ORINDA, CA – The Seventh Annual Elite Showcase at Miramonte had some of the top teams in Northern California in action for the two day event at Miramonte.
On Saturday the top games involved host Miramonte and Archbishop Mitty-San Jose and neither really broke a sweat in easy wins.
Miramonte (4-0) took on St. Francis-Mountain View and bolted to a 7-0 lead that was 20-10 after the first quarter, and although the Lancers only trailed 36-26 at the half, the Matadors shooters got even hotter in the second half than the first and the defense stiffened in a 78-54 victory.
As a team Miramonte made 15 three-pointers with six in the first half and nine in the final two quarters. Senior guard Rebecca Welsh led four double-digit scorers with three treys in each half, and a free-throw after she was fouled on a second half three-pointer she sank to finish with a game high 19 points with four assists and two steals.
Mia Mastrov, a 5-11 junior point guard that can also go inside, did not have a particularly good shooting night but the rising star didn’t let it faze her and still filled the stat sheet with 17 points (one three-pointer), seven rebounds, six steals and three assists.
Several other girls also played well on a deep roster of players that can shoot the three-ball. Senior wing Erin Tarasow nailed two three pointers and finished with 12 points plus five rebounds and three steals. Junior wing Jordan Allred had three three-pointers and added 11 points. Senior wing Jennifer Tierney came off the bench with nine points on three three-pointers.
St. Francis (3-2) got a team-high 14 points (three three-pointers) from junior guard Makayla Buenrostro. Sophomore Sydney Stewart came off the bench for 11 points and six rebounds, and softball standout and sophomore point guard Jessica Oakland added 10 points. Junior post Linzey Allard had 10 rebounds.
Despite the strong showing at the Elite Showcase that included a blowout win over Westmoor-Daly City, and two prior wins in thrashings of Christian Brothers-Sacramento and Casa Grande-Petaluma, Miramonte Coach Kelly Sopak is looking for more if his Cal-Hi Sports preseason No. 15 ranked Matadors are going to make some big noise this season.
“Honestly, the team is progressing, but a little slower than I anticipated, but I love our defensive energy and ability to rebound,” Sopak said. “Each year is tough getting players acclimated but we are improving daily.”
Miramonte now moves on to open with St. Patrick-St. Vincent-Vallejo on Wednesday in the 11th Annual Peyo Tip-Off Classic at Miramonte, and later this month they will be the favorites in the Diamond Division of the West Coast Jamboree.
Short-handed Mitty shows depth in easy win over Laguna Creek
When you have the kind of depth veteran Coach Sue Phillips has on her Archbishop Mitty roster year after year, it’s not hard to see why the Monarchs were No. 3 in the Cal-Hi Sports preseason state rankings.
Mitty almost resembles the De La Salle football team where players are biding their time and waiting in the wings but prepared to carry on the tradition just like the Mitty girls basketball program under Phillips has done for over two decades.
Junior phenom Hunter Hernandez is out with a knee injury she suffered in July, and despite the fact she looked like she could play while warming up with the team, and is chomping at the bit to get back into action, she will be still be held out until at least until after the first of the year or longer. Fellow junior Marley Langi was held out of the Elite Showcase with an sore Achilles, it still didn’t matter that the two were missing.
In the two games at the Elite Showcase, a 75-31 win over a preseason No. 38 San Joaquin Memorial-Fresno on Friday and a 75-21 blitzing of Laguna Creek-Elk Grove on Saturday, the Monarchs showed why they are still the top team in Northern California.
Olivia Williams, a 6-1 junior that has experience playing the New Zealand National Team, led Mitty in the Laguna Creek win with 19 points (three three-pointers), five rebounds and two steals and she hardly played after Mitty had a 51-13 lead at halftime.
With Hernandez our the floor general is senior guard Ashley Hiraki and she had 13 points (two threes), five rebounds, six steal and four assists, and like Williams she saw limited second half action
Aside from Williams it was a game in which some girls waiting to take center stage shined. Junior forward Sydney Bourland had 12 points, nine rebounds, five steals and four assists. Katie Springs, a 6-1 junior post had 12 points, eight rebounds and five steals, and junior guard Anika Chinthakunta chipped in with nine points.
A very young Laguna Creek (4-1), with no seniors and only one junior on the roster of Coach Brian Tillery, was led by sophomore Lesieli Maupule with six points.
“I feel great about how we are progressing at this point and time,” said Phillips.
“We still need to shore up our rotations defensively and become more efficient on the offensive side of the ball,” Phillips continued. “We also need to work with our players on expanding their skills sets so that their roles can expand on game day.”
The next game day is on Tuesday night in Oakland at preseason No. 40 Oakland Tech.
