28.5: The Bubble Week 1: Oregon Elite vs San Diego Waves

Final: Oregon Elite 73, San Diego Waves 54 The 28.5 League aka “The Bubble” has been a tremendous show as premier programs all over the West Coast have locked horns and battled in big fashion. Saturday night slowly made its way towards it's marquee match-up of the night as Oregon Elite Navy took on the illustrious San Diego Waves, coached by legendary coach of La Jolla Country Day in Terri Bamford. Last season, Coach Bamford coached the Torreys to an astonishing 32-1 record, where they defeated many of the top teams in California (widely regarded as the top State in high school hoops) - including Cathedral Catholic, Archbishop Mitty, Sierra Canyon, Etiwanda, and Windward. They were set to play in the CIF-Open Division Final in a rematch with Archbishop Mitty before COVID-19 shut down the affair. The Torreys still achieved the MaxPreps National Championship, led by the merits of Oregon bound Te-Hina Paopao and nationally ranked post [player_tooltip player_id="54100" first="Breya" last="Cunningham"]. The San Diego Waves are coached by Terri Bamford and feature some of her premier talent of Country Day. Headlined by [player_tooltip player_id="54100" first="Breya" last="Cunningham"], [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"] and Sumayah Sugapong are two lethal parts of the Waves that also showcase future Torrey Avant-Roberts and Cathedral Catholic standout [player_tooltip player_id="103360" first="Taryn" last="Johnson"]. San Diego basketball has long been overshadowed by Southern Section juggernauts such as Mater Dei, but Bamford and company have been making noise in the girl's hoops scene for the last two decades as ESPN recently awarded La Jolla Country Day as one of the top five high school programs over the last decade. On the first possession of the game, [player_tooltip player_id="158479" first="Schuyler" last="Berry"] took on [player_tooltip player_id="54100" first="Breya" last="Cunningham"] head on in the post and had a nice left-handed hook shot. The key to success early on for Oregon Elite was to compete head on with Breya and try to stifle her progress in the paint. Burns found Starr at the top of the key and Berry for a short jumper - and again to Hueckman for a jumper as Oregon Elite jumped out to a 8 - 2 lead. Athletic wing [player_tooltip player_id="103360" first="Taryn" last="Johnson"] had a strong take to the cup as Sugapong scored in transition and Avant-Roberts had a score to tie the affair at 8 apiece. Aaliyah Stanton stuck a floater amongst a few Oregon Elite defenders, giving the Waves their first lead at 10 - 8. [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"] sank a triple for the Waves as they extended the lead to 11 - 8 as Oregon Elite called for a time-out. Hassmann hits two free throws and Chamberlin puts back a miss. Lathrop began her defensive exploits as she swatted Johnson at the rim. Oregon Elite inbounded to Berry for a short jumper as they led 16 - 13. Sumayah Sugapong had a fancy lay-up off her right leg and left hand as Hueckman passed it to a trailing Berry. [player_tooltip player_id="158479" first="Schuyler" last="Berry"] continued to battle Cunningham as she took her baseline and was fouled - hitting both. Syd Burns connects on two free throws - extending the Oregon Elite lead to 24 - 15. Villareal had two big rebounds on both ends - giving it off to [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"] who is fouled and hits both. [player_tooltip player_id="158525" first="Sage" last="Kramer"] battled inside with Cunningham as she had an offensive board and was fouled - hitting one. Avant-Roberts found Stanton in the corner for a three. Kramer puts up the offensive board. [player_tooltip player_id="54100" first="Breya" last="Cunningham"] came up with an offensive board and was immediately hounded by four Oregon Elite defenders as she hit both free throws. [player_tooltip player_id="158516" first="Danika" last="Starr"] fouled along the arc and hit two. [player_tooltip player_id="103360" first="Taryn" last="Johnson"] goes into the lane and extends around Berry for a nice finish. Anousinh goes coast to coast and finds Sugapong for two. Berry hits a free throw, tying it at 30. Burns to Hueckman for a mid-range jumper. Some big defensive plays by both teams to end the half as Lathrop gets two blocks on the same trip and Anousinh draws a charge on Chamberlin. At half it was a nailbiter as Oregon Elite led Waves 32 - 30. The half began with Jazzy sinking one free throw out of three, on the following possession Anousinh fed [player_tooltip player_id="54100" first="Breya" last="Cunningham"] who connected on her first field goal, giving the Waves the lead at 33 - 32. [player_tooltip player_id="158486" first="Cami" last="Fulcher"] came up with a steal and found Hope Hassmann - who drilled the corner three and the Oregon Elite bench erupted as they began a spurt. Cunningham was stuck between two defenders, but found Sugapong in the corner for a three. [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"] stuck a tough floater over Berry. Berry found Starr for a mid-range jump, tying it at 38. [player_tooltip player_id="204574" first="Allie" last="Hueckman"] and [player_tooltip player_id="158476" first="Sydney" last="Burns"] began teaming up defensively, cornering Waves players into mistakes - Hueckman came up with the first and shot a tough floater over a Waves defender and somehow still commanded balance despite contact. Hueckman came up with a steal and gave it off to Burns. Burns steal and returns the favor, giving it up to Hueckman. The last play was perhaps the best as Burns grabbed the board, giving it up to Hueckman who passed on a lay-up and gave it to Starr in the corner who drilled the three, giving Oregon Elite a 47 - 39 lead. Chamberlain had a nice back down fade away shot as [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"] found Sumayah Sugapong for a triple - the Country Day Connection. Kramer had a nice put back as on the other end [player_tooltip player_id="158478" first="Natalie" last="Lathrop"] stuffed Cunningham at the rim and came back down with the board. Jazzy Anounsinh picks off a pass for a score as Kramer found Chamberlin alongside the arc - giving Oregon Elite a 54 - 44 lead. Anousinh found Sugapong for another triple as Hueckman had free throws. In what was a play showing Oregon Elite's momentum, Berry nearly stumbled out of bounds but threw it up to Hueckman, who caught it and drilled a dagger - Oregon Elite 61 - 49. Villareal lay-up followed by Chamberlin jump stop three. Anousinh triple brought it to ten but that's as close as the contest could get from this point on. Kramer triple, Lathrop put back, and two [player_tooltip player_id="158483" first="Kaili" last="Chamberlin"] scores would seal this, as Oregon Elite would come up victorious in a huge 73 - 54 fashion. Stats: Oregon Elite: [player_tooltip player_id="158486" first="Cami" last="Fulcher"]: 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal [player_tooltip player_id="158506" first="Ana" last="McClave"]: 1 rebound, 1 assist, 2 steals Hope Hassmann: 7 points, 2 rebounds [player_tooltip player_id="204574" first="Allie" last="Hueckman"]: 18 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals [player_tooltip player_id="158516" first="Danika" last="Starr"]: 9 points, 2 rebounds [player_tooltip player_id="158476" first="Sydney" last="Burns"]: 4 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals [player_tooltip player_id="158483" first="Kaili" last="Chamberlin"]: 14 points, 6 rebounds [player_tooltip player_id="158525" first="Sage" last="Kramer"]: 8 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals [player_tooltip player_id="158479" first="Schuyler" last="Berry"]: 11 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists [player_tooltip player_id="158478" first="Natalie" last="Lathrop"]: 2 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks San Diego Waves: Tajianna Avant-Roberts: 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal Naomi Panganiban: 1 rebound, 1 assist Villareal: 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal [player_tooltip player_id="54100" first="Breya" last="Cunningham"]: 4 points, 11 rbounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 2 steals [player_tooltip player_id="103360" first="Taryn" last="Johnson"]: 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"]: 13 points, 5 assists, 1 steal Sumayah Sugapong: 15 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist Aaliyah Stanton: 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block, 2 steals Breakdown: Oregon Elite New Faces, Old Tricks Oregon Elite welcomed three new players - [player_tooltip player_id="204574" first="Allie" last="Hueckman"], [player_tooltip player_id="158525" first="Sage" last="Kramer"], and [player_tooltip player_id="158483" first="Kaili" last="Chamberlin"]. The program was already familiar with Hueckman's exploits as a seasoned athlete and scorer as she had a homecoming party with her 18 point performance in which she drilled some huge three-pointers and scored with flair and style - per usual. [player_tooltip player_id="158525" first="Sage" last="Kramer"] continued to show her consistent blue-collar approach to the game, with a steady 8 point, 9 rebound performance. [player_tooltip player_id="158483" first="Kaili" last="Chamberlin"], the smooth scorer from South Medford, showed that she can light it up with efficiency anywhere, anytime as she had a 14 point performance in which she scored with great variability. Dominant Defensive Display The game plan clearly was to stifle and pester Cunningham in the low-post and challenge her in the paint on both ends of the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="158479" first="Schuyler" last="Berry"] was a technician in the post as she took it to Cunningham early, showing great poise. Lathrop was also a force defensively, as she finished with 9 rebounds and 4 blocks, including one big rejection on Cunningham. With Berry and Lathrop providing for a bulkload of the defensive in the paint, Cunningham was held to 4 points in total. Syd Burns: The Blur Sydney took the game over in the middle of the second half, as she began teaming up with [player_tooltip player_id="204574" first="Allie" last="Hueckman"] defensively, as they had three back to back to back steals ending up in points. They are a great tandem around half-court, as they can come up with the steal and can go to work in the transition setting. Burns is the blistering defender who is dangerous with the ball and Allie is the agile scorer who can score with a lot of skill with her high jumping talents. This spark allowed for three steals and eight points where they needed a big jump in order to take over the game - as they rode the momentum to carry out a huge lead. San Diego Waves Anousinh and Sugapong: Country Day's Tandem [player_tooltip player_id="103554" first="Jazzy" last="Anousinh"] and Sumayah Sugapong were two vital components of La Jolla Country Day's success last year as a perennial powerhouse, as the defeated all of the West Coast's powerhouses - including a victory in the highest bracket of the Nike Tournament of Champions. Jazzy averaged 8 points and 5 rebounds for Country Day last season, playing her way into an Idado scholarship whereas Sugapong averaged 4 points and 2.5 rebounds as a freshman. These two certainly know each other's tendencies and they handed off passes to each other for perimeter shots and knew where to find each other all over the floor. They combined for 28 points as both showed the ability to knock down the perimeter shot. [player_tooltip player_id="54100" first="Breya" last="Cunningham"]: One-Person Wrecking Crew Although Cunningham was held to 4 points, Oregon Elite personnel made sure that every time she caught the ball around or near the basket that there would be a minimum of two defenders to attend to her. This was apparent when four Oregon Elite players crowded her and ended up making her go to the line after an offensive board. She was a staple in the paint, as she had several big blocks and stops, stifling the entire Oregon Elite team around the paint. She finished with 4 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals and showed everyone why she is considered a top ten recruit nationally in her class. Athletic, Athletic, Athletic Outside of the Country Day big three, the Waves are a team who showcases a collection of highly talented basketball players who make a lot of plays with her athletic ability. Cathedral Catholic's [player_tooltip player_id="103360" first="Taryn" last="Johnson"] had several dazzling finishes as she combined her speed with strength around the rim. Taryn played for a Dons team who battled Country Day several times in the season as they were a top Southern California team. Aaliyah Stanton is a 2023 player for Country Day who made her mark in this game as a gritty guard who can rebound and score in stride as she finished with 6 points and 6 rebounds. But perhaps the Waves' secret weapon is 2024 Tajianna Avant-Roberts, a nationally acclaimed player who is set to make a big debut for the Torreys next season who is already on the radar of scouts.