The field of the GEICO Nationals high school girls basketball tournament was announced Wednesday, highlighted by two teams featured prominently in the MaxPreps Top 25. The event will take place March 31-April 1 in Fort Myers, Fla.
No. 2
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) is the No. 1 seed followed by No. 2 seed
Long Island Lutheran (Brookville, N.Y.), which sits at No. 3 in the MaxPreps Top 25.
McDonogh (Owings Mills, Md.) and
Westtown (West Chester, Pa.) round out the field.
Montverde is the reigning champion, winning the inaugural tournament last year, while Long Island Lutheran, McDonogh and Westtown all are making their first appearances.
GEICO Nationals girls field1. Montverde Academy — 24-1
2. Long Island Lutheran — 19-2
3. McDonogh — 24-3
4. Westtown — 21-4
Montverde Academy's roster is full of Power 5 players, led by Mississippi State commit
Mjracle Sheppard (11.2 points per game), South Carolina commit
Sahnya Jah (10.1) and Illinois commit
Cori Allen (8.2).
Kate Koval (15.1),
Kayleigh Heckel (15.9) and freshman
Savannah Swords (10.1) power Long Island Lutheran, which won the Nike TOC this season. The Crusaders are led by Naismith Coach of the Year Christina Raiti.
McDonogh features junior
Kennedy Umeh and freshman
Autumn Fleary, while Westtown is led by senior
Grace Sundback, junior
Zahra King and eighth-grader
Jordyn Palmer.
GEICO Nationals scheduleFriday, March 31 - both games on ESPNU (all times ET)McDonogh vs. No. 3 Luhi, 10:30 a.m.
Westtown vs. No. 2 Montverde Academy, 12:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 1 - ESPN2Championship game, 10 a.m.
Long Island Lutheran's Kate Koval leads the No. 3 Crusaders into the GEICO Nationals with a field that includes No. 2 Montverde Academy, McDonogh and Westtown. (Photo: Darin Sicurello)