Mitty stands tallest against nation’s elite

There’s no high school girls basketball tournament to determine a national champion.

But Mitty captured the closest thing to it Friday, winning the title in the top division of the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix.

The Monarchs, ranked fourth nationally by MaxPreps.com., defeated top-ranked Riverdale-Murfreesboro, Tenn., 64-50 in the semifinals Thursday, before knocking off No. 2 St. Mary’s-Stockton 57-50 in Friday’s final.

Against Riverdale, Mitty (9-0) jumped out to an 11-2 lead after the first quarter and never trailed. Penn State signee Karisma Ortiz led four Mitty players in double figures with 18 points and 14 rebounds.