Ayala tournament continues to provide drama, plans to expand
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Second-ranked Fontana Miller (9-1) and No. 7 Muir (10-0) will face off Monday in the championship game of the Ayala Best of the West girls’ basketball tournament after finishing off their semifinal opponents in close games on Saturday.
Miller scored a 58-53 victory over Bishop Montgomery (10-4) as Chloe Wells scored 15 points and Brianna Hall had 13. Miller has had an amazing tournament simply because its four victories have been by a combined 15 points. Not exactly what one would expect from the top-seeded team in the tournament, but margin of victory doesn’t determine who continues toward the title.
Muir defeated No. 4 Ayala, 53-51, as Cherrish Wallace scored 16, Brittany Henderson had 14, and Eliza Pierre added seven -- all in the second half, and four in the fourth quarter. The score was tied with one minute to go when Pierre drove the lane to score for a 51-49 lead, and Wallace added two free throws to make it a four-point game. Rhema Gardner scored 14 for Ayala (11-3).
One day after maybe the best quarterfinal day in the tournament’s 15-year history, this is what went down in some of the other games in the championship side of the bracket:
Sheila Boykin scored 11 of her 19 points in the second half as No. 8 Lynwood pulled away from No. 24 Bishop Amat for a 64-39 victory in a game that was 29-22 at halftime.
No. 14 Magnolia beat No. 15 Perris, 66-55, in a game in which the teams traded three-point baskets throughout. Perris had six in the fourth quarter alone. Jhakia McDonald led Magnolia with 14 points, and Kiyana Stamps had 17 for Perris.
No. 19 Cajon defeated No. 10 Chatsworth, 52-50, on Bjonee Reaves’ free throws with six seconds left.
Through the years I’ve seen a lot of games at this tournament, but I don’t ever remember this many good games in the championship bracket (because that’s all I watch).
‘This has to be the best series of games the tournament has ever had,’ said Ayala Coach Mel Sims, who plans to make it bigger -- and better -- next year.
‘We’re going to go back to 64 or 96 teams,’ Sims said. ‘We want Mater Dei, Troy, Brea, Narbonne, Redondo.’
If he can land Long Beach Poly, he might then be able to land a couple of other national powers, too, which could truly make this the best of the west.
-- Martin Henderson