State Champions Invitational: Dr. Phillips vs Centennial Preview
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The 2nd Annual State Champions Invitational gets underway today and will continue through April 8 at McDonough Arena in Washington, DC. Six teams from across the nation who won their state championships last month will be in action. ESPN Networks…
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Continue ReadingThe 2nd Annual State Champions Invitational gets underway today and will continue through April 8 at McDonough Arena in Washington, DC. Six teams from across the nation who won their state championships last month will be in action. ESPN Networks will be on the grounds to bring the viewers coverage of all the games.
The Dr. Phillips Lady Panthers who defeated Winter Haven to capture their second consecutive state title last month, will be making their first appearance at the State Champions Invitational led by 14th year head coach Anthony Jones. The Lady Panthers will be coming into today’s game on a 23-game winning streak that dates back to December 8 where they lost to Georgetown Prep 62-59 for their only loss of the season.
A player to watch for the Lady Panthers will be standout junior guard Trinity Turner Trinity Turner 5'7" | CG Dr. Phillips | 2024 State FL who won the Florida High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year where she averaged 20.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 4.6 steals per game leading the team in all categories. Another name to keep an eye on will be sophomore combo guard Anilys Rolon Anilys Rolon 5'9" | SG Dr Phillips | 2025 State FL who is averaging 10.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game for the Lady Panthers this season.
The Centennial (Nevada) Lady Bulldogs (24-1) will also be making their second consecutive appearance at the State Champions Invitational and are led by National High School Hall of Fame head coach Karen Weitz who has mastered over 700 wins and 14 state championships in her coaching career. The Lady Bulldogs lost to eventual national champion Sidwell Friends (DC) 63-30 in the semifinals last year in the event. The Lady Bulldogs have won 24 consecutive games dating back to December 9 where they lost in their season opener to Lone Peak (Utah) 66-46. Centennial has a stifling defense where they are allowing just 35 points per game on the season, including holding Coronado to just 20 points in the Class 5A Championship Game back in February.
Keep an eye on 5’9 junior guard Kaniya Boyd who won the Nevada High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year award after averaging 12.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.4 steals per game for the Lady Bulldogs. Another name to keep an eye on will be 5’11 junior forward Cici Ajomale who is a double-double machine for the Lady Bulldogs.
You can watch the game LIVE on ESPN Plus beginning on Thursday, April 6 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time/11:00 a.m. Pacific Time