April 3, 2009

Brandon Clay
Special to Rivals High

Coral Gables, Fla. ? The McDonald's All American Game has always been a stage for the future stars of women's college basketball to shine. The eighth annual game, held Wednesday night at the Bank United Center, was no exception.

Skylar Diggins, a 5-foot-8 guard from Washington (South Bend, Ind.) High who is ranked No. 3 in the Class of 2009 by RivalsHigh.com, put on a show. The Notre Dame signee scored a game-high 18 points for the East and earned co-MVP honors, but it wasn't enough as the West won 69-68.

Here's a look at how some of the other stars fared during Wednesday's game.

EAST

Kelsey Bone, Dulles (Sugarland, Texas) High: Bone had 10 points, on 5-of-15 shooting, and five rebounds in 19 minutes. Bone, who committed to play for South Carolina in an interview during the game, managed to score double digits despite seeming a little out of sync all night long.

Jasmine Hassell, Wilson Central (Lebanon, Tenn) High: Hassell had six points, on 3-of-4 shooting, in 14 minutes. The 6-foot-2 Georgia signee brought much-needed energy off the bench. With the depth at the post on the team, she received limited minutes but was productive when she was in the game.

TaShauna Rodgers, Kings Folk (Suffolk, Va.) High: Rodgers had 10 points, on 3-of-9 shooting, and five rebounds in 20 minutes. The Georgetown signee showed her range, knocking down three 3-point shots ? two during second-half runs that got the East back in the game.

Joslyn Tinkle, Big Sky (Missoula, Mont.) High: Tinkle had seven points, on 3-of-7 shooting, with five rebounds and five blocks in 21 minutes. Tinkle, a Stanford signee, gave opposing coaches in the Pac-10 reason to be nervous with her performance. At a solid 6-3, Tinkle was a force in the paint and stepped out to hit a 3-pointer midway through the first half.

WEST

Gennifer Brandon, Chatsworth (Sylmar, Calif.) High: Brandon had 10 points, going 3-of-8 from the field and 4-of-5 at the free-throw line, and five rebounds in 20 minutes. Brandon was one of four California signees to take part in the game. She did her part, providing solid play underneath and getting ahead of the East's slower post players in transition.

Christina Marinacci, Foothill (Santa Ana, Calif.) High: Marinacci had 11 points, hitting three of five 3-pointers and both of her foul shots, five rebounds and three steals in 18 minutes. Southern California coach Mark Trach has to feel good about the performance that Marinacci, a 6-2 wing, turned in Wednesday night. The USC commitment kept the East at bay, hitting key shots to stop potential runs.

Tierra Ruffin-Pratt, T.C. Williams (Alexandria, Va.) High: Ruffin-Pratt had 10 points, on 5-of-15 shooting, and 10 rebounds in 23 minutes. The co-MVP and North Carolina signee had the only double-double of the game. She led all players in rebounds as well as minutes played and was constantly active on both ends all night.

Taber Spani, Metro Academy (Lee's Summit, Mo.): Spani had 11 points, on 3-of-12 shooting, and four rebounds in 22 minutes. The stat line wasn't pretty, but Spani ? a Tennessee signee ? showed in the second half why Pat Summitt and her staff are so excited to have her on campus in the fall. She had eight points in the second half after struggling from the field early.

DeNesha Stallworth, Pinole Valley (Richmond, Calif.) High: Stallworth had 11 points, on 5-of-11 shooting, and three rebounds in 21 minutes. Another one of the California contingent, Stallworth helped clog up the lane on defense while converting scoring chances on the other end. Stallworth, a 6-3 post player, and Brandon will give Cal coach Joanne Boyle plenty of post options next year.

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