Webb basketball had 5 countries represented with one goal: Win a final TSSAA gold ball
COOKEVILLE – They came from five different countries, including the United States, two years ago and formed a super team with loads of talent.
That team, The Webb School - Bell Buckle girls basketball program, won its third straight TSSAA Division II-A basketball championship Saturday at Tennessee Tech's Eblen Center with a 73-43 rout of Middle Tennessee Christian School.
"There are people from everywhere," Webb School coach Matthew Shewmake said. "Everybody else says that's a black eye on you. But that's what makes it special. What we desire at the Webb School and want is diversity. We don't want to go to rural Tennessee and see all people that look like me. What kind of snap shot of the world are you giving these kids. That's not what you see in Nashville."
Webb is ranked 11th nationally by MaxPreps.
The diverse lineup included six Power 5 signees for Webb (32-4). It included DII-A state tournament MVP Aalyah Del Rosario, whose family is from the Dominican Republic, was born in Texas after her family moved. Del Rosario, a 6-foot-6 LSU signee, finished with a double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. LSU signee Angelica Velez, who transferred from New Jersey with Del Rosario two years ago, finished with six points with nine assists and eight rebounds.
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LIVE UPDATES: TSSAA basketball state championships: Webb School girls win third straight title
The lineup also had athletes from the Bahamas, Canada and Ukraine.
Despite that much international talent on the court, they have played as a team without individuals trying to take over.
"We have our own standards," said Michigan State signee Bree Robinson, a Canadian who had eight points and six assists for the Lady Feet. "We have to stay discipline to that. (We) practice that every single day at practice and in every single game.
"That's how we stayed true to our basketball and not turn Webb basketball into something that it's not."
Ole Miss signee Rhema Collins, who is from the Bahamas, scored 13 points and had 14 rebounds. And sophomore Daria Biriuk, whose family moved to Bedford County from Ukraine prior to the season, came off the bench to score 11 points.
"This has been nothing but growth," Robinson said. "I know we are all going our separate ways, but I've made lifelong friends and a family that no matter what, I can go back to them."
Webb School is 63-10 with this roster over the past two years.
Too much talent
Webb led 37-22 at halftime against the Lady Cougars (27-11), a DII-A District 3 program the Lady Feet beat five times this season and nine times over the past two seasons. MTCS coach Hannah Jones was forced to play without Belmont signee Jailyn Banks much of the second quarter after she picked up three fouls.
Banks, a DII-A Miss Basketball finalist, finished with a team-high 13 points and was 9-for-10 from the free throw line. She managed just 2-of-14 from the field and was defended by Robinson through much of the game. Teammate Anna Clay Shirley, a freshman who hit two first-half 3-pointers and finished with eight points.
Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TSSAA basketball championships: Webb girls win third straight title
