Gritty Victory Under the Friday Night Lights: #2 Crestwood Prep Pulls Away Late Against Upstart Rose Academy
It had all the makings of a classic Friday night trap game. A packed, rowdy house at Crestwood Prep, music pumping, high energy—and an unranked Rose Academy squad rolling in looking to sneak out with a statement victory against the #2 team in the First Step Sports Prep Rankings.While Crestwood ultimately secured a 60–37 victory, the scoreboard doesn't tell the whole story of a physical, gritty battle that tested both programs in different ways.
First Half: Rose Academy Comes Out Swinging
Crestwood started the evening noticeably out of sync, and Rose Academy capitalized early. Shekinah Bonney (c/o 2028) took on the offensive load for Rose, sinking back-to-back three-pointers in a quick-fire sequence to keep the game tight. Rose relentlessly attacked the rim, drawing fouls and earning repeated trips to the free-throw line. Alongside Boney, Taya Willemsen (c/o 2029) proved to be a dominant force in the paint, making life difficult for Crestwood's interior defense early on.
Crestwood stayed afloat thanks to pure hustle and scrappy defensive play. The Lions were diving for loose balls and forcing tie-ups in the lane, but costly turnovers kept the Rose Academy crowd loud and engaged.
Stabilizing the ship for Crestwood in the second quarter was Dinara “DD Handlez” Horsford (c/o 2027). Horsford delivered a solid two-way performance, dropping 7 of her 11 points in the second quarter—highlighted by a big-time corner three. Meanwhile, Boney continued her surge for Rose with an 8-point quarter of her own. Behind strong board work from transfer Grace Pangong, Crestwood managed to take a narrow 31–26 lead into the locker room at halftime.
Second Half: Board Control and Conditioning Take Over
The turning point came early in the third quarter when Bonney picked up her third foul and was forced to the bench. With Rose's primary scorer sidelined, Crestwood dialed up the defensive intensity and began to tighten its grip on the game.
The frontcourt tandem of 6'6" forward/center Gabby Fajemirokun (c/o 2029) and Grace Pangong completely owned the glass, preventing second-chance opportunities for Rose. Out on the perimeter, Abby Taweel (6'0" W, c/o 2028) hit crucial second-half shots to stretch the defense. Crestwood closed out the third quarter with key defensive stops, taking a 43–34 lead into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, Crestwood’s depth and conditioning took full control. Costly fouls and turnovers by Rose Academy led to easy transition points for the Lions. Kaylan Crocker (6'1" F, c/o 2028) put the game out of reach, scoring 7 of her 13 points in the final quarter as Crestwood opened up a 20-point cushion with 3:30 remaining and never looked back.
Stat Leaders
Crestwood Prep Lions
Grace Pangong: 18 rebounds (Dominant interior presence)
Kaylan Crocker: 13 points
Dinara "DD Handlez" Horsford: 11 points
Maayan Gorin (5'7" G, c/o 2027): 11 points
Rose Academy
Shekinah Bonney: 10 points
Post-Game Quotes
Basil Rose (Director & Head Coach, Rose Academy)
Basil Rose on his team's performance: "
I think we came out in the 1st half and we were executing and we got a solid job. I think we're a 1st-year program, and this is our 2nd game ever, and we didn't execute in the 4th quarter and 3rd quarter when it really came down to it."
His take on playing top OSBA competition in a packed environment:
"I think it comes down to execution, finishing layups. Being nervous in front of crowds, and, you know, this is some of these girls' first time ever playing in this environment—packed gym, Friday night. Now we're saying, 'Here you go, you're a star.' It comes down to execution."
Grace Pangong (Center, Crestwood Prep c/o 2027)
Grace on her home debut and grabbing 18 rebounds:
"It was my 1st game here, and I really wanted to do good. I really want my team to succeed and help them be their best. I'm a good rebounder and I know it, so I just wanna do what I know I can do."
Chris Francis (Head Coach, Crestwood Prep)
Coach Francis on pulling out the home win:
"It was good. Emotions were high, you know, the crowd was loud, music was playing, but overall, I thought it was a good gritty win. I felt like we matched their physicality and aggression, which has been a focus of ours all preseason."
Coach Francis on the second-half turnaround:
"I don't know if we really made many changes. I just thought that our conditioning was kind of the difference. I thought we just kept going and going and going, and because of that, we were able to consistently make some shots."
The Takeaway
Rose Academy showed significant promise as a first-year program, proving they can run toe-to-toe with elite OSBA competition for 40 minutes. But Crestwood Prep demonstrated why they hold the #2 ranking in the country: conditioning, elite rim protection, rebounding depth, and the ability to turn up the defensive pressure when the game is on the line.
Photos Courtsey of: Crestwood Prep & Levy Kazamba
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