http://www.maxpreps.com/games/girls-basketball-winter-17-18/archbishop-mitty-vs-pinewood/3-17-2018-kE1JZNaEqU2PvJtCzFAmxw.htm#tab=box-score&schoolid=

Sue Phillips was voted national high school coach of the year (Pat Summit award) and deservedly so...However,
her credentials do not mean that she does not make mistakes in judgement, etc. Mitty was undefeated (29-0)
and was leading Pinewood by sixteen points midway through the third quarter in the NorCal Open Division Championship game when her All-American, junior Haley Jones, picked up her fourth personal foul with 3:48
left (8 minute quarters). The tv announcers didn't know she had three already nor did Sue Phillips seemingly or
she would have had her superstar on the bench at least 'til the end of the third period. I knew that she picked up her 3rd on a charging call into my niece's daughter, Courtni Thompson.

http://www.maxpreps.com/photo/gallery.aspx?photogalleryid=f407b345-5147-44e1-803d-d5048f49e56c&photoid=6ae7be9d-8771-47de-833e-4bbbce2e1ac2

This one play turned the entire momentum of the game around! Haley Jones barely played anymore before drawing her fifth and final foul. Mitty also had starting guard Ania McNicholas foul out, too. The Monarchs were already playing the rest of the season without 6-2 post, Nicole Blakes, who injured her knee 7 games ago. Mitty hung in the best they could for three overtimes with only three players that could be counted on as legitimate threats to score [Karisma Ortiz, Krissy Miyahara & Hunter Hernandez].

Actually-Sue Phillips had two other opportunities to coach her team to victory but passed on them. The first and second overtime periods so happened to give the final possession to the Monarchs with 20 & 30 seconds remaining, respectively. The AM HC could have called a time out to attempt to draw up the game winning shot. They could target the play for 6 foot guard, Ortiz, the Penn State commit, but if she was covered or double-teamed she could pass off to either Miyahara or Hernandez, both guards that hit 3 threes each in the game. However, she chose not to and ended up having players that averaged 2 points per game take those dramatic shots instead.

I realize that this is only girl's high school bball but still...Both Mitty & Pinewood had won six state crowns each and the winner of this game has a chance at a 7th vs Windward of Los Angeles. I'm a longtime Archbishop Mitty fan but I could not really lose out in this championship. My niece's daughter, #20 Courtni Thompson, is the starting freshman SG for the Pinewood Panthers. She scored 10 points this night and she scored 11 last Tuesday in the shocking upset of St Marys-Stockton. Now-my relative gets to play for all of the marbles next Saturday night. go panthers!

Btw-the tv announcers covered all the *in-home visits* that Haley Jones had just experienced from top college head coaches from across the country. The only Pac 12 schools involved in this process were Stanford and Oregon. UConn, Louisville & Notre Dame were in the mix, too. Haley Jones is the most well-rounded girl's high school player that I can remember in the CCS (Central Coast Section).

Next season, however, the best team in the Bay Area (assuming no injuries or transfers) will be Pinewood. Doc Scheppler's team was supposed to peak next year. They will return 10 of 11 players (including five juniors). The Panthers will lose their excellent PG Brianna Claros. Archbishop Mitty will lose its #2, #3 & #4 scorers behind Haley Jones. Don't get me wrong-Sue Phillips will field a strongly competitive team. Their JV team went undefeated (21-0). This is my opinion. Is their another local team that will be able to compete with
the private school (300 students) lost in the Los Altos Hills?

GO BEARS!

Went to see the last 4 games that day with 2 other friends. That triple OT was an exciting and tense game!
Pinewoods PG can really handle the ball...is she headed to play college ball somewhere? Your niece, #20 Courtni Thompson, does not seem to get rattled nor the type of player that would "bark" at her teammates, nor question the refs for a disputed call, etc. Seemed very composed, compared to others on the court.

Check Haley Jones twitter. Yesterday all the cal coaches had an in home with her

Perhaps Ortiz should have passed to someone else in both of those situations, but then against Pinewood didn't come to help off the top three-point shooters. The help came off of players who were not the best shooters -- though it should be noted Hernandez hit a huge three in one of the overtimes.

I don't know what else Sue could have done in that situation. She put the ball in the hands of her best player, and gave her team two open looks to win the game.

As for sitting Jones out after her third foul, I don't know. You've got an elite player with a high basketball IQ and you make that decision based on coaching the girl for years. And of course the fifth foul seemed pretty shaky -- if she doesn't get that one, with 1:31 left, maybe they win in regulation.

Of course she didn't coach the perfect game, but no one does.

you're kidding yourself if you think coach phillips didn't know haley had 3 fouls. I'm sure she trusted Haley to play with foul trouble like she has so many times before and she played very well on Saturday. Her 4th and 5th fouls were both terrible calls that should not have been made... watch the replay. In the end it doesn't matter though, pinewood had to make shots and they did, while mitty didn't.

As far as next year goes, I'll wait to pass judgement on who will be better. I still think the mitty freshman class is going to be better than the pinewood one (obviously way deeper), and if some of them have a good summer they will help next year. (And next years freshman class could possibly be even better for Mitty)

Thank you, bobbk, for the informative update about Cal still being in the hunt for Haley Jones!

For both ClayK & ricehntr5, I want you both to know that I have complimented Sue Phillips on many occasions
and have suggested that Lindsay Gottlieb implement some of her policies, strategies, etc.

My point was that in this one particular instance, the Monarchs were up by 15-16 points and could have played it more conservatively. She chose to gamble the state & national #1 ranking and she lost. I agree that most of the fouls called on Haley were debatable...

Today-Haley Jones was named Gatorade's California state player of the year!

Regarding next season, I could see Mitty implementing an offense that puts the ball in Haley Jone's hands on virtually every possession. She could bring the ball down the court and/or their guards could attempt to force the ball into the post to her (much like Cal does to Kristine Anigwe). Sue Phillips seems to prefer a free open court game over a structured half-court game. The Monarchs should press and fast break as much as possible to get easy baskets. I enjoyed when she had her guards double-team the ball vs Pinewood. The Panthers were unable to run their offense nor get the ball in the hands of Hannah Jump. When they implemented that strategy-the opened up the big lead over Pinewood.

Yes-the unknown factors for next season are transfers and new players (freshmen) entering the program. Right now-I see a starting Monarch lineup of HJ, Ania McNicholas, Hunter Hernandez, Ashley Hiracki & Charlize Andaya. Two JVs that likely will be in the rotation are post Katie Springs & guard Sydney Bourland.
Kate Conaway (6-2) is a serviceable rebounder but not much of an offensive threat. These are perhaps the top
eight that will rotate into action.

It should be interesting...Does Salesian return the majority of their players that compliment Angel Jackson?

Pinewood's small school league-West Bay-Foothill-is closing in on the WCAL for the best girl's bbal in the CCS. On my birthday this Friday morning at 10 am will be televised the Div IV championship game featuring Woodside Priory ( 5th place finisher) in their league. WP has two Div I prospects in junior post, Ila Lane (6-4),
and senior guard Tatiana Reese. Eastside College Prep could be in the Div I title game, too, if they did not
lose their only senior and best player, Kayla Tahaafe, to injury in the 1st half vs SHC (67-60 loss).
http://www.maxpreps.com/league/Pk-Ck-KVOE6dHEyOt-0Irg/standings-west-bay---foothill.htm

CCS has three entrants at state out of six divisions. The West Bay-Foothill League was not far from providing all three teams. Of course, Archbishop Mitty would have made it two out of three for the WCAL. Obviously, these two private school leagues are the cream of the crop. Notre Dame-Belmont used to be the dormat in the WCAL so they opted for the smaller schools. Well-guess what-they are still in last place there.

GO BEARS!

Pinewood was outplayed from the opening tip by Windward-Los Angeles. They shutdown Hannah Jump to only one triple (1-3) and forced too many turnovers on the Panthers. The star junior guard, Charisma Osborne,
scored nearly half of the Southern California contingent's points w/26. She connected on six treys!

http://www.maxpreps.com/games/girls-basketball-winter-17-18/pinewood-vs-windward/3-24-2018-d0W40kp01UuWjkJg-0heGA.htm#tab=box-score&schoolid=ac9c9167-10bf-4859-bc74-7eb0f69517c6

My niece's daughter, Courtni Thompson, hit two clutch threes for Pinewood in the second half to cut Windward's
leads down to nine and six points, respectively. However, on both occasions, Charisma (#20) answered with a three to negate any positive momentum for the Panthers . The #22 ranked recruit in the class of 2019 is super
fast, a great shooter and appeared to hustle all of the time. Osborne is 5-9 and Cal needs to offer her ASAP!

http://www.espn.com/high-school/girls-basketball/recruiting/player/_/id/228899/charisma-osborne

GO BEARS!

S71 see my post on Thompson in the Osu over Baylor tread