How Stagg, Tracy came out on top in Tracy Girls Basketball Tournament: 209 showdowns
Three days into the Tom Hawkins/Tracy Breakfast Lions Varsity Girls Basketball Tournament, and the competition was intense. Stagg, West, Ripon and Tracy girls basketball battled it out in the consolation bracket on Thursday for 209 showdowns fans didn’t want to miss.
“This tournament has been going on for about 40 years and our sponsors do a lot to support our girls' basketball program at Tracy High, but they also do a lot of support around the community,” said Derek Eaton, Tracy’s head coach. “ It's fun to get teams from all over the area and sometimes out of the area to come in and play some competitive basketball.”
Read on about the key takeaways and players from each matchup between the San Joaquin County teams.
Stagg vs. West
The timeout that shifts the Delta Queens' game
Stagg brought the full-court press from West’s first possession. The aggressive-defensive start gave the Delta Queens an 8-4 lead after a quarter of play. However, they still weren’t fully checked into the game. Both teams were throwing the ball around like a hot potato, causing a scoring drought for about four minutes.
Led by junior Jameelah Pharms and senior Leiana Madrazo on offense, Stagg needed an energy booster to give it the edge. After one of Stagg’s turnovers, Finis Jones, Stagg’s head coach, abruptly called a timeout.
“I think this team has a tendency to play down to their competition and they don’t always believe in themselves,” Jones said. “So during that timeout, I just reminded them ‘Y’all are a talented team and if you just buckle down, do the little stuff, stop overthinking it and missing a lot of layups around the rim.’ Once they bought in, it was off and running.”
Madrazo got things started hitting a three-pointer to ignite a fire in the Delta Queen's bench. She would go on to knock down four threes and finish the game with a career-high 16 points. Pharms handled the Wolfpack defensively. The guard snagged steal after steal and followed it up with either drawing contact or a layup in transition. She finished with 16 points and a season-high 12 steals.
“I felt like I didn’t do my best with like scoring but I played good defense and got looks for my team so I think I did well overall,” Pharms said. “Defensively, that’s probably where I really stood out, if I’m not gonna get it on offense, I’m for sure gonna get it on defense.”
Stagg dominated West on both sides of the ball to beat the Wolfpack, 48-13. The Delta Queens on Friday were expected battle for the consolation prize by taking on a familiar foe in Tokay, who they beat twice earlier in the season.
Player of the Game: Leiana Madrazo
Madrazo was key to turning things around early in the match as she drained threes and opened up Stagg’s offense. She was out for a couple of games with a wrist injury but she was back in full effect against West. Her game totals were 16 points, six steals, an assist, and a rebound.
Ripon vs. Tracy
Bounce back Bulldogs
Coming off a close 46-43 loss to Pacheco on day two of the tournament, the Bulldogs had to regroup ahead of their matchup against Ripon. Overcoming injuries and sickness, Eaton finally had all 13 girls ready to go.
Offensively, Tracy started slow but played aggressively to get to the foul line consistently. Junior Aliya Tipton showcased her handles and willingness to drive to the rim. She opened the game by scoring six of the 10 first-quarter points.
“She is definitely our offensive scorer and she can do a lot of good things with the basketball,” Eaton said. “Last year, she really led the JV team but the speed and the caliber of play is a lot quicker at the varsity level and she's really adapted to that nicely and quickly.”
Ripon wasn’t going to make it easy for Tipton and the rest of the Bulldogs. The Indians had every player who got in the game score as they chipped away at Tracy’s lead. In the third quarter, Kailee Inderbitzin hit a jumper that tied the game. Ripon’s efforts were no match to Tracy’s determination to not drop another close game in a row.
“Last night coming off a really tough loss they were a little bummed out because they played their hearts out,” Eaton said of Wednesday's game. “I think they really refocused so it was great to see the team really bounce back from a game like that. Towards the end of tonight’s game, they executed what our game plan was and came together as a whole.”
The Bulldogs bounced back to beat Ripon 42-31 and were expected to face Gregori on Friday for a consolation prize. With this win, Tracy was able to balance out its record to 8-8.
Player of the Game: Aliya Tipton
Tipton was an undeniable force for the Bulldogs. She finished the game with 21 points, hitting a step-back three-pointer that silenced the Ripon fan section. She also grabbed five rebounds, committed no turnovers and had two assists.
Scores from games on Friday
Stagg 41, Tokay, 16
Tracy 36, Gregori, 55
East Union 68, Ripon, 48
West 27, Oakdale, 41
Record reporter Shannon Belt covers sports. She can be reached at sbelt@recordnet.com or on Twitter @ShannonBelt3. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Stagg, Tracy come out on top in Tracy Girls Basketball Tournament
