One Point Away: The Girls HS Basketball Classic Tips Off October 24

One point.

That's all that separated the two best teams on the island last season. After a full season and a playoff run, St. John's beat Academy 58-57 in the final to finish a perfect year, with the Knights at 11-0 and Academy at 10-1.

The Girls HS Basketball Classic, presented by Secret, is the first chance to see who has reloaded and who is ready to make a run at the title.

The Field

• Pool A: Academy, Southern, Harvest, Guam High
• Pool B: St. John's, St. Paul, Notre Dame, GW

Sanchez, Tiyan, Okkodo and JFK are not in this year's field, which makes the Classic a tight eight-team event. JFK's absence stands out most, after the Islanders went 7-4 last season and reached the playoffs.

The opening-day finale is the game to circle. St. John's (11-0) and St. Paul (9-2), last season's top two in the standings, meet at 6:45 PM Saturday in Pool B. Both lost their leading scorers to graduation, so it's the first real look at who steps up.

Pool A is wide open. Academy returns after a 10-1 season and a one-point loss in the final, while Southern and Guam High both went 7-4 and have every reason to believe they can win the pool.

The Rest of the Field

Every team starts 0-0, and three of them have the most to gain from a fresh start.

• GW: The Geckos went 3-8 last season but bring a deep roster. They open against the champions on Saturday, the biggest stage in the tournament to show how far they've come.
• Notre Dame: The Royals won two games last season and drew the toughest pool, with St. Paul, GW and St. John's. One upset in pool play could change their season.
• Harvest: The Eagles won one game last year. They open against Guam High and Southern, and a strong start puts both within reach.

Nobody goes home after pool play. Every team reaches the quarterfinals, where one big night can change a season.

Players to Watch

• Lana Quinata, Southern: She led the league at 22.6 points per game and is the most dangerous scorer in the field.
• Cambrie Egbert, Guam High: She averaged 15.9 points per game and drives a Panthers team that went 7-4.
• Zoe Whitehead, St. John's: At 14.6 points per game, she is the champions' top returning scorer and the player the Knights will lean on.
• Zahna Whitehead, St. John's: Zoe's sister made her name as a proven defensive guard. Now the Knights need her to score and run the offense too, and how quickly she grows into that role may decide whether St. John's defends its title.
• Academy: Academy lost several seniors, but a proven program brings depth in scoring and defense. Look for a mix of standouts stepping up throughout the tournament.

The Schedule

• Saturday, Oct 24 at FD Jungle: pool play from 10:00 AM, eight games
• Monday, Oct 26 at UOG: pool play continues on two courts, 5:30 and 6:45 PM
• Tuesday, Oct 27 at UOG: quarterfinals, Pool A against Pool B
• Wednesday, Oct 28 at UOG: semifinals, 5:30 and 6:45 PM
• Thursday, Oct 29 at UOG: third-place game at 5:30 PM, championship at 6:45 PM

See every game time and court on the full schedule.

Watch and Follow Along

Every game streams live on Clutch Live. Live scores, standings, brackets and leaders are on the tournament page on The ScoreBench, updated as the games are played.

Last season ended with one point. This season starts October 24. Be there.