DII Championship Saturday Recap

The DII Tennessee State Championship wrapped up this week. Four teams battled it out (two in DII-A, two in DII-II) to take home the ship this past weekend. Here is a recap of championship Saturday. DII-A Division District foes separated by 28 miles, squared off for a fourth time this year. Both Webb-Bell Buckle and MTCS teams knew each other real well, which brought a little bad blood into the water. Starting at the tip-off, the first quarter was a little back and forth action. Girls got to the hole, knocked down open 3s, and created turnovers on the defensive end. At the half Webb led by 1 point, 20-19. Then, the Feet buckled down and made it a foot race with a huge 3rd quarter run where they owned the paint, got second chance shots, created turnovers, and capitalized on fast break opportunities. In the end, it was the ladies from Bell-Buckle taking home the gold ball for the second straight year with a 68-48 victory over MTCS.   Standouts from the game: Webb- Bell-Buckle [player_tooltip player_id="399641" first="Bree" last="Robinson"](5’8/Jr./W)- 19pts, 5 Rebounds. Shot 6-12 from the field. 5-8 from the 3pt line. Bree showed her true versatility on both sides of the ball. Hard nosed kid who is a grinder and can flat out put the ball in the hole. [player_tooltip player_id="134646" first="Angelica" last="Velez"] (5’7/ Jr./ PG)- Finished the game with 13pts, 4 rebounds, and 5 steals. Phenomenal floor general who showed everyone why power 5 schools such as South Carolina are after her. Gritty player who plays the game with speed and swagger. Lauren Rust (6’2/Jr./ C)- Played a big role off the bench. Unleashed back to the basket moves where she wouldn’t be denied. Grabbing boards and finishing at the rim, she was a big time contributor for the Lady Feet. Lauren finished with 12pts and 4 rebounds. Tatianna Stovall (5’10/Fr./W)- The freshman wasn’t scared of the limelight. Taking home the MVP, this young lady flourished against the Lady Cougars. Her confidence kept building over the course of the year and this was one of her breakthrough moments. Tatianna led the Webb feet with 14 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 blocks. MTCS [player_tooltip player_id="245292" first="Jailyn" last="Banks"] (5’8/Jr./ G)- The district MVP player did all she could against a lethal Webb attack. Though her team came up short, she was phenomenal in the championship game. Scored 16 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in the championship final. [player_tooltip player_id="245315" first="Autumn" last="Davis"] (5’4/ Jr./ PG)- This heady player handled the ball with poise in the championship final. She had 12 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals. She played the game with a lot of heart as she battled every possession when she was on the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="281323" first="Sarah" last="Wisniowski"] (6’1/Sr./C/)- This senior battled hard throughout the course of the game. Playing her final game in her high school career, she laid it all on the line for her club. From getting put backs to knocking down key shots, she finished with 10 points and 3 boards. DII-AA Division The Lady Tigers of Ensworth jumped out to a fast start against Lipscomb Academy and never looked back. Lipscomb was up against the wall all game. The Lady Tigers were hungry to lift that gold ball trophy again, their third in the last 4 years. After their loss last year against Hutchison, these Lady Tigers were on a mission to make sure they were taking home the crown this year. They dominated the painted area, got huge defensive stops, and capitalized off turnovers. They played hard for a full 32 minutes and never let up. Ensworth took home the championship winning 70-46 of Lipscomb Academy. Standouts from the game: Lipscomb Academy [player_tooltip player_id="392534" first="Mallye" last="Merritt"] (5’8/ Sr./ W)- Left it all out on the court in her final HS game, finished with 12 points and 2 rebounds. Mallye is a 3 level scorer who did what she could to will her team to victory. Her outstanding play came to light as she led all Lipscomb girls in multiple categories. Ensworth Deayonna Cambridge (5’8/Sr./CG)- Played in her final high school game with her sister, she was phenomenal in this game. Scoring 21 points, 11 rebounds, tallying 5 assists, 5 blocks, and 4 steals, she left her mark on this game. She is a dynamic player who plays the game with a lot of heart and passion. Versatile and selfless, she had an outstanding HS career that will be one to remember. [player_tooltip player_id="245351" first="Jaloni" last="Cambridge"] (5’5/So./ PG)- The no. 2 player in the country in her class, this young lady is dynamic. So smooth with the ball in her hands, she finished with the game with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists. Named tournament MVP, this young lady has such a high ceiling, skies are the limit. This very talented young player will be a key factor moving forward for the Lady Tigers. Look for her to accomplish so much more on big stages such as Team USA and the EYBL circuit this upcoming summer. [player_tooltip player_id="245234" first="Kamil" last="Collier"] (6’0/Sr./C)- The Lipscomb commit went out with a bang in her final high school game. Posting 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks, Kamil did her part to contribute to her team’s victory. She was an intricate piece of the puzzle on Saturday and dominated the painted areas. Her ability to be the anchor in the middle forced Lipscomb into some tough spots. Great post player who will go on to make an impact on the collegiate level.