10 days until the MaxPreps Holiday Classic: 10 long-range shooters

Video: 2014 MaxPreps Holiday Classic 3-Point Contest

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — It's 10 days until the MaxPreps Holiday Classic and we look long range, way out yonder, the trey, the 3-pointer.

Thanks, in part, to the recent success of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, the 3-pointer is now largely the weapon of choice among basketball coaches and experts.

And the 13th annual MPHC will honor it accordingly by narrowing down not just two finalists for its 3-point contest, but yes, 10. As in 10 days until MPHC. Get it?

Preliminary 3-point scores will be taken throughout the five-day tournament, that features 117 teams which will play games at seven venues around the Coachella Valley from Dec. 26-30. Four females and six males will be selected for the finals based upon preliminary scores.

Last year, for the first time, the long-range shooters had their own finals during halftime of each semifinal game of the top Open Division at Rancho Mirage (Calif.). It was a huge success and this season will be the same at Rancho Mirage on Tuesday, Dec. 29.

The boys winner from last season, then Brentwood School (Los Angeles) senior Andrew Gardiner noted the change of energy, both his own and from the crowd, because of the large turnout during the finals.

"There wasn't an empty seat anywhere," Gardiner said. "I'm not going to lie. I was getting nervous."

Last year's competition started with 104 competitors and was narrowed to 10. In the finals, Gardiner (17 points) edged Ali Aiken (16) and Jake Hirayama (14).

"The nice part about winning this was having my coaches, teammates and parents in the stands," he said. "I could hear them the whole time. It was nice to win it for them and the school."

Bellarmine Prep (Tacoma, Wash.) junior McKenzie Alton won the girls 3-point contest by scoring a career-high 16 in an overtime round against Paige Tademaru (Marymount-Los Angeles) and Gracie Marx (Archer School for Girls-Los Angeles).

All three girls scored 11 in the finals — forcing an extra round — then Alton really got it rolling, drilling eight of 10 3-pointers in the middle rounds to win going away.

See MPHC Open Division bracket

"For me it's all about the motion and then just swinging into my shot and getting the ball into the air," Alton said.

See MPHC site for all teams, brackets, stories

Alton didn't know that she was going to be in the competition until her coach told her so. She scored enough in the morning round to qualify with four other finalists to showdown with the boys.

When the crowd started to grow during the first quarter of the semifinal game, "I could feel my nerves growing," she said. "I was definitely nervous."

All that excitement and nerves, frankly, is music to the ears of MaxPreps event director Chris Stonebraker.

"We see the importance of three-point shooting and have strived to create the largest and most competitive three-point contest in America," he said. "After watching its growth and evolution over the last three years, I think we've accomplished that. Some 102 male and female sharpshooters will compete starting next week and only two will walk away with trophies. That's a major competition."