USA Women's Youth Festival - 2005
2005 USA Women’s Youth Festival
USA-Blue stakes during prelims
U.S.A. Olympic Training Center - Colorado Springs, CO
3rd Round Game
Team USA-Blue (76) vs. Team USA-White (64)
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| Christy Marshall from Beach H.S. in Savannah, GA heads to the corner getting ready to put up that sweet jump-shot. |
On paper these two teams look like the most talented of the four at the Festival, well we all know the game isn’t played on paper and both teams knew that as they really went after one another. The game also matched up two of the top point-guards in the country in Dymond Simon (5-5/125 - St. Mary’s H.S., Avondale, AZ) of Team USA-Blue and Tennessee bound Cait McMahan (5-6/130 - Heritage H.S., Maryville, TN) of Team USA-White. Both players got to the basket early and often for their respective teams.
Jasmine Stone (6-3/175 - M.L. King Jr. H.S., Detroit, MI) was a beast on the glass for Team USA-White while teammates Monica Wright (5-11/156 - Forest Park H.S., Woodbridge, VA) and Lesslee Mason-Cox (6-2/180 – Winton Woods H.S., Cincinnati, OH) were all over the floor defensively as they took 38-34 halftime lead. At the end of the 3rd quarter the tables started to turn as Team USA-White started to wear down under t he relentless board play of Kaili McLaren (6-2/235 - Good Counsel H.S., Washing D.C.), Latara Darrett (5-10/148 - IMG Academy, FL - Chino, CA) and Amanda Thompson (6-0/170 - Whitney Young H.S., Chicago, IL).
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| For the third game in a row Jacki Gemelos (St. Mary's H.S., Stockton, CA) paced Team USA-White scoring 16 points. |
With the White team appearing winded Simon really started putting pressure on them as she pushed the ball up the court. The high scoring point finished with a game high 22 points (11-11 from the free-throw line) as Team USA-Blue remained undefeated with a come from behind 76-64 win. Simon was aided by three other teammates that finished in double-figures. Darrett finished with a “Duce” (11 points and 12 rebounds) and Bridgette Mitchell (6-0/165 - The Peddie School, Trenton, N.J.) added 11 points. La’Teena Wickett (6-3/180 - Castlemont H.S., Oakland, CA) chipped in with 10 points and McLaren hauled down 12 boards.
For the third game in a row Jacki Gemelos (5-11/160 - St. Mary’s H.S., Stockton, CA) paced Team USA-White scoring 16 points (6-6 from the free-throw line). Wright tallied 11 points and Stone finished with a monstrous 16-rebound effort.
3rd Round Game
Team Canada (68) vs. Team USA-Red (84)
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| Kate Hole (6-2, Ross Shepard Composite H.S., St. Albert, Alberta-Canada) score 12 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in an impressive performance for Team Canada. |
For a quarter it looked like Team Canada was going to get into the win column; lead by the inside play of Kate Hole (6-2, Ross Shepard Composite H.S., St. Albert, Alberta-Canada) and Robyn Fairbanks (6-0 - Raymond H.S., Raymond, Albert-Canada) they jumped out to a 20-15 lead at the end of the 1st quarter.
Not wanting to be the first victim of Team Canada; Team USA-Red got after it defensively in the 2nd quarter holding Team Canada scoreless the first 4 to 5 minutes. On offense they got a big boost from Brittaney Raven (6-0/153 - North Crowley H.S., Forth Worth, TX) as they surged into the lead; at the half Team USA-Red held a slim 37-34 lead.
Raven continued to do her thing as the second half got under way; a 10-0 run pushed the lead up to 47-35. Team Canada hung tough, Devan Lisson (5-11 - Fredericton H.S., Fredericton, New Brunswick-Canada) hit a big three-pointer to help cut the lead to 61-53 at the end of the 3rd quarter.
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| Amber White from Coatsville H.S. in Coatsville, PA did a nice job of directing USA-Red's fastbreak. |
Tina Charles (6-3/182 - Christ the King H.S., Jamaica, N.Y.) continued her assault on the record books with another fine performance; grabbing some big-time rebounds down the stretch as Team USA-Red went on to win 84-68. Charles recorded her third “Duce” in row scoring 16-points and grabbing a game high 15-rebounds. Raven scored a game high 19-points.
Kate Hole (6-2, Ross Shepard Composite H.S., St. Albert, Alberta-Canada) continued her outstanding play for Team Canada, also recording a “Duce” with team highs in points with 12 and rebounds with 13.
2nd Round Game
Team USA-Blue (85) vs. Team USA-Red (68)
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| La’Teena Wickett from Castlemont H.S. in Oakland, CA scored 10 points in Team USA-Blue's win. |
Team USA-Blue moved to 2-0 getting another balanced scoring attack and some tough inside defense on Team USA-Red’s Tina Charles (6-3/182 - Christ the King H.S., Jamaica, N.Y.) to hold off a late charge in a 85-68 win. Although Charles finished with another “Duce” (15-points and 12 rebounds) she wasn’t as dominating as she was in previous game.
Amanda Thompson (6-0/170 - Whitney Young H.S., Chicago, IL) continued to be impressive with her tough play inside as she lead Team USA-Blue with her own "Duce” (13 points and 10 rebounds).
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| Joy Cheek from South Mecklenburg H.S. in Charlotte, N.C. had a nice game for Team USA-Red with 12pts and 7 boards. |
Three of her teammates scored in double-figures; Dymond Simon (5-5/125 - St. Mary’s H.S., Avondale, AZ) and Bridgette Mitchell (6-0/165 - The Peddie School, Trenton, N.J.) each finished with 11 points while La’Teena Wickett (6-3/180 - Castlemont H.S., Oakland, CA) chipped in with 10 points.
Joy Cheek (6-1/180 - South Mecklenburg H.S., Charlotte, N.C.) had a nice game for Team USA-Red with 12 points and 7 boards as did Morghan Medlock (6-0/168 - Narbonne H.S., Harbor City, CA) who almost finished with a “Duce” of her own with 10 points and 9 rebounds.
2nd Round Game
Team USA-White (97) vs. Team Canada (76)
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| Nikitta Gartrell from Benjamin E. Mays H.S. in Atlanta, GA found her stroke with 3 three-pointers. |
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| Robyn Fairbanks from Raymond H.S. in Raymond, Albert-Canada) finished with a "Duce" (15 pts and 10 rebs for Team Canada. |
Team USA-White rebounded quickly from their opening round loss earlier in the day as they came out and jumped right on Team Canada scoring 31 points in the 1st quarter of play and they didn’t let up from there almost scoring 100 points as they knocked off Team Canada 97-76.
Cait McMahan (5-6/130 - Heritage H.S., Maryville, TN) did a nice job of pushing the ball up and down the court getting the bal into the hands of Jacki Gemelos (5-11/160 - St. Mary’s H.S., Stockton, CA) who once again led the team in scoring with 22 points and Nikitta Gartrell (5-10/145 - Benjamin E. Mays H.S., Atlanta, GA) who found her stroke drilling 3 three-pointers for 16 points. Monica Wright (5-11/156 - Forest Park H.S., Woodbridge, VA) also got into the swing of things scoring 13 points. Allison Hightower (5-11/138 - Juan Seguin H.S., Arlington, TX) did a nice job on both ends of the court finishing with 11 points and 7 boards.
Team Canada was kind of sluggish in the first half but got stronger as the game went on. Robyn Fairbanks (6-0 - Raymond H.S., Raymond, Albert-Canada) finished with a “Duce” scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Kelsey Adrian (6-1 - Brookswood Secondary, Langley, British Columbia-Canada) led the team in scoring with 16 points while Devan Lisson (5-11 - Fredericton H.S., Fredericton, New Brunswick-Canada) added 12 points for the Canadians who dropped to 0-2.
1st Round Game
Team USA-White (79) vs. Team USA-Red (89)
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| Tina Charles scored a game high 28 points and Festival record 21 rebounds despite the double-teams. |
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| Lesslee Mason-Cox from Winton Woods H.S. in Cincinnati, OH has no fear when she mixing it up in the paint with taller opponents. |
Tina Charles (6-3/182 - Christ the King H.S., Jamaica, N.Y.) of Team USA-Red and future UConn teammate Jacki Gemelos (5-11/160 - St. Mary’s H.S., Stockton, CA) of Team USA-White put on a scoring dual as their teams battled in a opening round game of the 2005 USA Women’s Youth Festival Games. Charles had a monster game finishing with a “Duce” scoring 28 points and grabbing a Festival record 21-rebounds. Gemelos who is widely considered the top high schooler in the country had a great game also scoring 27 points while dishing out 5 assist and she recorded 4 steals.
In the end Team USA-Red had too many other weapons aiding Charles, like to DelaQuses Jernigan (5-11/143 - East Chicago Central H.S. - Chicago, IL) and Brittaney Raven (6-0/153 – North Crowley H.S., Forth Worth, TX) who scored 12 and 10 points respectively as Team USA-Red pulled away late to win 89-79.
1st Round Game
Team Canada (58) vs. Team USA-Blue (73)
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| Dymond Simon from St. Mary’s H.S. in Avondale, AZ sizes up her opponent. |
Team USA-Blue used a balanced scoring attack lead by Bridgette Mitchell (6-0/165 - The Peddie School, Trenton, N.J.) and Dymond Simon (5-5/125 - St. Mary’s H.S., Avondale, AZ) to help take a 43-36 half time lead over a scrappy Team Canada squad that was led Kate Hole (6-2, Ross Shepard Composite H.S., St. Albert, Alberta-Canada) and their tough point guard Megan Pinske (5-9 - Port Moody Secondary, Coquitlam, British Columbia-Canada).
Team USA-Blue’s smothering defensive effort limited the Canadians to just 8-points in the 3rd quarter helping them to open up a comfortable 55-44 lead heading into the final quarter where they outscored Team Canada 18-14 to come away with a hard fought 73-58 win.
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| Megan Pinske from Port Moody Secondary in Coquitlam, British Columbia-Canada is a tough pesky point guard. |
Mitchell and Simon scored 16 and 14 points respectively. La’Teena Wickett (6-3/180 - Castlemont H.S., Oakland, CA), Abi Olajuwon (6-3/200 - Marlborough H.S., Sherman Oaks, CA), Christy Marshall (6-0/165 - Beach H.S., Savannah, GA) and Amanda Thompson (6-0/170 - Whitney Young H.S., Chicago, IL) came up big on the glass hauling down 32 boards between them.
Team Canada got 14-points and 6 boards from Hole, while Pinske finished with 11 points and 6 rebounds. Julie McMurray (6-0, Cardston H.S., Cardston, Alberta-Canada) didn’t score many points but she did the job in the paint grabbing a team high 9 rebounds.
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