Nadjy Tyler wins MVP as Imhotep Charter girls’ basketball wins second straight Public League title
Senior forward Nadjy Tyler scored a game-high 13 points and won MVP honors as Imhotep Charter beat Audenried, 78-62, to win its second straight Public League championship.
Nadjy Tyler couldn’t contain her emotions.
The Imhotep Charter senior forward started crying at center court when she won MVP honors as the Panthers girls’ basketball team beat Audenried, 78-62, to claim their second straight Public League championship on Saturday at the Liacouras Center.
“I honestly feel like there was nobody out there that could guard me,” said Tyler, who finished with 12 points. “I know my teammates were counting on me.”
Tyler has fought uphill battle all season because of a knee injury. She missed her entire junior season after she tore her left ACL during an AAU game two summers ago. Then, Tyler, who played the title game with a brace on her left knee, had a setback earlier this season that forced her sit out until the middle of January.
Panthers coach David Hargrove said Tyler is getting her conditioning back to normal game-by-game.
“Nadjy Tyler is one of the best players in the state, but she’s just been through a lot of injuries,” he said.
“She has the ability to bounce back, which is a life lesson, because things don’t always go your way,” he added. “You get down, you have your bad days, but she has the ability to refocus and dedicate herself to working and getting better.”
The Rockets kept the deficit within reach until the fourth quarter, but Imhotep went on a 16-2 run at the start of the period to extend its lead to 25 points.
Four Panthers scored in double figures. Tyler led the team in scoring with 13 points; senior guard Alana Swift tallied 12; and freshman guard Lashanda Smith and freshman forward Tiliyah Carter netted 11 apiece.
In the Public League playoffs, Imhotep has beaten opponents by an average of 30 points, including the championship win over Audenried.
“We put in a lot of work all season,” Swift said. “We went through a lot of problems that we overcame, but we got it done.”
Speaking of problems, Rockets senior guard Taliyah Rahman caused some issues for Imhotep on defense. The Panthers had trouble keeping her from driving the lane as Rahman finished with 35 points, including 28 in the second half.
Swift said that she was happy to compete against Rahman one last time in the Public League title game.
But Swift has even more reason to grin, now that Tyler is starting to look like her normal self.
And so does Hargrove.
“She’s peaking at the right time,” Hargrove said of Tyler. “And that’s going to be big for us trying to go to our next goals."
Imhotep 16 21 19 22 - 78
Aundenried 13 13 16 20 - 62
IC: Nadjy Tyler 13, Alana Swift 12, Lashanda Smith 11, Tiliya Carter 11, Ayasha Thomas 7, Zamara Haynes 6, Quiana Cintron 5, Alyssa Herder 4, Seanlajah Smith 4, Cydney Bundy 2, Janai Smith 2, Monesjia Harvey 1
A: Taliyah Rahman 35, Naja Lumsden 11, Alanis Hill 7, Ashjahnelle Wilson 5, Makyah Taylor 2, Destiny Epps 2