Tilton wins 2026 Girls Hoops Series national prep championship

Bella Owumi is our top-ranked 2027 prospect in New England. (Doug Leclerc)

In the final chapter of this year’s New England girls prep basketball season, Tilton triumphed in the Girls Hoops Series National Prep Championship, defeating Spire (Ohio), 67-64, at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford, Conn., on Tuesday.

This marks the third consecutive national prep championship for the Rams (28-4).

Bella Owumi (Lynn, Mass.) finished off her first year with the program in statement fashion, posting 25 points (on 10-of-13 shooting), eight rebounds and three steals.

Tilton outlasted a six-team field that included regional powers Darrow, Newman and Putnam Science, as well as Ohio prep schools Spire and Western Reserve.

Owumi, one of the country’s top 2027 prospects, will be back next year to headline the Rams. But this was also the final showing for a strong senior core that included three starters. Bela Cucuta (Newington, Conn.) will play in college at George Washington, Brooke Golden (Chester, N.H.) heads to Northwestern and Maddie McCaffery (Merrimack, N.H.) is bound for St. Anselm.