Obama Academy girls basketball coach Monique McCoy would prefer to defer any credit. What McCoy would like to see at 4 p.m. Sunday at Brashear High School during the City League girls basketball championship game is for the Eagles to showcase their progress in another matchup with Allderdice.
McCoy felt her team’s season turned when it beat Allderdice, 47-41, on Feb. 3 at home to earn a share of the regular season title. During the first meeting between the teams, the Dragons handed Obama a 62-19 beatdown.
“To see all of their work pay off and to beat Allderdice was a confidence builder,” McCoy said. “We believe in them and know they can do it. They worked hard. I take no credit. I take the blame for the first loss.”
Whether that progress will be enough to knock off two-time defending champion Allderdice (17-6) remains to be seen. The Dragons’ attack is led by senior guard Bailey White.
White, who averages nearly 26 points per game, topped the 2,000-point mark for her career this season. Rhyan Sledge and Seena Teshome provide support for White, adding nearly 10 points per game apiece.
Dragons coach Ellen Guillard expects a difficult matchup.
“Playing them for a third time is fun, exciting and — I mean this as a compliment — annoying,” Guillard said. “It has the makings of a gritty game. We are good with running, getting steals and playing fast.”
The meeting between the Dragons and Eagles (13-7) has been a regular matchup on the city’s big stage. For the fourth consecutive year, Allderdice and Obama Academy will meet to crown a champion.
The previous three meetings were at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.
“Ultimately, I’m thankful to make it where the championship is being played,” Guillard said. “It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, but I’m grateful to be here.”
Obama, which doesn’t have any seniors on the roster, opened the year 0-3. Dylan Stuvaints, a 5-foot-9 sophomore forward, has led the team in rebounding.
The Eagles have several players who have served key roles on offense, including Nia Benjamin and Arianna Treadwell.
Guillard said Allderdice, which beat Obama, 52-45, in the final last season, is prepared for a spirited challenge from the Eagles.
“They’re pretty young and fearless,” Guillard said. “They have a lot of potential. When a team is young and has nothing to lose, you can expect to get their best.”
McCoy said the team had a meeting after its first loss to Allderdice to help everyone understand what their roles should be moving forward.
“We had had a meeting where we had to talk about what we could do better collectively,” McCoy said. “After our first meeting with ‘Dice, we got together and started to gell and build momentum.”