To visit one of the state’s most outstanding girls’ basketball tournaments, travel no farther than Visitation Academy.
The Viz Tournament is the place to be if you want to see high caliber players and teams that will compete and win state championships. The gym is packed as folks come from all over the city and different parts of the state to check out the action.
College coaches from all over the country also find their way to St. Louis to see the multitude of excellent prospects in action.
As always, the featured team at the Viz Tournament is the nationally ranked Incarnate Word Academy Red Knights, which rolled to another championship last week.
Incarnate Word defeated Lift for Life 65-47 to win its seventh consecutive Visitation Tourney championship. The victory also ran the Red Knights’ state-record winning streak to 138 games.
Incarnate Word was led by its stellar senior duo of Peyton Hill and Nevaeh Caffey. Hill, an Eastern Michigan recruit, had a brilliant game with 26 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Caffey, who is headed to Indiana, added 23 points. Junior guard Peyton Olufson added nine points as she knocked down three big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Neveah Lucious, a 6’3” junior forward, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked two shots.
Lift for Life is a talented team that won the Class 4 state championship last season. The Hawks will be one of the favorites to win the Class 5 title this season. They were led by sophomore guard Cara Manuel, who scored 17 points.
In the third-place game, Troy defeated Cardinal Ritter 52-51.
Vashon, Principia bring home titles
Vashon and Principia took their talented teams on the road for the holidays, and both won tournament titles after defeating the host team in the championship game.
Vashon won the Poplar Bluff Showdown after defeating the host school 81-28 in the championship game last Saturday. Senior guard Terron Garrett scored a game-high 18 points to lead the Wolverines. Trey Williams Jr. and Dorea McCaskill added 11 points each. The Wolverines battled past a tough Staley team from Kansas City 60-51 in the semifinals last Friday night.
Principia won the championship of the Rolla Oral Surgery Tournament on Saturday, defeating the host Bulldogs 68-50 in the finals. Junior guard Quentin Coleman led the Panthers with 22 points, five rebounds, six assists and three steals. Sekou Cisse, a 6’9” sophomore had 14 points while Gassim Toure had 11 points. The Panthers are now 9-0 on the season, with victories over Sikeston and Father Tolton on their resume.
Earl’s World
Tierra Simon was named Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Player of the Week on December 23, 2024. In a victory over Valparaiso, she recorded 12 points and 14 rebounds. Simon then had a career performance in a win over Bellarmine, registering a career-high and A-10 best 17 rebounds and matching her personal best with 16 points…While Arizona had struggled to a 6-5 record in college basketball, St. Louisan Caleb Love is leading the Wildcats with 15.2 points per game…Jameson Williams, a star with Cardinal Ritter and then Alabama, posted the best game of his career in the Detroit Lions’ victory over the Chicago Bears last week. He snagged five receptions for a career-high 143 yards and a touchdown. Entering the Monday night game at San Francisco, Williams had 990 yards receiving and should eclipse 1,000 yards this season. Remember, he also missed two games because of a PED suspension…Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter made good on their promises to play in Colorado’s bowl game. However, the season-ending Alamo Bowl in San Antonio, Texas was a dud, with the Buffaloes being trampled by an inspired BYU team 36-14…The lineup is set for the Highland Shootout which begins Saturday January 4, 2025, at Highland (Illinois) High School. The event features teams from Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Texas. Among the games of interest are Highland vs. Webster at 10:30 a.m., DeSmet vs. Moline at noon, and Vashon vs. Quincy at 4:30 p.m.