PGH Triumph Region Finals: 15U Second Team

With the last two months of grassroots basketball – including this year's Prep Girls Hoops Circuit – in the history books, the attention of many hoops fans turns to June which is typically high school camp month.    Before we look forward, there is nothing wrong with looking back at the weekend it was.    This year's Triumph Region Finals took place on the campus of Columbus State University. The Victory, Legacy and Dynasty Regions also had their respective Finals take place as well. The only Circuit event remaining is the Battle in the Sunflower set to occur in early July in Kansas.    We unveiled our selections for the 15U First Team in an earlier piece and now shift our focus to its Second Team.     For a two-day tournament, the first day typically can be a tone-setter for the second. Now Elite 15U eventually prevailed as 15U champions, but its trek to become the last team standing among the 2028 field began the previous day. Williams would score 12 points in a 55-48 victory over All Alabama 15U. Included in that 12-point performance were eight that she placed on the scoreboard in the first half. Williams displayed her ability to score from all three levels and also stayed mostly clear of the referee's whistle in that matchup as she was only called for one personal foul. Defense and transition play are other positive attributes she possesses.     We remember Stanley's name – and her play – from Peach Games last month that earned her First Team recognition. Stanley brought more of that to Columbus this past weekend. When watching Stanley play, one could see that a talent such as herself would lead her Gryphons of Academy for Classical Education to its first-ever playoff victory. Stanley brings plenty of toughness, plenty of playmaking ability and superb defense – including on the perimeter. She led her [program_tooltip program_id='713618' first='Macon' last='Mystics'] 2028 team scoring-wise in its 15U championship contest with 15 points against Now Elite 15U. Big time players step up in big moments – she had seven of her team's 13 second-half points in that contest.     This past weekend's Triumph Region Finals were a home game for Kendrick given she plays for nearby St. Anne-Pacelli. Her [program_tooltip program_id='713456' first='Porter' last='Sports'] 15U team was one of the last four teams standing in bracket play. She stands at 5-foot-9 and primarily operates at the three. A 3-point shot is part of her overall offensive arsenal – as she displayed when she connected from long range in that 15U semifinal contest with [program_tooltip program_id='713618' first='Macon' last='Mystics'] 2028 on Sunday. Kendrick also added eight to her team's total in a previous contest with All Alabama 15U. When one has the rebounding ability of a four or a five with the long-range accuracy of a two, it makes Kendrick very difficult to game plan against.     With Hale, a team will be on the correct trail. All four of OMG Academy 15U's games at the Triumph Region Finals were morning matchups. That included a Saturday game with All Alabama 15U where Hale's assembling prevailed by the lopsided margin of 52-13. A balanced OMG Academy 15U scoring effort was spearheaded by Hale who scored 11 points. Versatility is one of the strong points of Hale's game as she can give a team worthwhile minutes in the backcourt at the one or the two or in the frontcourt as a three. The representative from 6A Clay-Chalkville stands at 5-foot-7. Accuracy from long distance and defense are other positives to her game. We remember Hale's name from the Roll Tide Rumble in early April.     Sims is another name we remember from Carolina All-Stars 15U E40's appearance at Peach Games. A 5-foot-9 combo guard who has spent a good bit of her career at the much-revered NC GBB program in North Carolina's Research Triangle, Sims was instrumental in getting her team into Sunday's bracket stage. One of Sims' more noteworthy games occurred in Saturday's pool play when Carolina All-Stars 15U E40 matched up against [program_tooltip program_id='713618' first='Macon' last='Mystics'] 2028. She would score 11 points in a matchup where her team was close to winning. Sims brought a boost to her team's efforts with a pair of 3-pointers.

With the last two months of grassroots basketball – including this year's Prep Girls Hoops Circuit – in the history books, the attention of many hoops fans turns to June which is typically high school camp month.