A state champion, three section winners, three section runners-up and a host of perennially strong girls basketball programs make up the field for the annual Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions.
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The tournament, featuring 16-team competition in two divisions, tips off Tuesday at the Santa Barbara, San Marcos and Dos Pueblos gyms and runs through Friday. The Green Division championship game is scheduled for 5:45 p.m. and the Gold Division final is at 7:30, both at SBHS.
St. Joseph returns to defend its Gold Division title. The Knights won the CIF-Southern Section 3-AA and Division 3 State Championship last season. They’re rebuilding this year and playing without returning All-State player and Stanford commit Alyson Beebe, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during the spring.
The other section champions in the Gold Division are Orange Lutheran (3A) and Monroe, winner of the L.A. City Section Division 3 title.
Last season’s CIF finalists include Bishop Montgomery (4AA) and Bonita, which was beaten by Orange Lutheran in the 3A title game.
Santa Barbara and Dos Pueblos are competing in the Gold Division. The host Dons, who finished fourth last year, open against an up-and-coming Yorba Linda team at 7:30 p.m. The high-scoring Chargers face Arroyo Grande at 7:30 at Sovine Gym.
San Marcos and Providence Hall are in the Green Division. Providence Hall, making its tournament debut, plays Valencia of Placentia at 2:15 at San Marcos, and the Royals will be on their home court against Oxnard-Pacifica at 5:45 p.m.
The tournament is never short on marquee talent. Players to watch in the Gold Division include Bishop Montgomery’s Devon Brookshire (16.2 points and 10 rebound per game); Bonita’s 6-3 Brianna Kennedy and 5-10 Sarah Jackson; Yorba Linda guard Alexus Atchley (14.3 ppg); Royal guard Aubree Mitchell (17.8 ppg), the daughter of coach Kinsley Mittel; Buena’s tenacious swing player Taylor McGuire; Ventura’s combo of Meghan Shank (16.8 ppg) and Sam Meyer (14.2 ppg); Peninsula sharpshooer Stephanie Wong (17.2 ppg); Agoura’s multi-talented Kylie Cunningham (18.2 ppg); Orange Lutheran 6-3 post player Jesse Spittel; Bell-Jeff’s 6-foot Mariah Bankhead and point guard Rishonda Napier; Arroyo Grande’s high-scoring tandem of Heather Madrigal (15.7) and 6-1 Emma Weinrich (15.2 ppg).
The Green Division features a defensive-minded Los Alamitos team that is allowing under 40 points a game and a player who is averaging 27 — Menlo’s Drew Edelman. Menlo is coached by athletic legend John Paye. A three-sport star back in the early 80s, he led Menlo to the 1983 CIF boys state basketball title, beating Oxnard’s Santa Clara. He later went on to start at quarterback for Stanford’s football team and play point guard for the basketball team. He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers and was on the 1988 team that won the Super Bowl. He got into coaching and, with his younger sister on the team, guided Menlo’s girls to three state titles in 1989, 90 and 91.
Some of the other featured players in the Green Division include Morro Bay’s 6-3 Hannah Gilbert (15.3 ppg), Alicia Mehtlan (14.1 ppg) from Willits; Rio Mesa’s Riley Abraham (13 ppg, 15 rpg) and Oak Park’s Leah Greenberg (12.6).
