MidValleySports.Com

2010 Covina Christmas Classic Champs.

(Covina) – For the second consecutive year the Bonita Bearcats have hoisted the Covina Christmas Classic with an impressive 46-40 win over Roosevelt (Corona).

Bonita’s freshman sensation Nikki Wheatley hit a crucial jumper midway through the fourth to stop the Mustangs 6-0 run and reestablish the Bearcats momentum. Wheatley would end up with the tournament M.V.P award.

Roosevelt used a dominating front court early to establish inside presence with Bree Ball and Yasmin Taylor doing all the damage inside.

Senior-leadership answered the call in the second quarter for Bonita with Taylor Anderson and Madison Zylstra hitting big shots to help the Bearcats pull away.

The Bearcat defense stepped up causing Ball and Taylor into bad shots and allowing the offense to get on track with timely rebounds.

A 14-0 run for Bonita that spanned the second and third quarters would extend a four point lead into 13 with 2:17 remaining in the third.

When it appeared the Mustangs were making a run late in the third, Zylstra (game high 16 points) put a stop to it with a clutch three-pointer at the buzzer.

Taylor would not be denied to big the fourth as she began to dominate again in the paint. Roosevelt would use Taylor’s six points in the final quarter to cut the lead to five.

It would be as close as the Mustangs would get as Wheatley and Jaclyn Smith would take control of the final minutes with key rebounds and scoring. Smith alone scored four straight to extend the lead to nine with one minute and 23 seconds.