WASA Marquette Eagles Become First All-Female Team To Win NWBA Junior Prep Division Title
For the first time in National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) National Wheelchair Basketball Tournament history, an all-female team has won the Junior Prep Division title.
The upset-minded No. 6 seed WASA Marquette Eagles did it. They rode their dominant inside post presence of eighth-grader Sidney Whaley-Smith all game long. In fact, she was perfect.
Whaley-Smith finished with a game-high 20 points and didn’t miss a shot, going 10-of-10 from the field, to lead WASA to a 36-29 victory over the No. 4 seed New York Rolling Fury on Sunday afternoon at the Henrico Sports & Events Center in Glen Allen, Va.
“I think it shows if you’ve got the right kids willing to take on the right role, you can be absolutely successful. Like I said, they happen to be girls. And we were absolutely celebrating that. But they have just bought into their roles and to help each other so well, that it’s unbelievable,” says head coach Jordan Wilkens. “And, I mean, girls tend to listen a little bit better, and they work a little bit better. So, I think that’s definitely been a big key part of it. But they just love each other and they love their roles.”
WASA scored the first 10 points to open the game, with Whaley-Smith scoring six of them, and led 20-4 by halftime. The Fury struggled from the field in the first half, making just 2-of-22 (9.09%) of its field goal attempts, while WASA went 10-of-15 (66.7%) from the floor.
The Fury were trying to make some history of their own, looking for the program’s first Prep Division and NWBA title ever and first in coach Christopher Noel’s four-year coaching career. And despite its frigid first-half shooting, New York rallied and kept itself in the game late.
New York’s Moustafa Eldeeb went on a 7-2 run by himself to start the fourth quarter, scoring three points off a 3-point play, hitting another basket and making a steal and scoring on a layup to cut the deficit to 26-19 with 4 minutes and 35 seconds remaining.
But the Eagles shut the door. Anna Cosgrove made a basket off an assist from Whaley-Smith to make it 28-19 with 4:05 to go, and Whaley-Smith added three more baskets inside the final 4 minutes to preserve the win.
Whaley-Smith says she loved being around the team and the whole experience was awesome.
“I like winning,” Whaleysmith says. “That’s the best part.”
Cosgrove finished with eight points and four rebounds, while her sister, Ivy Cosgrove, had four points and 10 rebounds. Leah Schmidt added two points and two rebounds, and Lucy Rate had two points and two rebounds.
Emelia D’Antonio (10 points and three rebounds) and Eldeeb (10 points and two rebounds) scored in double-figures for New York, while Angel Urmeneta added nine points, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter that spurred the team, and four rebounds. Austin Bird (three rebounds) and Felipe Diaz (two rebounds) also contributed.
Three-Peat For Lakeshore In NWBA Junior Varsity Division
It was tense. It was nerve-racking. But the Lakeshore Lakers still made their three-peat happen.
Lakeshore’s veteran players stepped up when they needed to, and the No. 3 seed Lakers held the No. 4-seeded Brooks Bullsharks scoreless for the final 2 minutes and 25 seconds to hang on for a 60-52 NWBA Junior Varsity Division championship game win Sunday afternoon.
Lakeshore’s Jackson Horne scored a team-high 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds, Ja’karius Kemp added 12 points and two rebounds, while Jian Jackson (eight points and four rebounds) and Seth Tippins (eight points and 14 rebounds) provided big boosts down the stretch as they defeated the Bullsharks for the fourth time this season.
It marked the third-straight NWBA Junior Varsity Division title for Lakeshore and coach Savannah Gardner. And they’re the first team to do that in the Junior Varsity Division since the Courage Kenny Rolling Timberwolves did it from 2008-2010.
“It’s my last year, and we did it together as a team,” Jackson says. “To keep it together and not let others get into our heads and play well, as we have practiced at an incredible place to play at, and just staying positive mentally and physically.”
Once again, just like the semifinal, it came down to the closing minutes. And Tippins was emotional afterward.
“Honestly, it feels great. Like, I’m proud of my team and the hard work that they put in, the hard work that I put in, as well. I’m proud of them as a whole, and all the work that they put in on and off the court. And truly, I’m proud of them,” Tippins says. “Honestly, I’m very blessed to have them as my teammates. Growing up with them, it’s been a blessing. I’m grateful for that, honestly. It’s been a blessing to come this far, have a three-peat with them.”
Ashton Knowles led Brooks with a double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Kai Ryan had 15 points and three rebounds, Matthew Alvarez added 11 points and eight rebounds and Daniel Phillips had eight points and six rebounds.
Leading 54-48 with 3 minutes and 10 seconds to go, Lakeshore looked like it could be in the driver’s seat. But the Bullsharks, just like they had all game, kept punching back. Ryan and Alvarez each made baskets to trim the deficit to 54-52 with 2:26 remaining. But Horne went 6-for-6 from the free-throw line inside the final 2 minutes, and the Lakers’ defense held the Bullsharks scoreless the rest of the way.
“Yeah, I would say that this is probably the most complete game that we played against them until the last probably two minutes of the game,” says first-year Bullsharks coach Luke Davidson. “ … So, I’m definitely proud of the kids.”
Madison Etheridge (four points and there rebounds) and Gage Hendrix (one rebound) also contributed for Lakeshore. Siehra Waldschmidt (one rebound) also contributed for Brooks.
Pacers Press Their Luck, Win Junior Varsity Invitational Title
Mary Free Bed Pacers coach Lee Montgomery kept the team’s press level on high-voltage.
Despite going against ATX (Austin)’s two towering wheelchair basketball players, the Junior Pacers countered with their speed and relentless defensive pressure. Not only did it bother their opponents plenty, but it also led them to an NWBA National Wheelchair Basketball Tournament title.
Mary Free Bed’s defense forced 31 turnovers, including 11 in the third period alone, as the No. 2 seed Pacers hung on for a 34-24 victory over No. 8 seed ATX (Austin) in Saturday morning’s NWBA Junior Varsity Invitational championship game.
Mary Free Bed’s Ezra Ippel scored a game-high 11 points and had six rebounds, while Schyuler Whitney added a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds. And Mary Free Bed’s Ginessa Aguirre, who scored five points and had five rebounds, was named the Varsity Invitational championship game’s MVP because of her defensive prowess and knack for coming up with clutch steals.
To the high school senior, it meant the world.
“Ten years for this, and it’s finally come. And it’s my senior year, so it makes it 10 times better,” Aguirre says. “Well, I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my coaches and my teammates, and I’m just very grateful for everything and everyone.”
Facing ATX (Austin) and its two big men — Kooper Hernandez and Hunter Mastaler — for the first time this season, the Pacers’ pressure kept the two in check. They held Hernandez, the team’s leading scorer, to just six points and eight rebounds, while Mastaler had six points and 13 rebounds. Hernandez got mired in foul trouble and spent most of the second quarter on the bench, missed his first seven shots and scored all of his points in the final period. But when he did, he led ATX (Austin) on a comeback.
Mary Free Bed held a 26-14 lead after three quarters and looked to be in control. But Hernandez scored six straight points to open the fourth quarter, and ATX (Austin) went on an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 26-22 with 6:02 to go.
That’s when Whitney answered. After making a basket with 4:57 left, he stole the ball and wheeled downcourt for a layup to put the Pacers up eight with 4:43 remaining. Just over a minute later, Mary Free Bed’s Greyson Gibbs (six points and three rebounds) added a basket to give them a 32-22 advantage, and the Pacers held from there.
“I knew that just we needed a break and then something big to happen. And so, I was just all of a sudden, I just kind of, like, locked in and just, like, ‘all right, I want this. I want it more than they do,’” Whitney says. “And so, I just kind of zoned out and then just let it happen.”
Luke Bowman added two points and seven rebounds for Mary Free Bed, while Nate Gabrysch (five points and five rebounds), Mason Lopez (seven points and six rebounds), Michael Tchoumtchoua Foka (three rebounds), Maynor Alejandro Zapet (one rebound) and James Allen (one rebound) contributed for ATX (Austin).
National Wheelchair Basketball Association Junior Division Championships Day 3 April 6
At Henrico Sports & Events Center in Glen Allen, Va.
Varsity Division
15th-Place Game
No. 12 Golden State Junior Road Warriors 36, No. 6 Utah Rush 34
13th-Place Game
No. 10 BlazeSports Junior Hawks Red 68, No. 16 New York Rolling Fury 42
11th-Place Game
No. 14 Ryan Martin Foundation Trojans 49, No. 13 Courage Kenny Rolling Timberwolves 28
Ninth-Place Game
No. 9 Dallas Junior Wheelchair Mavericks Blue 48, No. 15 Cincinnati Dragons 30
Seventh-Place Game
No. 11 WASA Marquette Eagles 47, No. 8 Charlotte Rollin’ Hornets Purple 40
Fifth-Place Game
No. 7 Ranchos Halos 55, No. 5 Kansas City Kings 48
Third-Place Game
No. 2 RHI Racers 52, No. 1 LWSRA Synergy Hawks 39
Championship
No. 3 Lakeshore Lakers 60, No. 4 Brooks Bullsharks 52
Varsity Invitational Division
13th-Place Game
No. 13 Mad City Badgers 35, No. 14 Dallas Junior Wheelchair Mavericks White 16
Ninth-Place Game
No. 9 Fairfax Falcons 53, No. 6 Chicago Skyhawks 30
Seventh-Place Game
No. 1 Nebraska Red Dawgs 57, No. 7 Katie’s Komets 27
Fifth-Place Game
No. 5 Bennett Blazers 49, No. 3 Adaptive Sports Ohio ASOC Cavaliers 33
Third-Place Game
No. 4 SAAS Junior Wildcats 51, No. 11 Kansas City Kings B Team 29
Championship
No. 2 Mary Free Bed Junior Pacers 34, No. 8 ATX (Austin) 24
Prep Division
13th-Place Game
No. 13 Music City Thunder 30, No. 10 Kansas City Kings 15
11th-Place Game
No. 8 ATX (Austin) 36, No. 18 Katie’s Komets 9
Ninth-Place Game
No. 11 LWSRA Synergy Junior Hawks 33, No. 12 Courage Kenny Rolling Rowdies 31
Seventh-Place Game
No. 2 BlazeSports Junior Hawks 42, No. 9 RHI Racers 29
Fifth-Place Game
No. 3 Fairfax Falcons 43, No. 5 Mary Free Bed Junior Pacers 27
Third-Place Game
No. 1 Dallas Junior Wheelchair Mavericks Blue 39, No. 7 Lakeshore Sharks 22
Championship
No. 6 WASA Marquette Eagles 36, No. 4 New York Rolling Fury 29