31-01-2025
Borden-Collins duo combines for 44 points in Sumner's road win at Emerald Ridge
Make no mistake: It's the Kawehi Borden and Olivia Collins Show in the Valley.
There's no easy way to stop Sumner's star backcourt. Swarm one, and the other flourishes in a mismatch. Pressure both, and there's another Spartan ready to knock down a wide-open jumper.
Friends and teammates since third grade, chemistry and trust are blossoming for the engines of the offense — just in time for Sumner's pursuit of a 4A state title.
'They play off of each other really well,' Sumner head coach Katie Hyppa said. 'They both play hard. They're a pleasure to coach, and in big games like this, it's nice to see them play well.'
Borden (21 points) and Collins (game-high 23 points) combined for 44, and the Spartans knocked off Emerald Ridge on the road, 60-50, in the 4A SPSL's regular season finale Thursday night.
A competitive battle between the league's top teams, Sumner's (17-3, 15-1) win secures the No. 1 seed and home court advantage for next week's SPSL girls basketball tournament and puts the Spartans in prime position for another deep postseason run.
'For us, (home court's) a big thing,' Hyppa said. 'If anyone's played in our gym, it's small. It's compact. We've got a great band, and there's definitely a difference for us when we're playing at home.'
Borden, a sophomore guard already considered a Power-4 prospect, sank a game-high four triples and scored from all three levels. So did Collins, a fierce rebounder with 10 clutch free throws in Thursday night's second half.
They're more than willing to feed the hotter hand — even when both hit a groove.
'Our trust has grown a lot,' Borden told The News Tribune. 'We all stayed very poised. There was a lot of noise, a lot of energy and adrenaline for Emerald Ridge. I'm proud of how our team stayed cool.'
This rivalry with postseason seeding at stake offered playoff intensity and a healthy crowd on Emerald Ridge's Senior Night. Sumner's five-point lead in the opening minutes vanished when the Jaguars built a 12-0 run and led by as many as seven points in the first quarter, the turning point for a Spartans comeback.
The Borden-Collins Show ensued in the second period, when the standout duo stuffed the stat sheet with all of Sumner's first-half field goals. The Spartans led by one at halftime in enemy territory.
'It's a game of runs,' Hyppa said. 'Being able to grind it out when you have to… we talk about that all the time.
'Rocky moments at the start, but ultimately, you've got to weather the storms.'
Borden hit a pair of three-pointers in the third quarter, enough to fend off another late Emerald Ridge surge. And when Sumner pushed their fourth-quarter lead to seven points, the Jaguars resorted to intentional fouls; Collins drained them all.
Jaguars point guard Semaj Williams and six-foot forward Raymiah Jackson co-led Emerald Ridge with 13 points apiece. Sophomore guard Saniya Fair tallied eight points and junior wing Naleila Cammack added seven.
'Every team brings their best effort (against us),' Borden said. 'It's nice for us to have these hard games, because we want to go far. It's nice to get these out of the way so we're used to them in March.'
Collins dropped a game-high 23 points and Borden scored 21. Senior forward Parker Gould added six.
'This is just one step,' Collins said. 'We have three more to go.'
BOX SCORE
S: 10-16-15-19—60
ER: 17-8-14-11—50
Scoring: (S) Collins 23, Borden 21, Gould 6, Nohr 5, Hughes 3, Nadeau 2; (ER) Jackson 13, Williams 13, Fair 8, Cammack 7, So 4, Hudgins 3, Berridge 2
