No. 3 Brea Olinda knocks off No. 6 Poly to take Nike TOC

PHOENIX, Ariz. - Jeff Sink wasn't just celebrating a Nike Tournament of Champions title on Wednesday night. The Brea Olinda (Brea, Calif.) girls basketball coach also rejoiced a personal feat of strength.

Sort of.

"I broke a clipboard at halftime," he said with a smile. "I'm very proud of that - though it was one of my favorite clipboards."

Sink's emotional display was the result of a desultory first half from his Ladycats in the championship game of the Nike TOC, considered the most prestigious girls' tournament in the country.

At the break, Brea was down 31-26 to rival Long Beach Poly (Calif.), but had trailed by as many as eight. By game's end, though the Ladycats turned the tables on the Jackrabbits for the second time this season, and rode Alexis Perry and Justine Hartman to a 56-48 win.

"I used a refreshing vocabulary," said Sink. "We discussed passion."

Whatever the topic, and whatever the adjectives, Brea took the lead at 36-35 on one of many Perry drives, controlled the quarter and never trailed again. Sink, though, didn't give all the credit to his fiery speech. "We loafed so much in the first half, we were fresh in the second half."

That's a bit of hyperbole, as the first half was as hotly contested as one would expect, given the lofty rankings of Brea (No. 3) and Poly (No. 6). And since Brea had just beaten No. 2 Bolingbrook in double-overtime the night before, and Poly had knocked off No. 1 Mater Dei, the game was clearly being played for the top spot in all the prep polls.

Destiny King got it going right away for the Jackrabbits, scoring six of the first eight Poly points in the first 3:45, and then Tajanae Winston took over, scoring seven in the last 2:40. Hartman, who finished with a game-high 22, and Perry kept Brea close, though a Olivia Montgomery three gave the Jackrabbit's a 28-20 lead with 4:58 left.

But the early three-point success came back to haunt Poly, according to coach Carl Buggs. "We made nine threes in a game (earlier in the tournament) and the girls thought they wouldn't miss," he said.

But the Jackrabbits struggled from all the court - "We didn't shoot well," said Buggs. "We missed layups."

They also had critical turnovers, none more so than the errant pass by Ariya Crook-williams, Poly's brilliant guard, with just under a minute to go and Brea clinging to a 50-48 lead. The Ladycats had been up by as much as seven (49-42 with 4:14 left), but Sheila Boykin led the Jackrabbits back.

Boykin's burst may have had something to do with the fact she had sat out much of the third quarter with foul trouble, which was certainly a factor in Brea's ability to turn the game around (a similar scenario had been played out in the two team‘s first meeting, in which the Ladycats came from eight down at half to win 60-53).

The 6-foot-2 Hartman had six points in the quarter, including a nifty left-handed scoop and a 15-foot jumper.

"Everybody forgot about her" when she missed last season with a knee injury, said Sink, "but she's one of the best post players in the country.

"And I don't know why Lexy Perry doesn't have a scholarship."

Perry too has been hampered by injuries, but she showed no fear going to the basket, making 10 of 12 free throws to finish with 19. And those looking for a statistical reason for Brea's win can stop right there: The Ladycats were 21 of 26 from the line; Poly was three of five.

But Hartman felt Sink's halftime histrionics were pretty important too. "It definitely sparked us to play a lot harder," she said. "He's a very good speaker."

Even if he wouldn't get a PG rating.

Look for more Nike TOC results and the latest MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings in the next 48 hours.