On Wednesday, the Ontario Christian Lady Knights remained undefeated during their opening game against Canadian team Brookswood Secondary at the Nike Tournament of Champions. No. 1 sophomore Kaleena Smith had a triple-double with 21 points, 10 assists and 11 steals, leading the Lady Knights to victory over the Bobcats in a one-sided affair, 89–18.
Smith dismantled the Bobcats' defense, either taking threes or finding the open player for an assist. She also showed that she can score up close or in transition. The Ontario Christian Lady Knights moved up the tournament bracket with the win and will face the Grandview Wolves from Colorado next.
However, while Smith had a triple-double, the other two in the Knights' "Big 3" also shined. Freshman shooting guard Tatianna Griffin had 23 points, seven rebounds and one assist, while freshman center Sydney Douglas had 11 points, four assists, 13 rebounds, two steals and three blocks for a double-double.
This was still during the first day of the Nike Tournament of Champions' Phoenix, Arizona leg, held from Dec. 18-21. Schools participating in the Phoenix leg include Skyline High School, Archbishop Mitty, Bullis, Bishop Macnamara, Mater Dei and Christ the King (New York). Ontario Christian, which has been ranked the No. 1 girls' basketball team in the country, is the favorite to win the tournament.
Kaleena Smith drops 26 points to lead the Ontario Christian to win vs. Grandview in second round
On Day 2 of the Nike Tournament of Champions, the Ontario Christian Lady Knights took on a stronger opponent in the Grandview Wolves on Thursday. As expected, five-star point guard Kaleena Smith rose to the occasion and led the Lady Knights to an 88–70 win over the Wolves, led by No. 2 senior Sienna Betts.
Smith had a double-double with a game-high 26 points, 14 assists, four rebounds and five steals. Her teammates played well too, with Tatianna Griffin adding 20 points, five assists, eight rebounds and four steals, while Sydney Douglas had 12 points, eight rebounds, two steals and four blocks.
Next, Ontario Christian will face Bullis High School on Friday at 6:30 PM PST.
The No. 1 team in the nation is now 13-0 with the win against Grandview on Friday, with victories over powerhouse teams like Mater Dei, Etiwanda, Windward School and Monterey, led by No. 1 senior Aaliyah Chavez. This also means she has won over the No. 1 and the No. 2 prospects from the Class of 2025.