The Rosemary Clarke Middle School (RCMS) Sharks boys and girls basketball teams gained valuable experience and showcased their competitiveness at the GV Christian Shootout tournament, held Friday and Saturday, January 16–17. Facing a challenging slate of opponents, the Sharks girls team finished fifth overall, while the boys earned a fourth-place finish, highlighted by an individual all-tournament honor.
The RCMS boys opened tournament play on Friday with an impressive showing against Alexander Dawson securing a dominant 52–21 victory. The Sharks followed that with a tough matchup against Somerset Losee, where they ultimately fell 66–20 to close out the first day.
Saturday’s action brought another pair of hard-fought contests for the boys. RCMS took on Faith Lutheran in a physically demanding game. Despite offensive challenges, the Sharks battled throughout, with Oscar Ramos getting to the free-throw line early and Stetson Brown setting the tone defensively with relentless full-court pressure. Brown also added a strong spin move in the paint during the second half, while Santiago Perez converted a sideline play for a layup. The Sharks fell 47–9 but continued to show effort and intensity on both ends of the floor.
In the fourth-place game, RCMS faced Coral Academy and stayed competitive into the second half before closing the tournament with a 46–34 loss, finishing fourth overall. Brown’s consistent defensive pressure, leadership, and all-around effort across the weekend earned him a spot on the All-Tournament Team for Junior High boys.
The RCMS girls opened tournament play on Friday against Faith Lutheran, facing a strong opponent and falling 41–10. Despite the setback, the Sharks regrouped quickly and delivered one of the most exciting games of the tournament on Saturday in the fifth-place matchup against Alexander Dawson.
Applying steady man-to-man pressure, RCMS forced turnovers and created scoring opportunities throughout a tightly contested game. Mahina Decambra anchored the offense in the paint, while Olivia Harrington and Kinley Cross-Smith provided key defensive pressure and transition opportunities. Cross-Smith’s coast-to-coast layup late in the first half helped give the Sharks an 8–6 lead at the break.
The second half remained close, with Emri Wulfenstein knocking down a clutch three-pointer from the right corner on an inbounds play and Decambra continuing to score through contact inside. Regulation ended tied, forcing overtime, and after a scoreless first extra period filled with defensive stops, the game moved to double overtime.
With the next basket deciding the outcome, RCMS delivered in the moment. Following another defensive stand, Wulfenstein received the inbounds pass and calmly buried the game-winning shot from the right corner, sealing a 19–17 victory and fifth place for the Sharks.
Both RCMS squads left the GV Christian Shootout with hard-earned lessons, standout performances, and top-five finishes against strong competition. The tournament highlighted the Sharks’ resilience, defensive intensity, and growth as they continue to build momentum through the season.
