USA Women's Youth Festival - 2005
USA-Blue rolls to Gold Medal win
By Larry Williams/4SHOT Sports
Jun 20, 2005, 07:16 EST

2005 USA Women’s Youth Festival

Team USA-Blue captures Gold!
Simon comes up big!

U.S.A. Olympic Training Center – Colorado Springs, CO

Dymond "Shake & Bake" Simon from St. Mary's H.S. in Avondale, AZ stepped up big in the Gold Medal game.

At 5-5”, 125lbs Dymond Simon was the shortest player at the 2005 Women’s Youth Festival games but that didn’t stop the high scoring point-guard from St. Mary’s H.S. in Avondale, AZ from making the biggest splash at the games as she led Team USA-Blue to the Gold Medal scoring 18 points and dishing out 4 assist. Heading into her senior season next year Simon has already scored over 1,900 points in her career

Team USA-Blue coached by Ron Conner (Fairfield Union H.S., OH) and led by the likes of Dymond “Shake & Bake” Simon (5-5/125 - St. Mary’s H.S., Avondale, AZ), Christy Marshall (6-0/165 - Beach H.S., Savannah, GA), Latara Darrett (5-10/148 - IMG Academy, FL – Chino, CA) and Amanda Thompson (6-0/170 - Whitney Young H.S., Chicago, IL) rolled through the Preliminary Rounds of the 2005 USA Women’s Youth Festival Games with a 3-0 mark.

Their opponent in the Gold Medal Championship Game would be Team USA-White coached by Kathy Richey-Walton (Southwest Dekalb H.S, Decatur, GA). The team was loaded with the likes of UCONN bound Jacki Gemelos (5-11/160 - St. Mary’s H.S., Stockton, CA), Tennessee bound Cait McMahan (5-6/130 - Heritage H.S., Maryville, TN), Nikitta Gartrell (5-10/145 - Benjamin E. Mays H.S., Atlanta, GA) and Monica Wright (5-11/156 - Forest Park H.S., Woodbridge, VA).

Tennessee bound Cait McMahan from Heritage H.S in Maryville, TN.

Early on in this Gold Metal game Team USA-White used the inside presence of Jayne Appel (6-4/185, Carondelet H.S. - Pleasant Hill, CA) and the scoring of Allison Hightower (5-11/138 - Juan Seguin H.S., Arlington, TX) to jump out to a quick lead. However it didn’t take long for Team USA-Blue to adjust; with Dymond Simon (5-5/125 - St. Mary’s H.S., Avondale, AZ) running the point and Amanda Thompson (6-0/170 - Whitney Young H.S., Chicago, IL) pounding the glass they tied the score at 10-10 with 6:10 left in the 1st quarter.

The much-anticipated second match-up between point-guards Dymond Simon and Cait McMahan was exciting to watch as each took turns schooling one another in the art of “Let’s see what you’ve got”. These two are going to special point-guards when they get to college after their senior seasons next year. 

As the quarter started winding down the rebounding of Kaili McLaren (6-2/235 - Good Counsel H.S., Washing D.C.), La’Teena Wickett (6-3/180 - Castlemont H.S., Oakland, CA) and Abi Olajuwon (6-3/200 - Marlborough H.S., Sherman Oaks, CA) from Team USA-Blue started taking it’s toll on Team USA-White.

6-3 Jasmine Stone from M.L. King Jr. H.S. in Detroit, MI was a beast on the boards grabbing 14 rebounds.

Jasmine Stone (6-3/175 - M.L. King Jr. H.S., Detroit, MI) came off of the bench for Team USA-White to give them some much need help inside as she battled the stronger Blue team underneath. Her rebound put-back tied the score at 14-14 with less than 2:00 minutes to play in the quarter. McMahan made a sweet move to the hole to score than hit 2 free-throws to give Team USA-White a 21-16 lead. A jumper at the buzzer by JJ Hones (5-10/153 - Southbridge H.S., Portland OR) of Team USA-Blue cut the lead 21-18 at the end of the 1st quarter.

Simon and McMahan continued to showcase their skills as the 2nd quarter got underway, first Simon drilled a three-pointer from Pike’s Peak to tie the game at 21-21; then a few moments later McMahan hit 2 free-throws after being fouled going to the basket to put Team USA-White back on top 23-21.

Beach High School's Christy Marshall from Savannah, GA proudly displays her Gold Medal.

With 6:19 left in the half Christy Marshall (6-0/165 - Beach H.S., Savannah, GA) showed off that sweet stroke of hers nailing a long jumper from the corner to put Team USA-Blue in front 27-25. After a White timeout Latara Darrett (5-10/148 - IMG Academy, FL – Chino, CA) busted a three-pointer to give Team USA-Blue their largest lead of the game 32-25.

A big-time hustle play by Jordan Murphree (5-11/145 - Brock H.S., Weatherford, TX) and 2 free-throws by Wickett pushed the lead up to 34-25 as Team USA-Blue started to seizing control of the game. A steal by Simon resulted in a basket with less than :40 seconds left in the half made the score 42-32. Marshall hit 1 of 2 freebies to end the half with Team USA-Blue up 43-34.

Whitney Young’s Amanda Thompson showed she could take her game outside as she knocked down a pair of jumpers in the 3rd quarter to give Team USA-Blue an eleven-point lead 47-36 with 7:33 left in the quarter. For some reason Team USA-White appeared to be out of sync and it didn’t help that there top scorers, Gemelos, Wright and Gartrell weren’t knocking down their open shots.

Amanda Thompson from Whitney Young H.S. in Chicago, IL goes up strong against Allison Hightower out of Juan Seguin H.S. in Arlington, TX.

Darrett continued to knock down her open shots sticking a baseline jumper making the score 57-44 in favor of Team USA-Blue with 2:29 on the clock. Stone was the only player on Team USA White that had any energy in the 3rd quarter as she scored again on a strong rebound and put-back. Thompson finished off a monster 3rd quarter with a big-time follow-up giving Team USA-Blue a 63-46 lead as her teammates jumped out of their seats.

Gemelos finally found her stroke in the 4th quarter scoring four consecutive baskets that included two long three-pointers as Team USA-White mounted a small rally cutting the lead to 75-66 with 5:18 to play forcing Team USA Blue to call a timeout. After the timeout Darrett drained a big three-pointer to push the lead back to double-figures 78-66.

Team USA-White was unable to mount another serious run. With less than :50 seconds to play Simon drilled a three-pointer to seal the deal as Team USA-Blue went on to a 88-76 win to capture the Gold Metal. 

Gold Medal Winners

Silver Medal Winners

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