With everything to lose, national No. 1
Sidwell Friends (Washington, D.C.), did what its done all season — it won. But Saturday's 50-39 victory over
Lake Highland Prep (Orlando) in the championship of the inaugural State Champions Invitational in Tampa was a little different than its previous 29 wins.
The Quakers (30-0) overcame a rare slow start from UCLA-bound
Kiki Rice and a cold shooting game overall (20 of 55, 36 percent) but had plenty of skill and depth to win the first event featuring four of the top high school girls basketball teams in the country. It also clinched the MaxPreps National Championship, which will be made official with the release of the final MaxPreps Top 25 on Tuesday.
Rice, coming off a MVP performance in the McDonald's All America Game and a near triple-double in a lopsided semifinal win over Centennial (Las Vegas), was held scoreless until 5:25 left in the third quarter when the game was in the balance.
But the 5-foot-11 point guard scored three more buckets by the end of the quarter to help the Quakers gain control of a close game. She finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and just one assist, but it was a doozy, an alley-oop fastbreak pass to
Jadyn Donovan on the team's final basket of the season.
Sidwell Friends celebrates a national championship-clinching victory.
Photo by Sheila Haddad
"It was an amazing way to cap off such an incredible season," Rice told an ESPNU audience after the game.
They needed huge games from Kendall Dudley (18 points, eight rebounds) and Donovan (15 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks and four steals) to beat the Florida 4A champions, who played with just six players. The Highlanders (26-5) got a huge game from Louisville signee Nyla Harris (12 points, 22 rebounds) and 11 points by Eleecia Carter.
While the Quakers struggled offensively, they limited Lake Highland to just 31 percent shooting (16 of 51), forced 15 turnovers, blocked 11 shots and had 10 steals.
The DCSAA Class AA champion beat 29 of its 30 opponents by double digits, though Lake Highland Prep, ranked No. 15 nationally in the MaxPreps Top 25, was within single digits most of the way.
"We started the season with obviously high aspirations," Rice said. "But I don't think any of us thought we could have achieved this — going undefeated, winning the state championship and now this, a national championship."
Sidwell Friends was coming off a 63-30 win over Centennial Friday when Rice had 17 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Meanwhile Lake Highland Prep had five of its six players score in double figures, including 20 from Carter, in a 81-57 semifinal win over Woodward Academy (College Park, Ga.).
The State Champions Invitational is the brainchild of Paragon Market Group and pits champions from National
Federation of State High School Associations-sanctioned states. The hope
is to expand the tournament to eventually create a true national
championship
States that currently allow teams to participate in
the SCI include Arizona (AIA), Florida (FHSAA), Georgia (GHSA), Hawaii
(HHSAA), Nevada (NIAA), Utah (UHSAA), Washington (WIAA) and Washington
D.C. (DCSAA).
Kiki Rice had a cold shooting game (4 of 12), but she did more than enough to earn MVP honors of the State Champions Invitational.
Photo by Sheila Haddad
Jaydyn Donovan, a 6-foot junior, was everywhere with 15 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks and four steals.
Photo by Sheila Haddad
With 30 straight wins and a national title clinched, Sidwell Friends had more reasons to celebrate and pose for pictures.
Photo by Sheila Haddad
