Tournament of Champions: Games One & Two

Game 1 - Howe (7-3) vs. Norman (6-1) The 56th Annual Tournament of Champions tipped off at the BOK Center in downtown Tulsa at 9am on Monday and the opening match-up featured the 2021 6A State Champs against the 2021 2A State Champs. The Tigers jumped out to a 24-7 lead after the first quarter, but the Lions from Howe battled back with a 14-14 second to keep it close. Howe outscored Norman by four in the third to close the gap even more before the Tigers exploded for an 18-9 fourth and finished out the game with a 63-41 win. They advance to play the winner of the Booker T. Washington and Lincoln Christian match-up. Game 1 - Player of the Game <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DSC_0225-scaled-crop-2356x1547-1640626974.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-369263 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DSC_0225-scaled-crop-2356x1547-1640626974-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>Nessa Begay | 6-1 F | Norman | 2023 | <a href="https://x.com/_nessa_35">@_nessa_35</a> In my first in-person game of the season watching the Tigers, Begay was the absolute, no doubt, player of the game. She was involved in every play on both ends and her presence and poise were absolutely the key to the huge win over a very good Howe squad. Following the game, Norman head coach Frankie Parks said his transfer from New Mexico is "super skilled" and "obviously can finish." Though I didn’t get to see it as much this game, Coach Parks also said that she can step outside and knock it down and that is a scary proposition for future Norman opponents. Today she absolutely owned the paint with eight boards and 17 points. Begay was 6-10 from the field and 5-7 from the line. Clearly, she can score it. She has great size, great post moves, and is absolutely relentless down low. Nessa is a prospect and I am excited to add her to the 2023 Oklahoma rankings come January! Other Standouts <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DSC_0032-scaled-crop-2049x1345-1640627174.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-369265 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DSC_0032-scaled-crop-2049x1345-1640627174-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="211871" first="Shiloh" last="Fletcher"] | 5-5 G | Howe | 2022 | <a href="https://x.com/fletcher_shiloh">@fletcher_shiloh</a> Fletcher worked hard from start to finish to keep her squad in the game against one of the best teams in the state... maybe even the country. She is a tremendous guard with tons of heart and hustle. What she lacks in size, she makes up for in leadership skills, basketball IQ, and just all-around skill on both ends of the floor. She is a great one-on-one defender and an unbelievable spot-up shooter. The Oklahoma Christian commit had 18 points to lead all scorers and went 4-8 from long range. Fletcher is a joy to watch play the game and could undoubtedly lead No. 1-ranked Howe back to another state title this spring! <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DSC_0229-scaled-crop-2330x1530-1640627268.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-369267 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DSC_0229-scaled-crop-2330x1530-1640627268-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="197945" first="Aaliyah" last="Henderson"] | 5-8 G | Norman | 2023 | <a href="https://x.com/AaliyahH2023">@AaliyahH2023</a> Aaliyah most definitely could’ve been the player of the game for this one considering that she had a double-double for the Tigers. In the end, the fact that the game plan looked to be one of inside dominance in this particular game and Begay had a career game swayed the decision. This is an instance where Henderson being so freaking good may have skewed my decision-making. Yes, she had a double-double, but she could probably do that every game. She is a superstar! Aaliyah is a D-I prospect who currently holds offers from Hampton, Eastern Michigan, and others. Today she used her outstanding ability as a slasher to get to the rim numerous times and score 16 points and rack up 10 rebounds. Nine of her 10 rebounds were on the defensive end, by the way. Now, that is a game-changing statistic! Game 2 - Bixby (4-2) vs. Seiling (3-1) Seiling was handed their first loss of the season by a Bixby squad coming off back-to-back losses to Edmond North and Union. Bixby carried a one-point lead into the second quarter following a 10-9 first stanza. However, the entrance of [player_tooltip player_id="197963" first="Meredith" last="Mayes"] into the game proved to be too much for the Class A Championship contenders as the 6’3" center imposed her will on the smaller Wildcats. The 25-2 second quarter was too much to overcome for Seiling as the Spartans walked away 69-48 victors in their opening game of the Tournament of Champions. Bixby will face the winner of the matchup between Tahlequah and Holland Hall. Game 2 - Player of the Game <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DSC_0291-scaled-crop-2049x1345-1640634837.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-369317 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DSC_0291-scaled-crop-2049x1345-1640634837-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="197963" first="Meredith" last="Mayes"] | 6-3 F | Bixby | 2023 | <a href="https://x.com/MeredithM2023">@MeredithM2023</a> Though she came off the bench, it didn’t take long for Mayes to - in the words of Nuke LaLoosh in Bull Durham - "announce her presence with authority." Meredith is strong, tall, long, and just an absolutely dominant force on the boards. She is a powerful rebounder who not only secures the ball, but does it with authority; making sure everyone around knows that it is hers. Challenge [player_tooltip player_id="197963" first="Meredith" last="Mayes"] at your own peril. The future Abilene Christian Wildcat isn’t just a "rebound and kick it out" kind of center, either. She is a scorer and she does it in myriad ways. Against Seiling, Mayes had 14 points and 13 boards. She was also credited with two blocks, though I think there were more. If it wasn’t a block, there were definitely some major redirections of shots. After the game, Bixby head coach Tina Thomas had nothing but praise for her post player who is averaging a double-double this season. "She came in there with a mission," said Thomas, "I told her when she came in there to make a statement." Mayes did just that. Bixby’s entire team did, to be honest. Other Standouts <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DSC_0091-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1640634946.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-369319 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DSC_0091-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1640634946-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="249280" first="Braci" last="Nyberg"] | 5-7 G | Seiling | 2024 | <a href="https://x.com/BraciNyberg">@BraciNyberg</a> Nyberg is our No. 35-ranked player in the class of 2024 and though that is pretty high, she may be ranked too low. She was all over the place against a very talented Bixby squad and held the opposing guard - a Division-I player in my opinion - to 11 points. Braci plays tremendous on-ball defense and gives no breathing room to the opponent. On the offensive end, she is quick, fluid and smooth, and has great handles. She scored from all three levels against the Spartans, shooting 3-7 from deep and 6-14 from the field with a variety of midrange shots and lay-ups at the rim. She also converted 3-4 free throws. Just a tremendous all-around talent, Braci is a young player who already looks like she will develop into a D-I guard with the ability to guard just about anyone and score in droves. She has the size, speed, and toughness to play at any level she chooses in college. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DSC_0141-scaled-crop-2112x1387-1640635077.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-369323 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/DSC_0141-scaled-crop-2112x1387-1640635077-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="197943" first="Alyssa" last="Nielsen"] | 6-0 C | Bixby | 2023 | <a href="https://x.com/AlyssaN2023">@AlyssaN2023</a> Bixby actually had two double-doubles on Monday morning, both of them from post players. Nielsen had 12 points and 12 rebounds and was tied for the game lead in minutes played. She is a high-motor player who goes hard all game long. She has an incredible turn-around mid-range shot that is all but unstoppable and rarely seen in the girls’ game. Alyssa is really just a joy to watch. She is dedicated on the defensive end. Encouraging to her teammates. Talkative and jovial. Just plain fun to watch. Nielsen has offers from all over the spectrum of college basketball and genuinely could play at any level she wants. She is at the point that a lot of high school players hope to get to which is just finding the right fit now. That being said, coaches, you’re going to want to take a look at this amazing player in person and hurry up with that offer before it’s too late. There aren’t many uncommitted players of this quality out there still.