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James A. McCray III
Prince George’s County, Content Manager
HOLIDAY HOOPS CLASSIC TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP:
There is no arguing that the number three was more than nice to the Elizabeth Seton Roadrunners in the 11th Annual Holiday Hoops Classic girls’ basketball tournament.
Seton advanced to the championship played on Monday night –the third day of the tournament– for the third consecutive year and after finishing second place the past two tournament appearances, Seton won the tournament with a 61-46 victory over Robert E. Lee.
“I am really happy about winning this tournament because we have placed second two years in a row,” Seton head coach Jazz Perazic said.
“I am really happy for the kids because they have worked really hard. They have worked hard, they are a great group of kids, they care about each other, and they are everything that a team really should be.”
Putting the number three into play even further is the fact that Seton won each of its three games played in the tournament by outscoring its opponents big in the third quarters of each game, 24-6 and 20-6 in the first two games.
In the championship game against Lee, the third quarter scoring fest held true to form as Seton (7-1) outscored the Lady Lancers 22-12 including a 10-0 scoring run midway through the period turning an eight point halftime lead into a 20-point lead, 50-30, heading into the fourth.
“We go into the locker room and we know we have to get it together and play our own game,” Seton’s Tyaunna Marshall said. “We come out and play our own game, and that’s how we do it.”
Marshall averaged 17 points per game over the course of the three-day tournament –including her 19 points in the title game– and was named the Classic’s Most Valuable Player for her efforts.
“It’s a great feeling,” Marshall said of the honor, “but I know I couldn’t have got this far without my team.”
Lee (7-2) head coach Harold Jackson understood how important the third quarter was for his team in the championship game.
“We talked about that at halftime, about not letting it get away from us in the third quarter,” Jackson said. “We came out and actually stuck with them but in those last four minutes we started losing it.”
Priscilla Moseh put on a shooting display for Lee as she led the Lady Lancers with a game-high 26 points including six 3-point field goals and despite the loss; Jackson was impressed with his team’s performance over the course of the tournament.
“We had a good time,” Jackson admitted. “I thought they played well against Bladensburg who had just beaten North Point; North Point was ranked. And in our first game against Southern we played pretty good, and tonight, we just ran out of gas.”
To be noted in the loss, Lee was without one of its top players as senior Kristine Mial was out with an apparent knee injury, a fact even Perazic took note of.
“I have to be realistic as any coach should be,” Perazic said, “their best player was injured, and that made a difference.”
Seton’s Katelyn Marshall was the only other player to score in double digits in the win with 13 points respectively and, as a senior, she is more than happy with winning the tournament in her last opportunity to do so.
“It feels good, finally” Katelyn Marshall said.
Lee — 10 8 12 16; Pr. Moseh 26, Jac. Williams 11, Pa. Moseh 9
Seton — 9 19 22 11; T. Marshall 19, K. Marshall 13, Stelfox 10, Weatherly 6, Albanese 4, Martin 4, Missouri 2, Bronstein 2, Murphy 1
Third-place game
Old Mill 43, Bladensburg 34
Ciarra Lucas led the Old Mill Lady Patriots with 15 points in a 43-34 victory over Bladensburg. Old Mill’s Kourtney Salisbury was the only other Lady Patriot in double digits with 10 points on the night.
A 15-6 first quarter paved the way for the Lady Patriots en route to its respective third-place finish in the tournament.
Jasmine Wallace led the Lady Mustangs of Bladensburg with 9 points in the efforts.
Fifth-place game
North Point 53, Westlake 43
In a meeting between two Southern Maryland Athletic Conference teams, the North Point Lady Eagles won its second consecutive tournament game with a 53-43 victory over the Westlake Lady Wolverines.
Robyn Parks paced the Eagles with a 14-point performance. Kyarra Harmon and Brittany Baker also scored in double digits with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Westlake’s Shanice Goree led all Westlake scorers netting 12 points.
Seventh-place game
Southern 56, Gwynn Park 35
Averaging 17 points per game, Southern’s Jasmine Wills led the Lady Bulldogs to its first and only tournament win with 22 on the final day.
Teammate Raquelle Jones scored 16 points in the winning efforts.
Gwynn Park was led by three 6-point scorers as Karin Law, Siara Jackson, and Brittany Reeder each scored 6 points, respectively.
tmccray@digitalsports.com
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