As always the long day in the gym was well worth it. Every game was competitive, intense, and unpredictable. ALL the teams and players gave their all and deserve a huge “Job well done”. However, there are those that fought just a little harder, played with a chip on their shoulder and let it be known that they are some of the best at what they do.

**Special congratulations to three 2017 stand-outs that joined the 1,000 career points club on yesterday!**

Kayla Brown - Dearborn Heights Robichaud (University of Detroit-Mercy)
Ellie Taylor - Midland Dow (St. Louis University)
Deja Church - Southfield A&T (University of Michigan)

Top Teams

Detroit Country Day (Class B)
The Yellowjackets were the only team that didn’t need at least one quarter to get their engine running. From the opening tip they went to work. Their defense was top notch and they executed in transition. No they weren’t perfect, but it was clear they were there to handle business. Country Day had 49 points in the first half alone and 9 of 13 players scored.

Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (Class B)
Arbor Prep without a doubt wins the defense award for the evening. The Gators had a game plan and they came out and made it happen. They talked on defense, they switched and shifted and they played the lanes perfectly. Arbor Prep was able to shut down Mona Shores’ top two players and walk away with a huge win.

Dearborn Heights Robichaud (Class B)
After working out some first game butterflies and refocusing, the Bulldogs pulled it together and showed that they are not just a bunch of hype. They continued to feed the hot hand on their team and also switched their defense up a few times, taking Ann Arbor Huron totally out of their element. With three players in double figures and climbing out of a 9 point deficit, Robichaud showed that they are able to finish strong and pull out a win.

Top Players

Kalle Martinez (2017) – Bay City John Glenn (Central Michigan University)
Kalle Martinez put on a show and did so without changing her facial expression or composure. Her arsenal of moves and ball handling was the best throughout the entire day. No one and I do mean no one was able to stay in front of her and the 30 points she put on the board proved that.

Kamaria McDaniel (2017) – Dearborn Heights Robichaud (Penn State University)
When the ball was in her hands, the defense wasn’t sure what to do. McDaniel not only got to the basket rather easily, but she also shot very well from three point range, finishing with a total of 5. She showed her athleticism by guarding multiple positions and adding a few blocks to her stats in addition to her 36 points.

Destiny Pitts (2017) – Detroit Country Day (University of Minnesota)
After a quiet first half, Pitts came out of the locker room after halftime and showed why she has been in the top 5 of her class since day 1. She seemed to be in all the right places at all the right times. She knew when to score and when to get her teammates involved. Before any of us knew it, Pitts had given her team 22 points and 6 assists.

Ellie Taylor (2017) – Midland Dow (St. Louis University)
One thing that is for sure about Ellie Taylor…she can shoot! Her sharp shooting and calm demeanor helped get her team through a sticky situation against a very tough Southfield A&T team. She started the game with a big time three and end the game with one as well. She scored a total of 21 points.

Kayla Brown (2017) – Dearborn Heights Robichaud (University of Detroit - Mercy)
When Brown realized that her teammate had the hot hand, she did what a great point guard does. She got her teammate the ball and executed herself when she couldn’t. She also filled in other areas, doing what she could so that her team could walk away with the win. After some ankle shaking moves and a few base line pull-ups, Kayla finished the game with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists.

Shamin Wambere (2018) – Ann Arbor Huron
Wambere made her presence felt early in the game. She dominated in the post, got several offensive rebounds and gave her team second chance opportunities. She made the Bulldogs pay for not boxing her out with easy layups. Shamin finishes the game with a double-double, 14 points and by my count 12 rebounds.

Janae Terry (2019) – Wayne Memorial
The quiet storm of the tournament, Terry really didn’t show her skills until the second half but boy did she show them. The sophomore guard woke up and put in numbers. She was versatile on offense, doing everything from getting to the rim, knocking down the pull-up and shooting from long range. She also went 9-13 from the free throw line. Janae gave 24 in the second half and finished with a total of 27 points.

Deja Church (2017) – Southfield A&T (University of Michigan)
With her entire team out of sync and only producing 3 points in the second quarter, Deja stepped up as a captain should and got her team fired up. She encouraged them to play hard and not to give up. Together they fought back from a 15 point deficit and gave themselves a chance to win. Church kicked in 16 points and 9 rebounds for the Warriors.

Camree Clegg (2018) – Wayne Memorial (Clemson University Commit)
Despite fouling out early in the fourth quarter, Clegg did all she could to give her team a fighting chance. She defended well, got to the hoop and made DCDS pay if they left her open at the three point line…and a little deeper than the three point line. When she made her exit, the 5’4” guard had put 26 points on the board.