The Wild, Wild West

Speed and Pope share MVP honors

The Bradley Center – Milwaukee, WI

Need I say more...

Speeding can be very hazardous to your health when behind the wheel of an automobile and as a lot of the East All-Americans found out Wednesday night so can it be when your trying to guard West All-American and Rutgers bound point guard Nikki Speed (Marlborough School, CA).

Speed was blowing by defenders so fast the referees finally just stopped giving her speeding tickets. “Washington, you saw it on the ESPN Highlights!” When she finally decided to shift down she started serving up assists to her future Rutgers teammate Brooklyn Pope (Paul Laurence Dunbar H.S., TX) as the West All-Americans toppled the East All-Americans 57-38.

The East made it very hard for UCONN bound ElenaDelle Donne to get her hands on the ball.

While the majority of the East squad was on the bench getting their “Soulja Boy” on the West squad was mentally getting ready to show everybody that the “Wild, Wild West” was for really and you saw that right off the jump.

The inside play of Ashley Gayle (Bishop Gorman H.S., NV - Univ. of Texas), Nnemkadi Ogwumike (Cy-Fair H.S., TX - Stanford), Alyssia Brewer (Sapulpa H.S., Ok - Tennessee) and LaSondra Barrett (Williams B. Murrah H.S., MS - LSU) was the key for the West throughout the first half and with Speed running the break and Pope and She’la White (Northfolk Collegiate School, VA - North Carolina) off and racing on the wings the West jumped out to a 21-9 lead.

UCONN signee and this year’s “National Girls High School Player of the Year” Elena Delle Donne (Ursuline Academy, DE) got off to a very slow start going 3 for 10 from the field. A large part of that had to do with the tenacious defense that the West was hitting her with every time she touched the ball. When she wasn’t being harassed she show her stuff. Her basket cut the West lead to 35-28 with 2:57 left in the half. 

Alyssia Brewerof the West tries to drive pass Lynetta Kizer of the East.

Univ. of Miami signee Shenuse Johnson (Rush-Henrietta H.S., NY) didn’t score a lot but her hustle and defense but her on the radar for the East.

The West played so much more like a team and a lot of that credit has to go the their Head Coach Tom Klawitter (Parker H.S. in Janesville, WI) and his assistants Heidi Bunek-Hamilton (Arrowhead H.S., Hartland, WI) and Jane Dooley (Parker H.S. in Janesville, WI).

Every player that hit the floor for the West came in and played to their strength. Pope scored the last two baskets of the half for the West to give them a 43-33 lead.

Speed picked up where she left off in the first half by drilling a three-pointer as the West lead grew to thirteen, 50-37.

Jasmine Dixon (Long Beach Poly H.S., CA) is another player who is leaving the beaches and sunshine of California to play for Coach Stringer at Rutgers and like the other aforementioned Rutgers signees she stepped her game for the West, as did Tiffany Hayes (Winter Haven H.S., FL - UCONN)

Alicia Manning (Etowah H.S., GA) is another 4SHOT Hoops All-Star selection that has made it to the McDonald's All-American Game.

The East made a late run behind Stricklen, Delle Donne and Alicia Manning (Etowah H.S., GA – Tennessee) but it was a case of to little too late. Speed and Pope put an end the game scoring late baskets as the West All-Americans went on to a decisive win.

The Final Score: West All-Americans 80 – East All-Americans 64

Brooklyn Pope and Nikki Speed share the MVP Trophy while their West teammates celebrate infront of the cameras.

Scoring Recap
 

	East All-Americans
No.	Name	P	OR	DR	TR	Ast	Blk	Stl	Pts
3	She'la White	G	1	0	1	0	0	1	0
10	Amber Gray	F	1	4	5	1	1	0	6
11	* Elana Delle Donne	F	4	7	11	0	2	0	10
21	* Samantha Prahalis	G	0	1	1	0	0	1	6
23	* Alicia Manning	G	3	3	6	0	0	1	5
24	April Sykes	G	1	1	2	1	0	2	4
25	* Glory Johnson	F	1	2	3	1	0	1	2
34	Chelsey Lee	C	1	5	6	0	0	1	5
40	Shekinna Stricklen	G	2	2	4	1	0	3	17
42	Shenise Johnson	F	3	1	4	1	0	3	2
50	* Chay Shegog	C	4	3	7	0	0	2	6
55	Lynetta Kizer	C	2	2	4	0	3	1	1
	Team Totals		23	31	54	5	6	16	64
	West All-Americans
No.	Name	P	OR	DR	TR	Ast	Blk	Stl	Pts
1	Jasmine Dixon	G	1	4	5	3	0	2	8
3	* Tiffany Hayes	G	0	3	3	2	0	2	9
11	* Nikki Speed	G	0	4	4	4	0	2	9
15	Briana Gilbreath	G	1	1	2	2	1	0	8
22	* Ashley Gayle	C	0	2	2	1	6	0	4
23	Brooklyn Pope	F	2	2	4	0	0	0	13
24	Ashley Corral	G	0	2	2	1	0	0	3
25	* Destini Hughes	G	3	1	4	1	0	1	5
30	* Nnemkadi Ogwumike	F	1	5	6	1	0	0	9
32	Alyssia Brewer	F	0	3	3	0	0	2	2
33	Ayana Dunning	C	1	4	5	0	1	2	6
55	LaSondra Barrett	F	2	5	7	3	0	0	4
	Team Totals		11	36	47	18	8	11	80
	* Starters