VILLAGE GIRLS BASKETBALL WINS 2026 TAPPS 6A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
The Village Girls Basketball capped their 2025-2026 season defeating Prestonwood Christian 70-56 in the TAPPS 6A Girls Basketball State Championship game. The title marked the second in school history for the girls basketball program, following a state championship in 2019-2020.
The first quarter did not favor the Lady Vikings. Some early foul trouble and a hot start from the three point line from Prestonwood would have the Lady Vikings trailing by as much as 14 points early. Sophomore Candice Tsiang was able to keep the team in the game, scoring 10 of the first 12 Lady Vikings points in a quarter that would end with Prestonwood leading 19-12.
The tide began to turn for the Lady Vikings in the second quarter. After a deep three pointer to open the second quarter from Prestonwood, Tsiang was fouled and made the shot for and one to cut the deficit to 22-15 after the made free throw. Prestonwood would score on their next possession, but the Lady Vikings responded as Tsiang found fellow sophomore Nyla Singleton for three pointer to make score cut the deficit to 7 with 6:10 left in the half. Sophomore Toni Ademuwagun would then score 5 points in 16 seconds. First, Ademuwagun drove for a tough finish in the paint to make it Prestonwood 25, Village 18 and then would steal the ball in transition for an and one (made free throw) and to make the score 25-23. On the following Prestonwood possession, Senior Captain Cyra Narahari would block a three point attempt, Tsiang grabbed the rebound going the other way and would be fouled for another Lady Viking and one to tie the score 25-25. Tsiang would make the free throw to give the lady Vikings their first lead since being up 1-0 in the first minute of the game. Ademuwagun would score again on the next possession making it six straight possessions in which the Lady Vikings would score to open the second quarter. Narahari would extend that streak to seven, getting fouled and going 1-2 from the line to take a 29-27 lead before the halfway point of the second quarter. The games next basket would come from Senior Captain Shaniya Williams and Ademuwagun would add another free throw giving Village a 32-28 lead heading into the half.
The third quarter was a back a forth affair that saw each team score 14 points. Williams got the Village scoring going opening with 2 free throws. Tsiang then added a put back two followed by back to back driving layup's. Ademuwagun would find Singleton for her second three pointer, giving Village a 43-32 lead with 3:15 left in the third. Williams would add another free throw and an Ameuwagun shot in the lane gave the Lady Vikings a 46-42 lead to end the third quarter.
Village would open the fourth quarter with possession. Williams drove the lane and found Tsiang for a corner three to open the fourth quarter scoring. Ademuwagun would get fouled and go 2 for 2 from the line giving the lady Vikings an early 9 point lead in the quarter. Williams followed on the next possession with a driving layup before being fouled on the following possession to add a free throw. With 4:25 left, Tsiang found Narahari in the corner for a three to put the Lady Vikings up 57-44. After a Prestonwood free throw, Ademuwagun hit Singleton in the same corner to give Village a 60-45 lead. Following another Prestonwood free throw, Narahari drove the lane for a floater to make it 62-46 Village with just under 3 minutes left. Following a quick 5-0 run for Prestonwood to make it Village 62 Prestonwood 51, out of a baseline out of bounds, Tsiang found Williams underneath the basket with 2:10 left to play. To close out the scoring, Williams would knock down 3 more free throws and Tsiang would add her 4th and one of the game giving the Lady Vikings the TAPPS 6A State Championship with a 70-56 win. This marked the second state championship in program history (2019-2020) and the first for Head Coach Jason Cantwell in his fifth season at the helm of the Lady Vikings.
For the game, Candice Tsiang finished with a game high 28 points on 10/15 shooting, grabbed 5 rebounds and a team high 3 assists. Shaniya Williams scored 15, with a game high 6 rebounds and added 2 assists. Toni Ademuwagun added 12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Nyla Singleton had 9 points, 2 rebounds and a game high 4 steals. Cyra Narahari scored 6 points, added 5 reboundsand blocked 2 shots. Senior Imogen King added a rebound and Senior Brynn Hayes and Junior Han Nguyen each added valuable minutes for the Lady Vikings in the teams' championship effort.