Great teams always love a great test.
“We’re actually up for the challenge. As soon as we heard that we got invited, we were on break, then we started the next day. We were in the gym working,” said St. Frances Academy senior forward Mia Davis.
The best team in St. Frances girls basketball history will get just that. Following a program record 30-0 season, the unbeaten Panthers, ranked tenth in the nation, are on their way to the DICK’s Sporting Goods Nationals in New York City. The four-team, single elimination tournament tips-off Friday. The competition includes the 6th, 13th and 17th ranked teams in the country.
“We’re actually very, very, very excited to be going to a national tournament,” added Davis.
“They are good teams. All of them. All four of them. We know that. We know that we have to play hard every game and just focus,” said St. Frances junior guard Nia Clouden.
The Panthers will face No. 13 Hamilton Heights (Tennessee) in the semifinals Friday at 11:00am to begin tournament play. The game will air live on ESPNU.
This is actually the second go-around for St. Frances in this tournament. They also participated back in 2009, losing their game in that tourney. You better bet that the Panthers are relishing this opportunity to show the country what this program is all about.
“This gives us a chance once again, because you know it’s what have you done lately, to really show the premier program that we are nationally,” said St. Frances head coach Jerome Shelton
In Baltimore, Shawn Stepner, ABC2 News.
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