28.5 "The Bubble": Cal Stars versus San Diego Waves

San Diego Waves 60 - Cal Stars 59 Things in Arizona at the 28.5 League: “The Bubble” ended on a high note - as we were treated to a tremendous Southern California match-up in that of the Cal Stars and the San Diego Waves. Nike EYBL and Under Armour Association. Kelly Sopak and Terri Bamford. Two tremendous programs with a plethora of history and players within their respective programs - so surely this would come down to the last possession. And so it did. Things started off with a [player_tooltip player_id="54100" first="Breya" last="Cunningham"] hand-off to [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"] for three - a bit of overshadowing as these two would have huge games for the Waves. Sumayah Sugapong would have a nice baseline floater as Lepolo would find Roden for a three - first of four for the West Linn native. Anousinh would find the rim again to make it Waves 7 - 4. Sugapong would throw it up to Anousinh, who flicked it to Cunningham for a score. Lepolo would find Roden yet again for another triple. Cathedral Catholic’s [player_tooltip player_id="103360" first="Taryn" last="Johnson"] found [player_tooltip player_id="54100" first="Breya" last="Cunningham"] inside for a score. Sugapong would find Cunningham inside yet again for a score to make it 13 - 7. [player_tooltip player_id="103555" first="Marley" last="Langi"], who had a big game herself made two free throws. Cunningham would continue her offensive efforts, as she would not be denied, especially with a missing [player_tooltip player_id="158473" first="Aaronette" last="Vonleh"] as she scored on the next two possessions down low. Lepolo made her way into the paint only to get stuck and kicked it out to [player_tooltip player_id="102659" first="Jessica" last="Peterson"] for an 18 footer. Sugapong would hit a mid-range jumper to make things 21 - 15 Waves. [player_tooltip player_id="158475" first="Audrey" last="Roden"] would have an aggressive offensive board and up. [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"] found Stanton for a three. Lepolo would throw it inside to [player_tooltip player_id="103658" first="Calli" last="Stokes"], who jumped and tipped it outside to Langi for a jumper that made things 24 - 19 Waves. The scariest moment of the game came when [player_tooltip player_id="54100" first="Breya" last="Cunningham"] would land awkwardly on a defender, as she went down for a moment - presumably injuring her ankle as she took a second before going back to the bench around the six minute mark in the first half. Sugapong found Anousinh alongside the arc for a triple as Isai sank some free throws on the other end. Villareal had a nice strip on Isai to save an easy basket. [player_tooltip player_id="103658" first="Calli" last="Stokes"] would have a nice isolation mid-range score to make it Waves 27 - 23. At the three minute mark, [player_tooltip player_id="54100" first="Breya" last="Cunningham"] would check back into the game, fueling her team to continue their high octane offense. Anousinh would get loose for a lay-up as [player_tooltip player_id="103360" first="Taryn" last="Johnson"] would find her way through a few defenders. This would spark a run as Anousinh would euro-step her way off-balanced into a nice lay-up. Stanton would find Villareal for a triple, ending the half on an offensive spurt as the Waves were up 36 - 23 on the Stars but the team based out of Orinda, CA would find a way back into the back in the second half. Roden would start things by evading some defenders on her way to the rim. On the following possession, Lepolo would find Roden in the corner for another three. [player_tooltip player_id="103360" first="Taryn" last="Johnson"] would hand it off to [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"] for a triple to make it Waves 41 - 29. Thus, a Cal Stars run would spark, putting them back in the game. [player_tooltip player_id="163093" first="Talana" last="Lepolo"] would dance around in the paint, catching the attention of several defenders before finding [player_tooltip player_id="103555" first="Marley" last="Langi"] alongside the arc for a triple. Langi would have a nice move across the lane and finish at the rim. Langi would score yet again - this time off a shimmy move that caused the defender to bite as she pulled up from mid-range. Mastrov would hit a triple off the inbounds. Sugapong would have a nice acrobatic finish around the rim. Mastrov would steal the ball and find the rim on the other end. Allred would find Mastrov in the corner to tie the affair at 46. Isai would be the recipient of an inbounds, completing a three-point play the hard way. On the other end, Cunningham would do the same thing, except miss the free throw. Lepolo would find Roden again for a three, putting the Stars up 52 - 48. Cunningham would snag an airball out of the air and would be immediately fouled by several Stars players and would sink both free throws. Sugapong would have a nice floater to tie it at 52. [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"] would have a tough mid-range jumper that banked off the glass somehow. Sugapong would square against her defender with a few dribbles and sank a tough three. [player_tooltip player_id="103555" first="Marley" last="Langi"] would answer on the next possession with a triple of her own, tying it at 57. Isai would score, putting the Stars up 59 - 57 and on the next possession she would find the free throw line, but miss both as Cunningham rebounded. This would set up a dramatic ending, with 46 seconds left to go as the Waves took on a concentrated Stars defense. [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"] dribbled on top of the key, drawing the attention of the entire Stars zone. She had a feint move on top of the key, made her way inside and at the last second kicked it out to a wide open Villareal - as she drilled the three-pointer causing the Waves bench to go into a frenzy. Waves up 60 - 59 with ten seconds left as they would survive this Southern California clash in tremendous fashion. Stats: Cal Stars Jennah Isai: 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 2 steals [player_tooltip player_id="103555" first="Marley" last="Langi"]: 16 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals Makena Mastora: 2 reounds Mastrov; 8 points, 1 steal [player_tooltip player_id="158475" first="Audrey" last="Roden"]: 16 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals Anabel Schneiberg: 1 assist [player_tooltip player_id="102659" first="Jessica" last="Peterson"]: 4 points, 1 rebound Talan Lepolo: 2 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists, 4 steals [player_tooltip player_id="103658" first="Calli" last="Stokes"]: 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block [player_tooltip player_id="189641" first="Jordan" last="Allred"]: 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist San Diego Waves: Sumayah Sugapong: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists Destiny Villareal: 6 points, 3 rebounds [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"]: 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals [player_tooltip player_id="103360" first="Taryn" last="Johnson"]: 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal [player_tooltip player_id="54100" first="Breya" last="Cunningham"]: 16 points, 15 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks Aaliyah Stanton: 4 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal Alea Tufaga: 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist Breakdown: Dynamic Duos In a game with such intense action, there would be heroes that would appear from both clubs in the form of tremendous tandems. For the Cal Stars, it was [player_tooltip player_id="158475" first="Audrey" last="Roden"] and [player_tooltip player_id="103555" first="Marley" last="Langi"], who both finished with 16 points a piece. Roden would sink three-pointers as an excellent rate whenever the Stars would need them as she was an outstanding 4 for 8 from deep. Langi would use her elusiveness all over the court and handy footwork to score whenever the Stars would need it, as she had a sequence where she scored three times in a row. For the Waves, it was [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"] and Sumayah Sugapong who would have 19 and 11 respectively. These two play for Coach Bamford at La Jolla Country Day - so you could say they have a little chemistry. Anousinh would not be denied as she had some incredibly difficult skill points in the form of floaters and mid-range jumpers throughout the course of the game. Sugapong is just as eclectic of a scorer who made a difference when her team needed it.   The Cunningham Effect [player_tooltip player_id="54100" first="Breya" last="Cunningham"] rolled up her sleeves and clocked into work early as she had a double double by halftime. She would not be denied in the paint, as the Waves dumped it into her without hesitation as the Country Day post had a significant presence - on both ends of the floor. At 6’4” she is difficult to score around, as she was the anchor in the middle of the Waves defensive efforts. Cunningham is a national talent who is a one-person wrecking crew in the paint, as she has the strength and agility to score at will, which was depicted in her trademark performance in the form of a goliath 16 point, 15 rebound game.   [player_tooltip player_id="163093" first="Talana" last="Lepolo"] [player_tooltip player_id="163093" first="Talana" last="Lepolo"] is the smooth floor general who knows how to play at her own pace and change speeds at the drop of a pen. The NorCal native dances around the top of the key and paint in order to catch the attention of the defense and will instantly send the ball to an open teammate thanks to her endeavors. She finished with a game high 9 assists, which was incredibly telling of her facilitating ways. She was a big reason for the Stars comeback in the second half, as she is a steadfast guard who always plays with composure but yet a fiery competitive spirit - as earlier in the summer she hit a to-go game winning jumper with the entire defense on her.   Unsung Heroes Both clubs had relatively unknown players that would step up for them in a huge fashion. For the Cal Stars this was newcomer Miramonte guard [player_tooltip player_id="49242" first="Mia" last="Mastrov"] as she would score her 8 points all at once in a sequence where the Stars severely needed it to keep themselves in the game. Her sharp shooting prowess kept them in the game single handedly. For the Waves, Destiny Villareal would score all 6 of her points in some huge moments - both coincidentally to end the first and second halves. Her first three came in a sequence where the Waves put the extra emphasis on a late run to put them up by 10 - establishing a cushion they would later need. Of course her last three would be the to-go shot that would single handedly seal the victory for the Waves as the Country Day guard came up big and gave the San Diego team the huge victory - all in the palm of her hands.