We'll get right to the point: The Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix didn't disappoint on Day 2.
No. 2 Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, California) held off No. 6 St. John's College (Washington, D.C.) 57-49 in the day's showcase showdown.
San Diego signee Nicole Blakes led Mitty with 22 points, junior Haley Jones had 14 points and 11 rebounds and Penn State signee Karisma Ortiz added 11 points and 10 rebounds to lead Mitty.
Mitty set the tone early with a trapping half-court defense and held St. John's College scoreless for the final five-plus minutes of the first quarter to take a 17-6 lead.
Freshman Azzi Fudd, scoreless in the first quarter, broke the drought in the second quarter and sparked an 8-0 run, but Mitty took a 27-24 lead into halftime.
Mitty kept the pressure on in the third and opened with a 10-0 run, but St. John's fought back behind some nifty work on the glass by Malu Tshitenge-Mutombo, and Mitty led by one to open the fourth quarter.
Both teams found themselves in foul trouble in the final minutes, and Jones fouled out with 6:07 to go. But Mutombo picked up her fourth and fifth fouls in short order, and Mitty pulled away down the stretch.
"When Haley Jones went out of the game, I felt we didn't take advantage," St. John's coach Jonathan Scribner said. "We didn't execute in the final minutes. I'm proud of how hard we played, but we didn't seal the deal."
Day 2 standouts
Junior Malu Tshitenge-Mutombo, the No. 29 prospect in the espnW HoopGurlz Super 60, was a machine on the glass for St. John's College. The 6-foot-3 post player finished with 13 points and 20 rebounds, but only connected on 6 of 15 free throw attempts as her team lost 57-49 to Archbishop Mitty. Despite the troubles at the line, Mutombo was simply exceptional; she put on one of the most impressive single-game efforts thus far in the TOC.
Sophomore point guard Erin Toller of Sacred Heart Academy (Louisville, Kentucky) gave No. 7 Riverdale Baptist (Upper Marlboro, Maryland) all it could handle in a 72-66 Riverdale Baptist win. Toller possesses a pure stroke on her jumper with range to the arc. She's a confident floor leader who can collapse the defense and get to the rim consistently. Toller had four 3-pointers in the final quarter and put up 23 points for the game.
We've talked a lot about No. 25 Mesquite (Gilbert, Arizona) this week, and Lindsey VanAllen ensured that we're not finished yet. The 5-8 senior guard who is headed to Santa Clara hit four 3-pointers in the first half against No. 17 St. Mary's (Stockton, California). Then VanAllen came out after intermission and connected on five more and ended up scoring 34 points on 9 3-pointers. Even that wasn't enough, though, as St. Mary's advanced with an 80-66 win. VanAllen proved she's one of the best mid-major signees in the nation. She's a legitimate scorer who knows how to manufacture shots. And we'd be lying if we said she didn't bring a bit of swagger with her skill set.
Day 3 spotlight games
We've hit the semifinals, so you know we're headed for some more epic clashes on Thursday. How does No. 2 Archbishop Mitty vs. No. 5 Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tennessee) sound? We know the answer. Both teams are undefeated, so something has to give. Led by Vanderbilt signee Brinae Alexander, Riverdale topped No. 11 Centennial (Las Vegas) 71-60 on Wednesday. The other semifinal isn't too shabby, either. No. 7 Riverdale Baptist plays No. 17 St. Mary's (Stockton, California). That one pits future Baylor teammates Honesty Scott-Grayson (Riverdale Baptist) against Aquira DeCosta (St. Mary's).
