Exodus 16U Halts D-1 Bound; Wins Rose Classic Chip
Premuiun: Top Performers
BROOKLYN, NY- Already one of the most anticipated games of the year, the Rose Classic Championship Game on Sunday would pit two of the more dominant teams in the tournament with Exodus 16u taking on D1 Bound.
Exodus is loaded with some of the top Class of 2018 players in the area, while D1 Bound is led by many of the top Class of 2017 girls from New York and New Jersey. Add that up and you have the makings of what looked to be a great title game from J.H.S. 113 in Fort Greene.
From the start though this proved to be all about Exodus as they were hungry and determined to take the championship as they got out to a quick lead and never trailed in ultimately taking a 55-40 victory.
Coming into Sunday afternoon there was a feeling that this could be the day Exodus finally brought home the Rose Classic spring title. D1 Bound were missing Andra Espinoza-Hunter (Ossining '17) and Milicia Reid (The Patrick School, NJ '17) whom both have already left to enroll at UConn and Ole Miss respectively, while Raven Farley-Clark (Queen of Peace, NJ '17) was graduating from high school on Sunday meaning she was unavailable for the contest as well.
D1 Bound still had more than enough talent to compete, but Exodus is a true team, playing on the Nike EYBL circuit together and having built a chemistry that would make them tough to take down.
Right out of the gate it was a defensive clinic by Exodus who pressured out on the perimeter, denying Angelique Rodriguez (Capital Prep, CT '17) the opportunities to shoot from behind the arc and taking away for the most part her greatest skill set.
Exodus offensively was able to find their way early on as Dara Mabrey (Manasquan, NJ '18) and Aziah Hudson (Baldwin '18) each hit three balls in the first 5 minutes of the game as the two combined to score 15 of the team's first 18 points as they built an 18-6 lead with 8:40 to go in the half.
Qadashah Hoppie (The Patrick School, NJ '17) would begin to find her rhythm for D1 Bound as she would attack down the lane and finish at the rim, or get herself to the FT line where she was solid on the day, but without much help it was proving to be difficult for her squad to get back into the game, still trailing at the break 25-13.
Even though D1 Bound was down by 12 at the half you knew that the Mike Toro coached team wouldn't quit. They would give it all they had in hopes of getting themselves back into the game, which is exactly what they set out to do early in the second half.
Tori Harris (Half Hollow Hills West '17) began to help Hoppie offensively as she would connect on a pair of step back jumpers from just inside the arc, and with Breyenne Bellerand (Immaculate Conception, NJ '17) also proving to be a solid weapon around the rim, the Exodus lead would be cut to 29-24 with just over 10 minutes still to play.
It wasn't time to panic for Exodus head coach Tom Catapano, but he needed a big play to right the ship and get momentum back on their side, and when Grace Stone (Long Island Lutheran '18) converted on a runner down the lane while falling down, that seemed to do the trick as that would soon be followed by a Mabrey short pull-up, and a Lola Mullaney (Manasquan, NJ '19) finish off a 2 on 1 to push the Exodus lead back to a comfortable territory.
The likes of Harris and Hoppie did all they could to stay within striking distance, but Exodus just had too many weapons and wouldn't be stopped as they did a great job defending the D1 Bound shooters, while also making enough offensive plays to come away with the championship, defeating D1 Bound, 55-40.
Leading the way with 17 points, Mabrey was named Championship Game MVP, while also being awarded the Rose Classic Season Long Sportsmanship Award as well. Mullaney had 10 of her 12 points in the second half, while Hudson also chipped in with 11 points in the title game win.
A great season for D1 Bound would finish just short of their goal of winning a 4th straight Rose Classic spring title. Hoppie did all she could though in scoring 16 points in the defeat, while Harris would add 12 points as well for D1.
The Rose Classic also would name their Season Long MVP, Sportsmanship, and First Team All-Rose Classic at halftime of the championship game as well, and here are they recipients:
MVP
Kadaja Bailey- NYC Heat (St. Mary's '18)
Sportsmanship Award
Dara Mabrey- Exodus 16u (Manasquan, NJ '18)
First Team
Emily Engstler- New Heights (St. Francis Prep '18)
Teisha Hyman- Hoopers NY (Woodlands '19)
Brianna Livingston- Toronto Matrix (Wilfred Laurier, CAN '17)
Grace Heeps- NY Havoc (Northfield Mount Hermon, MA '19)
Caroline Lau- Connecticut Impact (St. Luke's, CT '22)
