Tag Archives: Cleveland-Makayla Roper

Back to Back State Titles for Cleveland

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Saturday March 8th 2014 3A Girls Basketball
Tacoma Dome 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Cleveland 18 15 6 15 54
Bishop Blanchet 12 13 10 10 45

Back to Back State Titles for Cleveland
By Colin Caruso

Both the girls 3A and boys 3A state championship games featured teams from the Metro leagues in Seattle. This girls state championship game saw the Cleveland Eagles, undefeated in the state of Washington and 23-2 overall against the 20-4 Bishop Blanchet Braves. They faced off earlier this season just one time, resulting in a 65-50 Cleveland victory.

Cleveland won the state title last season over the Seattle Prep Panthers and the Eagles returned four of their five starters from that team. They were clearly the title favorites going into the year, and their perfect in state record kept them favorites in this matchup.

Led by 11 points from star guard Makayla Roper in the first quarter, the Eagles jumped out to an early lead. With balanced scoring the Braves closed the Eagle lead to six going into the second. With Roper not scoring a point in the second frame, the Eagles were still able to extend their lead. Myzhanique Ladd picked up what Roper left behind, adding seven points in the second to take a 33-25 lead into halftime.

The scoring dramatically slowed on both sides in the third quarter. Just six points from the Eagles allowed the Braves to get back into this ballgame. Great defense on both sides sparked the lack of offensive production. Blanchet cut the lead to four entering the fourth.

Blanchet continued to battle with the mighty Eagles in the final quarter. The lead was five for Cleveland with three minutes to play. Ladd was fouled on a coast to coast layup attempt and hit one of two to put the Eagles up six. After a Blanchet miss, Jayde Christopher converted on a layup to extend the lead to eight with under two minutes to play. After a Braves turnover Ladd added a floater to go up ten, effectively ending the game. This makes back to back titles for the Eagles, and three in the last five years for Coach Stephenie Wheeler-Smith.

Top Performers:
Cleveland
Myzhanique Ladd – 16 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals
Makayla Roper – 17 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals

Bishop Blanchet
Jadyn Bush – 10 points, 12 rebounds

Girls- Cleveland sneaks by Seattle Prep and wins Sea-King 3A District Title

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Saturday- Feb. 16 2013 – 3A – SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Prep 6 6 15 9 36
Cleveland 13 8 4 12 37


Girls- Cleveland sneaks by Seattle Prep and wins Sea-King 3A District Title
By Colin Caruso

In a rematch of the Metro championship, the Seattle Prep Panthers faced off against the Cleveland Eagles.  Cleveland began the game on a 13-4 run, controlling the pace of play and executing in transition.  The Eagles stifling defense held the Panthers to just six points in the quarter, and Cleveland took a 13-6 lead into the second.

The Panthers still couldn’t get their offense on track in the second quarter.  Six turnovers in the period for the Panthers and again they scored just six points; give the credit to the full court defense by the Eagles and not allowing Prep to use their size in the interior.  Cleveland also struggled from the field in the second, committing five turnovers and making just two shots.  Cleveland took a 21-12 lead into halftime.

The seal was removed from the basket for the Panthers in the third.  Prep controlled the quarter and outscored the Eagles 15-4, crashing the offensive glass and capitalizing on second chance points.  The Panthers zone began to cause Cleveland problems, forcing the Eagles into deeper contested shots that did not fall.  Senior Holly Tonry led the comeback for the Panthers with a quarter high six points.  Prep took their first lead of the game on a three by junior Mary Ann Santucci, and closed the quarter ahead 27-25.

The final quarter was close throughout, with the lead changing hands multiple times.  Prep struggled again from the field, making only two shots in the quarter, both from Tonry.  Cleveland snagged the lead from the Panthers with a free-throw from Myzhanique Ladd, 35-34 with 1:46 remaining.  Prep answered with two free-throws from senior Michaela Carew, taking the lead back with 13 seconds to play.  Ladd drove on the final Eagle possession, got fouled and went back to the line.  She sunk both free-throws with five seconds left and closed out the contest, 37-36.

Top Performers:
Seattle Prep
Holly Tonry (11 points, 3 steals)
Quinn Glosniak (6 points, 8 rebounds)
Mary Ann Santucci (7 points, 3 blocks, 3 rebounds, 3 steals)

Cleveland
Makayla Roper (13 points)
Jayde Christopher (7 points, 4 steals)
Myzhanique Ladd (9 points)

Cleveland Wins a Nail Biter vs. Prep, Wins 3A Metro Title

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Friday- Feb. 8 -2013- Metro League Championship
Garfield High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Prep 11 7 13 9 40
Cleveland 8 14 14 7 43


Seattle Prep Senior Holly Tonry on the Dish


Cleveland Wins a Nail Biter vs. Prep, Wins 3A Metro Title
By Colin Caruso 

The stakes were high in a rematch of their December fifth meeting; the winner to take the #1 seed into the Sea-King district.  Cleveland topped Prep by five in their first contest, 42-37.  Seattle Prep started in a defensive 2-3 and occasional box and one zone, catching the Cleveland Eagles off guard and holding them to just eight first quarter points, all by Makayla Roper.  Prep took the lead after the first 11-8, led by senior Michaela Carew with seven.

Turnovers plagued the Panthers in the second quarter, losing the ball five times compared to Cleveland’s two.  Cleveland began the quarter on a 12-2 run, led by junior Alexia Mefi with seven points.  Prep’s Mary Ann Santucci kept the Panthers in the quarter with her first five points of the contest to cut the halftime lead to just four, 22-18.

The third quarter saw back and forth scoring, with the Eagles maintaining a slight lead.  Carew led the Panthers again in the third with eight points, while five Eagles scored field goals in the quarter.  Cleveland took a 36-31 lead into the final period.

Both teams maintained their excellent defense in the fourth quarter.  Each team forced five turnovers and neither team was able to get into an offensive rhythm.  Carew went down early in the fourth with an ankle injury, but Prep continued to battle without their leading scorer.  Clutch baskets down the stretch by Eagle junior Alexia Mefi secured the win for Cleveland, 43-40.

Top Performers:
Seattle Prep
Michaela Carew (16),
Nicole Hall (9)
Mary Ann Santucci (9)

Cleveland
Alexia Mefi (15)
Makayla Roper (15)

Cleveland Spoils Senior Night at Holy Names

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Cleveland Spoils Senior Night at Holy Names
By Colin Caruso 

Friday- February 1 2013 Metro 3A
Holy Names Academy 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Cleveland 22 18 13 10 63
Holy Names 8 8 7 7 30

The matchup between two of the best girls teams in Washington State ended in a blowout, with the Cleveland Eagles beating the Holy Names Cougars by a score of 63-30.  This game pitted two 17-2 teams and what seemed to be the elite of the incredible Metro League head to head on Senior Night at Holy Names.

Cleveland started the contest on a 10-0 run, forcing nine first quarter turnovers and capitalizing on transition baskets.  The Eagles distributed the ball well in the first quarter, with six of their players scoring in the period.

Cleveland did not lay off the gas in the second quarter.  The same six players each scored again in the second, moving the ball well and keeping the Cougars off balance giving the Eagles wide open looks.  Cleveland called full court defensive traps early in the first and second quarters, forcing turnovers and catching Holy Names on their heels.  When Holy Names did get the ball up the floor, their half court sets were rushed and out of sync.  Credit the relentless Cleveland defense in the first half for forcing 18 turnovers and giving up only 18 points.

With their big lead, Cleveland sat in a 2-3 zone for a good portion of the second half, not pressing or trapping on defense.  The Cougars attempted to get back in the game by taking deep three pointers, but only converted on two of them in the second half.

Watch out for Cleveland (18-2) come tournament time, they beat #1 ranked Wilson in the King Holiday Hoopfest and obviously handled a very good Holy Names (17-3) easily on Friday night.

Leading Scorers:
Cleveland
Makayla Roper (16)
Myzhanique Ladd (14)

Holy Names
Casey Pelz (10)
Camariah King (6)