Golden Eagles dominate Central Valley Showdown

Nikki Tom lines up a free throw and knocks it down as part of her 17 points in the Golden Eagles 80-44 win over Oak Ridge in the Nike Central Valley Showdown Dec. 7. (Michael Ford/Clovis Roundup)

The Clovis West girls basketball team has made it crystal clear, it isn’t resting on its laurels after winning the Central Section championship for the seventh straight time last season.

And the proof is in the pudding.

Clovis West went undefeated at the Nike Central Valley Showdown over the weekend, and in the process made the statement that there will be no drop off.

The Golden Eagles finished off the tournament with a dominant 80-44 victory over Oak Ridge, improving the team’s record to 7-0.

Junior shooting guard Nikki Tom led the way in scoring with 17 points, including seven in a third quarter that saw the Golden Eagles open up a 42-point lead.

Clovis West whipped the ball around the perimeter of the court with sharp, quick passes; the biggest beneficiaries being Alyssa Kuniyoshi, Aaliyah Seuell and Tom, who combined for 16 points in the period.

“We’re a very good shooting team,” head coach Craig Campbell said. “The ball movement was good… we just made shot that we make everyday in practice.”

Also in double figures were Justyce Harris with 14, followed by Etoyah Montgomery and Aaliyah Seuell, both with 10.

But the calling card under head coach Campbell is a tenacious, full-court press on defense.

“We had to get them out of their structure and what they do everyday. We have multiple pressing schemes,” Campbell said. “They were too comfortable in what we started out in, so we wanted to get more man pressure on the ball.”

The Golden Eagles constantly harassed Oak Ridge in the backcourt, forcing bad passes that led to turnovers and transition baskets both at the rim and on kickouts for threes when the defense recovered.

It all translated to yet another dominant win. No team has gotten within 18 points of the Golden Eagles once the final buzzer sounds, and the average margin of victory during the tournament was 31.5 points.

Next up, the Golden Eagles host 1-5 Elk Grove on Tuesday before heading on the road to face Modesto Christian.

Michael graduated from Fresno State in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in print journalism. During his time at the university, he served as sports and managing editor for The Collegian, Fresno State’s student-run newspaper. In addition to the Clovis Roundup, Michael has written for The Fresno Bee, the Kingsburg Recorder and Selma Enterprise. He has a passion for sports and can be found on the sidelines at local games, bringing the citizens of Clovis the athletics news they deserve.