Several of the MIAA's brightest stars made sure to end 2024 on a high note.
Winter break gave us a smattering of small holiday tournaments hosted across Massachusetts. Some teams ventured outside of the state, and even New England, to test themselves. Among this week's honorees are four holiday classic MVP winners who lead some of the top programs in the MIAA. I initially planned to save these games and count them for a later week, but with so many big-time performances, this past week deserved its own roundup.
Coaches and players can submit nominations by emailing Ethan Fuller at ethan.fuller@basketballjournal.com or by messaging him on Twitter/X (@ethman43).
Here are this week’s five standouts:
Bella Bingham, Walpole
Class of 2026, 5-8 wing
Bingham's 21 points helped Walpole prevail in one of the best games of winter break: a 60-59 overtime battle against Oliver Ames in the semifinals of the Rivard Tournament. The Timberwolves went on to win the tournament, with Bingham adding 16 points in the championship against Bishop Fenwick. She won tournament MVP.
Avery Gamble, Oliver Ames
Class of 2026, 5-7 guard
Though the Tigers lost that OT thriller to Walpole, Gamble gave an electric individual performance with 33 points. She helped Oliver Ames bounce back in the consolation game, scoring 18 points in a 48-32 win against Silver Lake.
Alyssa Hopps, Quincy
Class of 2025, 5-11 forward
Hopps registered a monster double-double performance with 25 points and 14 rebounds, making a difference in a statement 69-47 win for the Presidents against Notre Dame (Hingham). She capped off 2024 by surpassing the 1,000-point milestone during her 21-point outing on Monday against Weymouth.
Aniela Kwo, Central Catholic
Class of 2025, 5-10 forward
Kwo earned MVP recognition in the Commonwealth Motors Christmas Classic at Merrimack College, one of the largest MIAA holiday tournaments. She averaged 17.3 points across three tournament games and scored nearly half her team's points (21) in the championship, a 43-32 victory over Bridgewater-Raynham.
Bella Owumi, St. Mary's
Class of 2027, 5-11 forward
Owumi captured the MVP award at Dracut's Edmund Murphy Winter Tournament. She scored 16 points in the Spartans' win against the Middies before turning up another notch in the championship, tallying 27 in a 54-31 triumph over Worcester South.
Other notable performances: Quincy forward Niamh Gendron aided Hopps in Saturday's win against Notre Dame (Hingham) with 25 points of her own. ... We only pick five stars of the week, but Southeastern guard Mia Ortega deserves extra praise for her 29-point barrage (seven 3-pointers) against Hull that helped her earn Rockland Holiday Tournament MVP honors. ... Engelyz Bingham exploded for 31 points in the consolation round of the Boverini Tournament, helping Lynn Tech take down KIPP Academy, 57-28. ... Caroline Andrade amassed 21 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks in Watertown's 58-47 victory against Dover-Sherborn on Saturday. ... Foxboro star Kailey Sullivan remains on fire, most recently scoring 26 points last Friday in a 67-27 win over Wellesley. ... Same goes for Dartmouth standout Kat Cheesebro, who put up 25 points in a 57-33 win against Old Rochester. ... Abington picked up a 55-48 win against Holbrook on Friday behind Savvy Eriksen's 25 points.
