Troy senior guard Kianna Smith was one of 24 players in the nation selected Sunday to play in the McDonald’s All-American girls basketball game on March 29 at the United Center in Chicago.
The Cal-bound combo guard one of California’s four participants chosen to represent the West squad.
“She was off the chart, super excited,” Warriors coach Roger Anderson said of Smith when she notified of her selection. “At shootaround today the girls had balloons for her. They were clapping for her as soon as she walked in the gym. They all know the significance of it.
“When we’re talking about an individual to represent her class as a McDonald’s All-American, there couldn’t be a better poster child for it than Kianna.”
Smith, ranked by ESPN as the No. 21 recruit in the country, is averaging 21.4 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 2.7 steals.
On Monday night, she led Troy with a game-high 26 points in a 52-44 victory over Redondo Union in the Martin Luther King Jr. Shoot-Out at Serra High in Gardena.
The Warriors will play three more games this week, including a Freeway League showdown with Sonora at home on Friday night. Troy will then travel to Fresno to play state-ranked Clovis West on Saturday night.
AROUND THE COUNTY
• Laguna Hills will travel to Dana Hills on Tuesday night for a game between the Sea View League favorites. The Dolphins are winners of 10 straight and have built up a 15-3 record behind junior guard Peyton Romo, who leads the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game. The Hawks (10-7) are led by talented freshman Kayla Chang, who at 19.8 points per game is amongst the county’s leaders in scoring.
• Rosary’s Kate Goostrey is another talented freshman who has been impressive in her debut campaign. The point guard is second on the team in scoring at 12.6 points per outing. Against top-ranked Mater Dei last week, there were times Goostrey played like the best player on the court. Her hustle was unrivaled in that matchup. If she can continue to contribute at that level, Rosary (14-2) looks capable of playing deep into the postseason in Division 2AA.
• Tustin (17-2) extended its win streak to 13 games last week with Empire League blowouts of Western and Valencia. The Tillers can solidify their status this week as the team to beat, as they travel to take on Pacifica (14-4) on Tuesday before hosting Kennedy (15-3) on Friday. The Tillers share first in the league standings with Kennedy.
• Fairmont Prep opens San Joaquin League play this week after a brutal three-game stretch in which the Huskies lost to Mark Keppel, Windward and Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep of San Francisco. After struggling against full-court pressure in each of those losses, Fairmont will focus on getting back to the fundamentals this week. “Turnovers and not taking care of the ball is what’s killing us,” Coach Dave Esparza said. “We’ve turned the ball over way too much. We’re not taking care of it. And we’ve got to work on the offensive and defensive glass a little bit and stop giving up second chances.”
• Nonleague games of note on Saturday include Bishop’s of La Jolla at JSerra at 5 p.m., Troy at Clovis West at 5 p.m., North Torrance at Mater Dei at 7 p.m. and Windward at Orangewood Academy at 7 p.m.
