebounds, and three assists in the fourth.
“She does a lot of little things, and in a big game like this those little things count,” Clovis North coach Long said of Hein.
Clovis North lost to Miramonte on Thursday but edged California 58-55 on Friday.
Eastside Prep with a solid win
Zion Gabriel scored 19 points and DeDe Franklin added 16, and Eastside Prep went on a 9-0 run to end the first half en route to a 59-37 victory over Bradshaw Christian. Mina Tameilau tallied seven points and 11 rebounds for the Panthers (4-3), who outscored the Pride (1-6) in every quarter. Anaya Mejia provided the bulk of the offense for Bradshaw Christian, finishing with 27 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks.
