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Lady X Tournament

In one of the more exciting Championship games at the Lady X Tournament Millennium defeated Perry in an overtime thriller in which Tournament MVP Kassady Dixon delivered a last second assist to Sophomore Guard Mia Amundsen, who was able to drain a game winning 3 as time expired.  The matchup showcased the 2018 Champion vs the 2019 Champion.   While this year's tournament did not have all the perennials powers that it usually showcases, presumable due to it postponement from its June slot due to the the pandemic, it did not disappoint in terms of game play and excitement.  What follows are some take a ways that we have about the teams that made the Lady X Tournament a success in 2020.   Millennium (Finished #1 with an Overtime victory over Perry) is still talented.  They have a D1 committ in Kassidy Dixon (GCU) and a top 5 Freshman in Ellie Guiney.  However they are not still a defensive minded program. In the past the Tigers would hang their hat o...
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6A Contender: Pinnacle


Many changes have come to Pinnacle.  A coaching change, most likely a stylistic change, and maybe even a player change.  Head Coach Rick Bunger has resigned after several years of success leading the Pioneers a Final Four appearance in 2020.  In comes Erica Farnsworth from Shadow Mountain, where she appeared in several Final Fours in 4A and won the 2019 State Title.  Bunger’s style was man to man defense and motion offense with a set of movements that allowed for players to make plays.  Farnsworth’s style, in the past few years at Shadow Mountain, was a zone-based defense both half court and full court, with a set-based offense.  The question is how well do the Pinnacle players transition to this different coaching styles. 
On paper Pinnacle has the two of the biggest pieces in place for success.  First is senior guard Ally Stedman.  She is one of the best off the dribble shooters in the state and can really get her teammates open.  Steadman led the Pioneers in scoring with 18 points a game.  The second is 6’6” Jr. Center Kennedy Basham.  Basham has the ability, with her size to finish around the hoop, block shots, and rebound.  If the Pioneers go to a zone-based defense and plant Basham in the paint, they could really difficult to score on.
In addition to their top two prospects the Pioneers will lean on Jr Guard, Lilah Moore, Sr. Guard Sydney Murphy, and Sr. Guard Shay Figueroa.  All were integral pieces in 2019-20’s success.  If these players take the next step they have a realistic chance to win a championship in 2021. 
The biggest questions for the Pioneers going forward will be how do they transition to the new coaching staff. As well as will their top players stay at Pinnacle, or will they be lured to one of the Prep Schools in Phoenix?  Both Basham and Steadman play club for teams that have started Prep Schools, I would not be surprised if they choose to jump to a Prep School at some point in their careers. 

Up next: Xavier College Prep

P.S.  At the time of the writing of this article, no players have announced that they will be leaving Pinnacle to pursue basketball opportunities elsewhere.  

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In one of the more exciting Championship games at the Lady X Tournament Millennium defeated Perry in an overtime thriller in which Tournament MVP Kassady Dixon delivered a last second assist to Sophomore Guard Mia Amundsen, who was able to drain a game winning 3 as time expired.  The matchup showcased the 2018 Champion vs the 2019 Champion.   While this year's tournament did not have all the perennials powers that it usually showcases, presumable due to it postponement from its June slot due to the the pandemic, it did not disappoint in terms of game play and excitement.  What follows are some take a ways that we have about the teams that made the Lady X Tournament a success in 2020.   Millennium (Finished #1 with an Overtime victory over Perry) is still talented.  They have a D1 committ in Kassidy Dixon (GCU) and a top 5 Freshman in Ellie Guiney.  However they are not still a defensive minded program. In the past the Tigers would hang their hat o...
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