Ice Water in the Veins: Thrills, Upsets, and Championship Berths on Day 3 of the Chris Smalling Tournament
Day 3 of the Chris Smalling Tournament delivered high-stakes drama, heavyweight clashes, and championship stakes. With spots in division finals on the line, teams were forced to show resilience under intense pressure. From wire-to-wire battles between OSBA juggernauts to powerhouse cross-border tests, Saturday showcased top-tier basketball across the board.
Lincoln Prep Outlasts Orangeville Prep in 78-75 Thriller
When #5 Orangeville Prep and #6 Lincoln Prep meet, the margin for error is razor-thin. With 13 ties and 16 lead changes, this matchup was an instant classic that determined who punched their ticket to the Gold Division championship game.
Lincoln Prep pushed the pace early, leaning on defensive intensity and early transition looks from ESPN top 50 player and Stanford commit, Frances Vollett to spark a 7-0 burst. Orangeville countered behind paint presence from Itunuayo Akinbodeye and high-energy floor-running by Cayenne Buchanan, heading into the second frame trailing just 22-20.
The second quarter turned into an all-out slugfest. Orangeville leaned on crisp ball movement and timely shooting—including a contested corner triple from c/o 2027 guard Mira Tang who was coming back from the injured list—while c/o 2027 Guard Malia Passley scored inside to push Orangeville ahead 44-40 by halftime.
The lead traded hands throughout the third and fourth quarters. Tied at 68 with 4:36 remaining, Frances Vollett stepped into the spotlight, converting a tough and-one, knocking down a three-pointer, and generating trips to the charity stripe on her way to a game-high 27 points.
Leading 75-74 in the final 20 seconds, Lincoln’s defense forced a critical 5-second violation. Vollett split a pair at the line before c/o 2028 point guard Rose Lewis grabbed the ball, absorbed the pressure, and sank two game-sealing free throws to secure a 78-75 win.
Lewis, who finished with 13 points, was instrumental in steadying Lincoln during the chaotic final moments:
“We knew that it was going to be a tough game, but we decided and reminded ourselves to stay together because we knew it was going to be crazy,” said Lewis. “The game's gonna have its ups and downs, but we knew that, and we took our time. The most calm team is gonna win the game, because they don't let the pressure get to them.”
Reflecting on her composure at the stripe, Lewis emphasized the responsibility of leading the floor:
“I knew that they were going to b ring heavy pressure, and my job as a point guard, especially, is just get the ball, calm down, slow it down, and look at time and score. My team runs off of me, and if I'm panicked, they're going to be panicked. So I had to stay calm and we got out with the dub.”
Lincoln Prep head coach Anthony Drouin echoed that collective discipline:
“Really, we're just trying to make it about ourselves. We were trying to do right things to win games, which is defend, rebound, do all the small stuff. Yeah, other than that, man, it was a hard fought game. So proud of the girls.”
Addressing his core trio of Vollett, Lewis, and Samera Jeffers, Drouin credited their selfless approach:
“I'm extremely fortunate. Those are the kind of players that you want to coach. They just make you look good. They listen, follow instruction, they play for each other. Selfless. But I think the whole group performed really well today, one through 11.”
Top Scorers:
Lincoln Prep:
- Frances Vollett (6’2 W c/o 2027 Stanford commit) had a game high 27 points
- Rose Lewis (5’4, PG c/o 2028) had 13 points
- Kaia Wells (6’1, c/o 2029) had 13 points
- Samera Jeffers (6’0 W, 2027) had 12 points
Orangeville Prep:
- Emma Firth (6’0, F c/o 2027) had a team high 17 points
- Mira Tang (5’9, Guard c/o/ 2027) had 11 points
- Malia Passley (5’9 Guard c/o 2027) had 10 points
Next Up: Lincoln Prep advances to face #10 Seminaire Saint-Francois on Sunday at 10:45 AM, while Orangeville Prep takes on R.I.S.E. Basketball.
The St. James Pulls Away from Capital Courts Academy, 74-59
Coming off a nail-biter against Edge Prep, U.S. powerhouse The St. James Performance Academy faced an ambitious Capital Courts Academy (CCA) squad hungry for an upset after dominating Champlain Saint-Lambert.
The St. James established control immediately, utilizing length to clog passing lanes and holding CCA without a field goal for the first 5:30. The St. James capitalized on the defensive glass and leaked out in transition to take a 14-6 lead after one.
CCA fought back in the second quarter, slowing the game down into half-court sets and cutting the deficit to four before The St. James answered with late interior baskets to lead 34-26 at the break.
CCA opened the third with back-to-back banked three-pointers, trimming the deficit to six behind interior scoring from #18 and timely shooting from #15. However, The St. James clamped down to start the fourth. Sparked by GG Banks (17 points) and interior anchor Emily Forrester (10 points), The St. James unleashed a decisive 10-0 run that inflated the lead to 64-48, ultimately securing a 74-59 victory.
Rutgers commit Emily Forrester emphasized sticking to identity against CCA’s frontcourt:
“Honestly, just to go in and do what I know I’m good at and just play my game. Looking forward to the championship, if we stick to our principles and stay disciplined, I think that we have a good chance of winning.”
The St. James Head Coach Tamika Dudley broke down the team’s progression and adjusting to international play:
“I think for us, right now we're playing very undisciplined. We watched film today and really talked about some of the things that we were doing that would help us. I think we did a better job of that today. We still have moments where we played undisciplined, but I think it wasn't as much.”
On adapting to Canadian rules—featuring 40-minute games and a 24-second shot clock:
“The games definitely feel much longer. I feel like it's sped us up some. It keeps us uncomfortable in our offense, which is fine for us, because it's all about growth and maturity, but I think those are the biggest differences for us.”
Looking ahead to their Platinum Division Championship showdown against Crestwood Prep:
“We have to be very, very disciplined because I watched them play and they run their stuff through. They got the talent to expose our weaknesses. We'll probably make adjustments defensively. But ultimately, it's really about us. I try to focus on our kids and what we need to do to get better. Just getting the ball in everyone's hands and making the defense move.”
Top Scorers:
The St. James:
- Jezelle “GG” Banks (5’10, PG c/o 2027 #4 ESPNW, South Carolina commit) had 17 points.
- Ashley Maccalla (5’11, G/W c/o 2027, #16 ESPNW) had 14 points
- Khloe Ison (5’5, PG c/o 2029, #10 ESPNW) had 12 points
- Emily Forrester (6’3, Forward c/o 2027, Rutgers Commit) had 10 points
Capital Courts Academy:
- Siena Petznick (5’10 c/o 2027) had 14 points
- Raf Njeuga (5’11, Forward c/o 2029) had 10 points
- Micah Henry (5’8 Guard c/o 2029) had 10 points
Next Up: The St. James clashes with Crestwood Prep in the Platinum Division Championship Sunday at 12:30 PM. Capital Courts Academy squares off against CÉGEP de Sainte-Foy at 12:15 PM.
JV Spotlight: Lincoln Prep Junior Claims CN Tower Division Title
Lincoln Prep JV earned hardware in dramatic fashion, taking down Southwest JV 73-71 in the CN Tower Division Championship.
Appearing in their second tournament final in a month after finishing as runners-up at Shoot 4 A Cure, Lincoln weathered an early Southwest run before catching fire from beyond the arc in the second quarter.
The second half stayed neck-and-neck until the closing seconds. With 31 seconds remaining on the clock and the game was 70-71 for Southwest, Lincoln’s Sierra Engineer stepped into a cold-blooded three-pointer to take a 73-71 lead. Lincoln locked down on the final possession to secure the stop and hoist the championship trophy.
Leave a Reply