FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Michael Whittington

Vice President StatVA

(757) 202-5974

mwhittington@statva.com

2013 STATVA GIRLS CLASSIC PRESENTED BY QUANITRA HOLLINGSWORTH

Saturday January 12, 2013 Highland Springs High School Richmond, VA

StatVA is proud to begin the year with the 2013 StatVA Girls Basketball Classic that will showcase the top talents in the Commonwealth of Virginia. StatVA is partnering with WNBA star and 2012 Olympian Quanitra Hollingsworth to present the best teams in Virginia on Saturday January 12^th at Highland Springs High School (Richmond, VA). Below you will find information on the teams participating, game schedule, and how to pre-order tickets for the event at a discounted price.

11:30 am: Woodside High School (Newport News, VA) vs. Thomas Edison High School (Alexandria, VA)

Woodside comes into the first matchup with arguably the best player in the event as Adrienne Motley (27 ppg) an all start first team performer and University of Miami signee takes the floor. The Wolverines enter the matchup as defending Eastern Regional champions and champions of the Boo Williams/Ronald Curry Christmas Tournaments elite division. Woodside however is not a one man team as G/F Aianna Kelly (15 ppg)(Presbyterian) adds a second D1 player to the Woodside roster.

The Edison Eagles enter the contest led by veteran Coach Dianne Lewis and are led by 6'0 Sr. Sheila Sherrill (14 ppg) and a pair of talented freshman guards in Megan Hendrick (11 ppg) and Jada Graves (10 ppg) The Lady Eagles won Lady Crusader Holiday Tournament over the Christmas break and will provide Woodside some quality competition for the early game.

1:15 pm: Franklin Co High School (Rocky Mount, VA) vs. Spotswood High School (Penn Laird, VA)

Franklin County traveled to Tennessee over the Christmas break and recorded a fifth place finish in Frank (Doc) Maples Hoops Invitational. Anne Crutchefield's Lady Eagles are led by guard Charmain Hairston a two time all Northwest region player and post Brianna Taylor. So far on the season the Lady Eagles have three loses by a combined 11 points.

The Spotswood Blazers come into the event as they will represent the Group AA being led by Coach and 12 year veteran Chris Dodson. Spotswood is led by a trio of players that average double figures in Bailey Williams (UNCG) leads the trio averaging 17.5 ppg 6 ast. 6 stl and 5 rebs per contest. Taylor Dodson averages a double- double (16.5 ppg and 10.5 rebs) Elizabeth Dofflemyer (10ppg) completes the trio that will look to get the first victory for a AA school in the event (0-2 all time).

3:00 pm: Woodrow Wilson (Portsmouth, VA) vs. Forest Park (Woodbridge, VA)

Forest Park High School from the Northwest Region takes on Eastern Region contender Woodrow Wilson in a rematch of the 2004 state championship game won by Forest Park 59-51. Long gone are Coach Christina Kelly and former UVA and current Minnesota Lynx star Monica Wright, but the 2012-13 Bruins are led by successful coach Rebecca Tillett and current UVA signee guard Breyana Mason (25 ppg 9 rebs and 5 asst) and Amber Mixon (10 ppg).

The Bruins continue their tradition of playing tough opponents in season and Wilson will be one as the Presidents are still led by Coach Roger Smith who also led the Presidents to that 2004 title game. The Presidents have talented G/F Monnazjea Finney-Smith (VCU) who was the Eastern District Offensive Player of the Year in 2012, and a host of younger players including dynamic freshman point guard Mariah Coker. The Presidents have size as they have a pair of 6'0 twins in 6'3 Jannen Camp and her twin 6'0 Janay.

4:45 pm: Western Branch (Chesapeake, VA) vs. Cosby (Chesterfield, VA)

Cosby enters this matchup bolstered by the play of Junior F Dorothy Adomako (23 ppg 10 rebs) an all-metro performer since she entered Cosby, and fantastic freshman and UNC commit guard Jocelyn Jones (14 ppg 6 reb) Cosby has two terrific players, but some believe neither is as important as floor general and leader G Adriane Vaughan (10 ppg, 5 assists, 3.9 steals) Cosby has been on a roll all season and standing in their way is the Virginian-Pilot's Preseason #1 ranked girls basketball team, the Western Branch Bruins, led by three D1 players in Sr's F/C Da'Lisha Griffin (JMU) (15ppg 13rpg 2.5bpg ) and G Shanese Harris (UNC-Greensboro) (12 ppg 6 rebs).

Junior F Alexis McKay (10ppg 6 reb) is a versatile player for Coach Troy Terry that should be the third D1 player on this team as she will sign next season. A tough out of conference schedule has seen the Bruins face Osbourn Park (Manassas), William Fleming (Roanoke), and host Highland Springs so the Bruins will be battle tested.

6:30 pm: L.C. Bird High School (Chesterfield, VA) vs. Maury High School (Norfolk, VA)

The Maury Commodores are the youngest team in the event as they start four sophomores, but they are sophomores with talent as sophomores Gianna Smith (G/F) (20 ppg 8 rebs) and blazing fast point guard Chanette Hicks (15 ppg 9 asst 7 stls) per game lead the charge. The Commodores entered the season off a surprise run to Eastern Regional Semifinals a year ago and look to build as the nucleus of the team returned intact. Hicks and Smith are garnering D1 looks already as schools such as ODU, Richmond, and Virginia Tech already contacting Coach Jermaine Woods for their services.

L.C. Bird is traditionally a Dominion District power in girls basketball and this year is no different as Coach Chevette Waller's Lady Skyhawks are led by a trio of players averaging double figures in Taja Cole (17ppg 4 stls), Monica Alexander (10ppg) and Quenswayla Story (10ppg 8 rebs) Cole only a sophomore has stepped up to help the young Skyhawks as they lost a few key pieces from a season ago.

8:00 pm: Mount Vernon High School (Alexandria, VA) vs. Highland Springs (Richmond, VA)

Mount Vernon comes into the nightcap with six players averaging double figures and three players signed to play at the next level. Mount Vernon lost only two games last season both to state champion Oakton Cougars. The Lady Majors returned majority of their scoring from a year ago and are led by Hofstra commit Kelly Loftus (18ppg) Naval Academy signee Taylor Dunham (13 ppg) and Barton College signee Tiffany Webster (10 ppg) Jr guard Chanel Shannon (14 ppg) Fr. Wing Erin Young (11 ppg) and Jr. forward Samantha Porter (10 ppg) are also capable scores for Coach Courtney Coffer's Lady Majors.

Highland Springs advanced to the Group AAA State Semifinals in 2012, and return key contributors on that team with a pair of signed players in Radford signees Kermisha Clark (16 ppg 5 reb) and De'June' Robinson (15 ppg 4 reb) lead Coach Franklin Harris' uptempo system. The Lady Springers are considered one of the top programs in the Richmond area are hardly a two man show as E'Shay Winfield (10 ppg 8 rebs) and Bri Justice (10 ppg 8 asst 5 stl) per game provide scoring in the starting lineup while Na'Jai Pollard (9 ppg 9 rebs) provides a spark off the bench.

 

Ticket prices will be:

Adults $10 at the door $8 advance
Kids (5-12) $5 at the door $3 in advance
Kids under 5 Free

Tickets for the event can be purchased in advanced by emailing tickets@statva.com.

VHSL Coaches passes will be honored at this event