Jewell Loyd leads White team in WBCA High School All-America Game
DENVER – The White Team overcame some lopsided statistics to beat the Navy Team, 74-62, in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) High School All-America Game Saturday.
The White Team shot 45 percent to the Navy Team’s 31.5, and out-rebounded them 54-39. But the Navy Team had 15 steals to White’s 6, and nine turnovers to a whopping 22 for White.
Jewell Loyd lead the White Team with 18 points, including four three-pointers. Jonquel Jones added 14 and Breanna Stewart, 10. Nirra Fields was the high-scorer for the Navy Team with 14, while Nicole Kornet put up 12 and Alexis Jones added 11. Loyd was named MVP for White and Kornet garnered the honor for Navy.
White got off to a fast start thanks to Loyd and Jones, and they never looked back. A last-second trey by Loyd put them up 44-27 at the break. Navy’s three leading scorers paced the team in the second half, and they cut the lead to 59-47 at the 9:21 mark. But White was able to maintain momentum and not let White get any closer.
Loyd said she was hot from the beginning of the game, and went with it.
“When the first three went down, I was rolling,” she said. “My teammates did a great job of finding me in transition.”
Loyd, who will attend Notre Dame, was one of 12 athletes from both teams that had also played in the McDonald’s All-American High School game last Wednesday. She called winning the WBCA MVP award, “pretty cool.”
Kornet, an Oklahoma commit, called garnering the honor “shocking,” and said it was something she appreciated.
“It’s not something that many get to do,” she said.
The teams each only practiced together once, on Friday, before playing. Loyd said it worked because of already playing together in the previous game. Kornet said she appreciated the fun atmosphere.
“It was great getting to know everyone on a different level,” she said.
Three of the games players have committed to Connecticut. Two players have each committed to Texas A&M, and Notre Dame. The other Irishwoman besides Loyd was White teammate Michaela Mabrey. The two could be seen talking and joking before and after the game. Loyd said they both went on their official visit to Notre Dame the same weekend last fall, and have been best friends ever since.
“We hit it off, and we’re close,” Loyd said. “We talk every day.”
The WBCA put future teammates on the same team for the All-Star game, as is their custom.
This marked the third year that the game has been played on the same court that the Final Four will be played upon.
The Navy Team was short one player, as Texas commit Imani Stafford was not in attendance.
