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The Chipotle Nationals look different from last year after its sponsorship changed from GEICO, but on the girls’ end of the bracket, there’s still a constant:
The Montverde Eagles. The Montverde Eagles. And, for the third time in a row, the Montverde Eagles.
Led by Jaloni Cambridge, the team defeated IMG Academy in the championship 61-53 to complete the three-peat. Cambridge scored 17 points, nine assists, and six rebounds, capping an all-around excellent tournament run. She also posted a triple-double in the opening round and scored 33 points in the second round.
USC commit Vivian Iwuchukwu also had 17 points. She served as a reliable scorer alongside Cambridge this run, helping set the tone on the offensive end.
3-peat National Champions 👏 #ChipotleNationals pic.twitter.com/YEqGkTpKau
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) April 6, 2024
Montverde’s defense clamped down, particularly on the defensive end, where IMG made only two of 13 shots from behind the arc. Kelis Fisher was phenomenal for the Ascenders, scoring 24 points and going 8-for-11 from the free throw line, and Tajianna Roberts chipped in 16 points, but only three players scored at least 10 points. Outside of Fisher, Roberts and Deniaya Prawl, only three points were scored between five players, two of whom appeared for no more than three minutes.
The impact of Heloisa Carrera was limited. She grabbed a whopping 16 rebounds in the semifinals, but Montverde held her to just six this game.
Maybe most important was Montverde’s work against five-star Leah Harmon. The Miami commit only got up three shots and scored just one point, a testament to the defensive effort from the Eagles.
Montverde finishes its season 24-4 and got back one of those losses against IMG in February by winning on Saturday. It’s the perfect season-clincher for the senior class, which includes Cambridge, Iwuchukwu, and four-star Eris Lester. With three in a row, this team has the look of a dynasty.
The Eagles stormed both the boys and the girls brackets, sweeping the tournament and walking out as champions on both ends.
Related: Montverde boys basketball completes undefeated season with win at Chipotle Nationals