MaxPreps is pleased to announce that the
Northwest Guilford (Greensboro, N.C.) Vikings have officially been named to the 12th Annual MaxPreps Basketball Tour of Champions presented by the Army National Guard, which is in its 11th year honoring girls basketball.
This is one of the most prestigious team awards in all of high school sports and it is an exclusive honor reserved for the top 100 teams nationwide. In order to be eligible, a team must win a state championship and be highly ranked in the
MaxPreps National Rankings. For basketball, only 20 of the country's best are invited and with nearly 40,000 competing varsity teams. This puts the Vikings ahead of 99.9 percent of their opponents!
Beating Southeast Raleigh 36-34 on Saturday, March 11 in the
NCHSAA 4A state championship game marked the completion of an incredible 30-2 season — and earned Northwest Guilford an invitation to the Tour of Champions.
The champions trailed 21-16 at halftime following Southeast Raleigh's 13-2 run. However, the Vikings knotted the score 25-25 heading into the final eight minutes after outscoring the Bulldogs 9-4 in the third period. For the second half, Northwest Guilford outscored the Runners-up 20-13 after surviving previously unbeaten Southeast Raleigh's missed shot at the buzzer.
Cayla King led all scorers for the champions with 16 points and was credited with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Elizabeth Kitley, the game's Most Valuable Player, added 15 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots. Bria Gibbs ripped the cords for the other five points for Darlene Joyner's club.
Northwest Guilford began its playoff run with a 62-35 win over McDowell before upending Ronald Reagan 69-54. Then the Vikings grabbed the West Bracket championship with triumphs over Dudley 80-40 and Ardrey Kell 63-48. A 59-58 victory over Mallard Creek in the Final Four set up the championship final against Southeast Raleigh.
The Vikings began 2016-17 by winning four of their first six games before reeling off 26-straight wins to conclude the season. Northwest Guilford made it to the title game a year ago, but came up short for the championship.
The Vikings, who list just one senior on their roster, set themselves up for high returns in the rankings department. Northwest Guilford finished atop
MaxPreps' final 4A rankings and No. 1 in the entire state of
North Carolina. Joyner's squad also took over the
No. 53 rung in MaxPreps National Computer Rankings and earned the
No. 24 spot in MaxPreps' Xcellent 25 Writer's Poll.
These incredible season achievements have earned the Northwest Guilford Vikings an invitation to the 12th Annual Tour of Champions.
Please join us as we celebrate with the girls basketball team, coaching staff, students and fans on Friday, May 5 at halftime of the boys lacrosse game, which begins at 7 p.m. at the school Stadium.
For more information about the Tour of Champions, please visit the
MaxPreps Tour of Champions site.
