Girls of Summer 2006

How come people keep calling me that?" asked Diamond Ranch (Pomona, CA) six-foot senior and UCLA bound Nina Earl, after leading her team to the 3A Championship of the San Diego Classic last weekend. Nina may be too young to remember the original "Earl the Pearl" but not yours truly or others who have dubbed her by the same nickname as Earl Monroe, one of the greatest players in college and NBA history who hailed from Bartram High in Philadelphia and excited fans with his flamboyant dribbling, passing and play-making.

The 20th annual San Diego Classic, the nation's largest summer girls basketball tournament, played host to 376 teams and over 4,000 girls at 10 different venues in the greater San Diego area. Although many of the top stars may have been off to other tournaments and showcases, Santana of Santee coach and Tournament Director Wade Vickery, his wife Nancy and son Adam, plus dozens of staff and volunteers, once again provided the finest stage possible for more girls than just the elite to show their wares to the over 50 college coaches who observed the girls during the NCAA summer viewing period.

The top teams were in the 128-team 3A Division but some pretty good roundball was also played in the 2A, 1A, and Open Divisions. Orange Lutheran won the 2A Division for the fourth year in a row, a 40-26 victory over a Laguna Hills team that has 10-13 players as major contributors. "We played everyone all weekend long,' said coach Tony Matson.

According to Matson top performers and players to look for this coming season include guard Veronica Beavor (08), Elizabeth Evancoe (07), Michelle Nichols (08), and hot shooting Tara Glennon (07).

Because one person can only see so many games, teams, and girls in such a large field, we decided to cover only the 3A, shuttling between host site UC San Diego, La Jolla Country Day School and San Diego State. The prognosticators and self-proclaimed experts may criticize the Classic for lacking some big stars (note: Kali Bennett of Ventura was there but unable to play due to injury), but the top girls assembled impressed the college coaches. In the end, Diamond Ranch's tourney victory came after winning six tough games over the four-day event. We evaluated over 250 girls with the top 28 performers highlighted below.

The 128 teams were divided in 16 pools and after three days the pool winners were Hart (Newhall), Troy of Fullerton, St. Mary's (Phoenix, AZ), Santa Monica, Diamond Ranch (Pomona, CA), San Clemente, Pacifica (Oxnard, CA), Mesquite (Gilbert, AZ), Santiago (Corona, CA), Foothill (Santa Ana), Mt. Miguel (Spring Valley, CA), Ayala (Chino Hills, CA), Norco, Mayfield (Las Cruces, NM), St. Mary's (Stockton, CA), and St. Paul (Santa Fe Springs, CA).

Hart played their quarterfinal against St. Mary's (AZ) without top star Tatiana Thomas, who missed the evening contest so she could attend a family function. Even without the Oregon bound team leader, however, the defense of Megan Ford and her teammates stifled the girls from Phoenix in a 35-22 victory. Diamond Ranch had little problem against Mesquite while Mt. Miguel came on in the final minutes to blow by Foothill and rising star Christina Marinacci (6-1, 09). The biggest surprise was Tom Gonsalves' freshman-laden St. Mary's of Stockton squad that upset a Mayfield squad that boasts one of the nation's top players, Madi Spence. She will play for her father Darin Spence next year at New Mexico State.

The game came down to the last few possessions, but while incoming freshman speedster Afure Jemitigbe had done her damage with penetration and spin moves early, it was the three-point shooting of her St. Mary's teammates in the final moments that sealed an electrifying 60-56 win over the girls from New Mexico.

The semis saw Thomas return for the match-up against Diamond Ranch, but even so, the battle was won by the girls from Pomona, 42-37, behind 18 points and 12 rebounds by Earl. In the other semifinal, the magic and hot three-point shooting ended for St. Mary's, as Robbie Sandoval's Mt. Miguel girls used superior speed, size and inside firepower from Precious Robinson (07) and crew to post a 52-34 blowout win.

The final was a showdown between the top two performers at the tournament in Diamond Ranch's Earl and Mt. Miguel's Robinson. Coming into the game it looked as though Mt. Miguel might be the deeper team with recent transfer Autumn Spikes, as well as seniors Marnesha Hall and LaShawn Robinson playing well in the first five games.

In fact, it was Diamond Ranch that was deeper and had fresher legs as senior floor general Eliza Dy took control of the ballhandling and defensive pressure while six-foot Diane Ortiz (07) was doing an adequate job harassing Robinson.

Earl was unstoppable by anyone Sandoval had try to defend her. "The Pearl" finished with 24 points and 16 rebounds, as coach Vince Spirlin's girls from Pomona won going away by a 46-31 margin.

"I knew I definitely had to add something to my game, so I've been working with a shooting coach to improve my jump shot," said Earl, whose performance garnered lots of grins and smiles from UCLA coach Kathy Olivier, who was in attendance for Saturday's games.

Top Performers at the San Diego Classic

(Rating points are based on four rating periods with a score of four per period or 16 total points being a perfect score. Ratings are only for players we personally observed during the tournament)

Also note these freshmen and sophomores to watch**

13.50 – Nina Earl (07) – Diamond Ranch
11.75 – Precious Robinson (07) – Mt. Miguel
11.00 – Rebekah Gardner (08) – Ayala
11.00 – Madi Spence (07) – Mayfield
10.00 – Tatiana Thomas (07) – Hart
**9.50 – Christina Marinacci (09) – Foothill
**9.25 – Afure Jemitigbe (10) – St. Mary's (Stockton)
9.00 – Eliza Dy (07) – Diamond Ranch
**9.00 – Alex Sanchez (10) – Troy
9.00 – Megan Ford (08) – Hart
8.75 – Leslie Vodicska (07) – St. Paul (Santa Fe Springs)
8.75 – Samantha Marez (07) – Long Beach Millikan
8.50 – Melissa Spaich (07) – Mesquite
**8.50 – Melissa Brown (10) – Mesquite
**8.25 – Chelsea Gray (10) – St. Mary's (Stockton)
8.00 – Marie Vodicska (08) – St. Paul
8.00 – Lauren Labat (08) – Saugus
8.00 – Emily Foshag (07) – Santa Monica
8.00 – Michelle Clark (07) Oaks Christian
8.00 – Jasmin Hollisday (08) – Ayala
8.00 – Marie Beck (07) – Channel Islands
**8.00 – Makenzie Hirz (09) – Foothill
8.00 – Emily Thatcher (07) – Mayfield
8.00 – Desiree Marrugo (08) – Mayfield
7.75 – Janae Fulcher (08) – La Jolla Country Day
7.75 – Mia Galassi (08) – San Clemente
7.75 – Daisy Feder (08) – Santa Monica
**7.75 – Davellyn White (09) – St. Mary's (Phoenix)