HEAVYWEIGHTS COLLIDE: #2 CRESTWOOD PREP POWERS PAST #3 ROYAL CROWN IN FRONT OF PACKED CROWD
More than 20 NCAA coaches, top influencers across women’s basketball, and a packed house circled the hardwood at Ontario Tech in Oshawa for the Chris Smalling Tournament. Whenever #2 Crestwood Prep and #3 Royal Crown School share a court, the rivalry runs deep. This chapter lived up to every ounce of the hype, with Crestwood asserting their dominance in an 85–64 statement victory.
From the opening tip, Crestwood Prep set a breakneck tempo, racing out to an early double-digit lead behind relentless downhill attacks from Dinara Horsford and Quinnipiac commit Maayan Gorin.
For Crestwood Prep, that tone was intentional from shootaround.
“Our intention was just come out and play aggressive and be disciplined, like that was the message at the beginning of the game, and I thought we did a pretty good job of that considering.” — Coach Chris Francis
Royal Crown showed the gritty resilience that defines their program. Weathering the initial storm, they began chipping into the deficit behind the poise of Akelia Bailey (21 points) and Reine-Marie Luke (12 points). Just before the halftime buzzer, Bailey buried a tough jumper to cut Crestwood’s advantage back to single digits.
Holy Cross commit Stella Evans knew navigating those swings would decide the contest.
“There's always ups and downs in games, but just kind of sticking together and, you know, bringing the aggression and forcing them to settle down so we can settle down too.” — Stella Evans
THE THIRD-QUARTER SURGE
Horsford set the tone instantly out of the break, knifing through the lane for an easy layup. Playing with an unmistakable chip on her shoulder, she relentlessly got two feet in the paint whenever Crestwood needed a bucket.
“Just knowing I'm the underdog. I feel like I'm very underrated. Just coming in here with a mindset that I just want to win.” — Dinara Horsford
Even when early foul trouble sent c/o 2027 Notre Dame Commit Avery Arije to the bench, Crestwood Prep didn’t blink. They locked down defensively, drew an offensive foul, and executed their sets with surgical precision. Royal Crown answered with high-octane pressure and an electric four-point play opportunity on a converted and-one three, eventually cutting the gap to 11.
Royal Crown threw full-court trapping and zone looks at the Lions, but Crestwood’s backcourt stayed poised. Evans answered with a dagger three-pointer right out of the press to snuff out the rally.
“Even with their pressure, we have good guard leadership, so I wasn't really concerned about that.” — Coach Francis
Size, Length, and the Block Party
By the late third quarter, Crestwood’s length took total control. c/o 2027 6’4 Forward Grace Pongang anchored the paint, finishing with 9 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 blocks, teaming with 6’6 c/o 2029 Center Gabby Fajemirokun to turn the rim into a no-fly zone.
“We're applying a lot more ball pressure for that exact reason because we have the length. So even if we get beat, we still have the length to disrupt them at the rim.” — Coach Francis
A 67–47 cushion with two minutes left in the third swelled further in the fourth. Evans took over scoring duties to finish with 16 points and 6 assists, while Horsford (14 points) continually exploited seams in the defense.
“Just to stay aggressive. Keeping the same high energy. Just because I spent a certain amount of time doesn't mean I have to come out there and be down. You know, I gotta keep going with the same energy because I wanna win.” — Dinara Horsford
BOX SCORE LEADERS
| Team | Player | Class / Pos | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crestwood | Stella Evans | 2027 G (Holy Cross Commit) | 16 PTS, 6 AST |
| Crestwood | Dinara Horsford | 2027 G | 14 PTS |
| Crestwood | Maayan Gorin | 2027 G (Quinnipiac Commit) | 13 PTS |
| Crestwood | Grace Pongang | 2027 F/C | 9 PTS, 12 REB, 5 BLK |
| Royal Crown | Akelia Bailey | 2027 G | 21 PTS (Game High) |
| Royal Crown | Reine-Marie Luke | 2030 G | 12 PTS |
| Royal Crown | Emerald Nnani | 2027 F/C | 9 PTS |
WHAT'S NEXT
Both teams return to the court at Ontario Tech to wrap up tournament action:
- Crestwood Prep vs. Sainte-Foy (Quebec CEGEP) – 1:30 PM
- Royal Crown School vs. Last 1 Best 1 (Buffalo, NY) – 5:05 PM
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