HAYWARD, CA - Sunday at Chabot College, Pass tha Ball held its fourth annual Senior All-Star Game. Each game used two 20-minute halves on a running clock - except for the last two minutes of the second half.
An additional adjusted rule was that free throws were shot only when the double bonus was reached (no one-and-ones). The coaches and players clearly enjoyed the event.
Wild 94.9 provided ongoing background music, and Cal-Hi Sports’ Harold Abend did the announcing.
North vs. East
North cruised to a 49-28 victory. Westmont’s Savannah Scott had 11 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Charmaine Bradford and Alexus Simon of Eastside Prep, and Lauren Johnson of St. Francis all had key games as well.
Berean Christian’s Rona Chavez led the East with seven, while Kayla Taylor of Clayton Valley Charter tallied six points and five rebounds. Scott and Taylor earned the MVPs.
The North got out to an 8-0 start and led comfortably much of the way, though East did pull to within 17-14 in the first half.
The East had a few players from the Sacramento area, including Aaliyah Pena from NorCal Division I Champion Pleasant Grove. But absent were the Deer Valley duo Maranne Johnson and Sierra Dixon. For the North, fans did not get to see Piedmont pair Lauren Seyranian and Bailey Thompson compete.
"Today at 11:00 was the first time I met the girls,” said East coach James McKeever (who coached Pleasant Grove to a Division I NorCal Championship this season). “We got a lot of good kids, though, it makes my job easy.”
South vs. West
Desire Finnie scored 17 points, and Mariya Moore had seven points, nine rebounds, six assists, and seven steals to lead West past South, 55-34.
Post player Amy Okonkwo of Etiwanda started things off with a 3-pointer, Miramonte’s Bre Alford dropped in three buckets early - two on assists by Natalie Romeo - and West never trailed.
The closest South got was to within one, 17-16, following three free throws by Jamie Cherry, a point guard from North Carolina. Cherry finished with a team-high 16, including nine from beyond the arc, and wowed the crowd with her ballhandling.
But in the second half, which started with West ahead by seven, Moore sprang to life.
“I just want to go out and run as much as I can and make opportunities for my teammates,” said Moore.
The Salesian star, who only had a couple of free throws on the ledger after the first half, scored five more points and dealt all of her assists. She and Finnie reciprocated on a four plays, and Romeo had a couple assists and scored on a pass from longtime friend Moore.
Finnie began the second half with a three-point play and repeatedly drove to the hoop. Both teams played well in an up-tempo game; eight of the final nine baskets came with assists attached. The only damper was an injury to Zaire O’Neil, a visitor from New Jersey powerhouse Shabazz.
The South featured three players from out of state — Cherry, O’Niel, and Recee’ Caldwell (from Texas). Sacramento’s Simone Sheppard played in both games. She was only assigned to the former but filled a post position need vacated by Geanna Summers-Luaulu.
“It was a great competition,” said Cherry. “We’re just having fun out here before we all go off to school. Being able to go out of state and being able to see some of the girls from other states is cool.”
