Powers the Southern Section to sweep at Collision All Star Games
2023 Boys MVP Kevin Patton, Jr. of the University of San Diego presents Amanda Ajobiewe of Ontario Christian with girls MVP award at the 24th annual Collision All Star Games on April 13 at Leuzinger High School. The pair is joined by Collision founder and director Kenneth Miller. Ajobiewe scored a game high 15 points for the Southern Section girls which defeated their City counterparts by 30 points.
Honoring and celebrating the legacy of the late Lakers icon Kobe Bryant for whom Collision All Star Games 24th edition was dedicated to, St. Pius X St. Matthias Academy’ star wingman Tyrone Riley and Ontario Christian’s Amanda Ajobiewe captured MVP honors for their performances at Leuzinger High School on April 13th.
Collision founder and director Kenneth Miller presents 2024 boys MVP award to St Pius X St Matthias Academy’s Tyrone Riley who powered the Southern Section to a thrilling 103-102 overtime victory over the City Section at Leuzinger on April 13. Riley’s 41 point outburst was the most in event history and he was also joined by Kevin Patton Jr., the 2023 boys MVP.
The University of San Francisco bound Riley set a Collision scoring record pouring in 41 points to lead the boys Southern Section to a thrilling 103-102 overtime win at Leuzinger High School on April 13.
Riley scorched his Los Angeles City Section rivals with six 3-pointers and also added 5 rebounds to eclipse Compton Dominguez alum Jordan Hamilton’s 37 point outburst in 2009 in an affair won by the City Section 113-109.
It also marked the first overtime contest for the boys game in the 24 year history of the event.
Southern Section coach Pat Roy of St. Paul High School was forced to utilize all of his fire power which included Corona Centennial’s UCLA bound Eric Freeny who produced a measured performance with 10 points, CIF Southern Section Division 1 Player of the Year Quincy Phillips who added 16 and Rancho Christian’s athletic Kallai Patton who finished with 13 points. St. Paul’s Babacar Gadaga added 7 and 11 rebounds for the Southern Section which improved to 14-10 in the rivalry.
The City Section overcame a 10 point halftime deficit behind the balanced scoring of seven players in double figures led by Gardena’s 7 ‘2 tower Promise Madubugw’s 17 points and 17 rebounds. Washington Prep’s Micahel Akihionbare had 16 points and 13 rebounds, his Washington Prep teammate Briyon Aldridge finished with 15, Crenshaw’s King Petterson had 12 and Birminghan Charter’s Alexander Dupree also scored 12, while LACES Ryan Conner’s clutch 11 including a game tying 3-pointer to send the game into overtime for City co-coaches Jovante King of Washing Prep and Ernie Carr of Gardena.
Prior to the boys confrontation, the Southern Section girls resumed their dominance with a 30 point blow-out of the girls City team, 75-45, behind the dominance of Georgetown bound Ajobiewe’s 15 points.
It was a great day for the Nigerian Ajobiewe because at halftime of the girls game she joined with Orange Lutheran’s Shea Joko as recipients of the Steve Lavin Family Scholar Athlete Award for having the top two grade point average of all participants in the games. Ajobiewe carried a 4.1 GPA and Joko had a 4.2 GPA. It marked the first time in the history of Collision that two players from the same team and of the same gender received the award.
Redondo Union center and Portland University recruit Ella Zimmerman was joined by Brentwood’s Jocelyn Pascual as the only other Southern Section girls in double figures with 10 points apiece.
Westchester’s Cal State Los Angeles bound Miriah Blake led the City with 14 points and Crenshaw’s Sarah Ramos added 10.
Leuzinger’s Bo Corona piloted the Southern Section and won for the fourth time without a defeat as the Southern section improved to 20-4 in the series.
University of San Diego freshman standout and 2023 Collision boys MVP Kevin Patton, Jr. presented both the scholar awards and also both MVP honors.
Wallace Moore, a staple in the basketball community and winner of 6 Say No championships and 4 Drew League titles, was presented with the Jim Harrick Lifetime Achievement Award by former Pepperdine star Dane Suttle, who played under the only living coach to win an NCAA men’s title at UCLA.
Asked if the boys game was the best ever, Collision Founder and Director, Kenneth Miller said; “It was right up there with the nature the way the game was played, competitive and hard fought right down to the wire. They may have been a game with more star power, but how these players competed was I think the best tribute to Kobe Byrant on this day.”
