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The Current
Northwest Sports
GDS captures crown; Sidwell makes strides By BRIAN KAPUR Current Staff Writer
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The Georgetown Day girls basketball team won its first two games of the season as part of the Sidwell Friends Invitational to capture the tournament crown. The Hoppers beat Sidwell in the title game 52-38, and junior forward Caira Washington was named the weekend’s MVP. Washington earned the award by dominating the championship game with 28 points and 16 rebounds. Meanwhile, Georgetown Day senior Tiana Walker and Sidwell senior Val Melson were named to the all-tournament team. “Watching [Washington] step up and put the whole team on her back has been nothing short of awesome at this point,” said Hoppers coach Bobby Asher. Meanwhile, the young Quakers showed resiliency as they cut a 21-5 hole into a six-point deficit by halftime behind Melson’s guard play and Tiara Wood’s steady performance in the post. “Those guys are just fighters,” said Quakers coach Anne Renninger. “They made a really strong effort.” The squad will look to Melson
Left Brian Kapur/ The Current; Matt Petros/The Current
Georgetown Day’s Caira Washington, left, was named the MVP. Sidwell’s Madison Matthews is part of the team’s young nucleus. and Wood to guide the team. “Val is our emotional leader, and she gets us going. No matter what, she gives 100 percent,” Renninger said. “Tiara brings an inside game that’s as good as anybody’s.” Despite the loss Saturday, Sidwell
remains hopeful for its prospects in the compeitive Independent School League this season. “The sky is the limit,” said Renninger. “I think we can play with GDS, and that puts us right there playing with anybody.”
QUAKERS: Sidwell hopes to extend MAC title reign From Page 13
sophomore guard Aaron Washington took advantage of extra opportunities and scored a combined 10 points. “I was happy to see them not wilt under the pressure of [Hart] not being in the game,” said Singletary. “That will pay huge dividends for us. We don’t want him to get into foul trouble, but now his trust factor when he’s on the floor [with his teammates] is even greater.” In Hart’s absence, the team seemed to find some answers as senior Matt Hillman stepped up as a passer and slasher while fellow senior Phil McGolin also made some plays at the point. The duo combined for 14 points in Saturday’s contest. “We’re a point guard by committee this year,” said Singletary. “We have more guys that can break you down, and not just that one guy.”
The team also showed a strong post presence in senior Aidan Monheim. The 6-foot-6-inch center provided rebounding and acted as a steady leader. “Aidan doesn’t get a lot of touches on this team — we’re a guard-oriented team,” said Singletary. “But his physical play, his rebounding and his leadership have been tremendous this year.” Although Hart had to sit on the bench and cheer on his teammates for most of the second half, the senior found comfort in watching the squad play well in his absence “It gives me tremendous confidence,” said Hart, who scored 21 points. “It’s not just about me. A lot of people say, ‘Sidwell has just Josh Hart,’ but we have [other players] who can score and turn it on when they need to. This just gives me a lot more confidence that I don’t always have to score. It makes us a better team.”
CADETS: St. John’s has championship aspirations From Page 13
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cal and strong and finishes around the basket,” Scribner said. In the backcourt is guard Genesis Parker, whom Scribner sees as “a super slasher, a great 3-point shooter, great defender — a major athlete.” The coach said part of the chal-
lenge will be “getting those freshman up to speed and helping to fill those roles.” Having six newcomers “is a major change from the last couple of years,” he said. “We’ve always had way more returning.” Despite the changes, the Cadets are confident they can bounce back in the WCAC after dropping the
Sports Desk Gonzaga, George Washington University to host D.C. Classic tourney
Gonzaga will host the 24th annual D.C. Classic beginning Friday at the school’s Carmody Center. The event wraps up Sunday at George Washington University. Since its inception, the tournament has raised $750,000 for various service projects.
league title game to Good Counsel 79-76 last winter. “We plan to compete for a championship every single year; that’s the bottom line,” said Scribner. “We expect to be in the championship game, and we expect to be in position to win a championship 100 percent, nothing less.”
Gonzaga and Sidwell will be the two Northwest teams featured in the bracket.
St. John’s boys basketball to play in showcase event at DeMatha
The St. John’s boys basketball team will travel to DeMatha Saturday to take part in the National High School Hoops festival. The event will feature four of USA Today’s top-25 high school squads. The Cadets will play Potomac High School of Oxon Hill, Md., at 2:45 p.m.